A four-year research program aimed at creating a circular battery model has been launched in Switzerland for the production, application, and recycling of lithium-ion batteries.
Twenty-four companies are joining forces under the CircuBAT name to look for ways to boost sustainability in all stages of a battery’s life cycle.
The project is part of the newly launched Flagship Initiative of Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency.
CircuBAT will focus on finding solutions that boost sustainability in all phases of a lithium-ion battery’s life cycle— including extending the lifespan of batteries during their first application.
To achieve its goal, researchers aim to develop optimal charging and discharging strategies as well as new concepts for battery construction that make repairs easy.
The project will explore ways of integrating used electric vehicle batteries into stationary energy storage systems at a local level.
The researchers will also look for solutions for remanufacturing batteries and recovering materials to produce secondary raw materials for use in new batteries.
Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH is the leading house in the CircuBAT project.
Six Swiss research institutions are involved in the project: Empa, the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, the University of St. Gallen, the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, the Switzerland Innovation Park Biel / Bienne and the EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology).
These institutions are joined by 24 companies from economy and industry, among them Kyburz, LeClanche, Buhler and Green Cubes Technology.
As a founding member of CircuBAT, Green Cubes Technology has made a multi-year financial investment in the program.
Green Cubes will also contribute first-use lithium-ion batteries for experimentation and testing within the program, provide engineering design services to develop new more-efficient batteries, and contribute intellectual property to achieve the objectives of CircuBAT.
Green Cubes will participate in two working groups: one extending the life of first-use batteries through extensive analysis of deployed batteries in the field; the second will focus on creating second-use and second-life opportunities to minimise the total CO2 footprint of lithium-ion battery systems during their lifetime.