Old electric auto batteries are set to deliver more power, thanks to an innovative approach by a car maker in the UK. The company has decided to redeploy their stock of used batteries at a renewable energy park. Because the batteries are still useful after they no longer have sufficient power for electric vehicles. And they promise there is more to come.
Where the Old Electric Auto Batteries Will Continue Their Work
The used electrical vehicle batteries will ship in containers to Chelveston Renewable Energy Park in Northamptonshire, England. This pioneering project, on the site of an old military airfield, is a blend of wind and solar nearing completion. The planned output is 60-megawatts. This will curate energy with three purposes in mind:
- Generate hydrogen fuel for heavy goods vehicles.
- Provide a storage facility for surplus grid power.
- Release this energy during high demand periods.
The UK’s largest auto maker Jaguar Land Rover announced plans to contribute to this project, according to SKY News on August 23, 2023. Their current stock of old electric auto batteries should provide enough energy to power 750 homes for a day. But this is likely to be only the beginning, as sales of electric vehicles ramp up.
How It Is Possible to Re-Use Spent Batteries this Way
The old electric auto batteries will have a useful life, even after they have lost the energy they need to power electric vehicles. That’s because they should still have 70% to 80% residual capacity typically. And moreover, continue to be able to meet the high technical standards demanded by their parent company.
This relatively small project is a great example of a circular economy, where nothing is wasted, and everything lives on. However, we should not underestimate the potential. We have heard McKinsey predicted used batteries in energy storage could contribute 200 gigawatt-hours per year by 2030.
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