Battery safety firm Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and vehicle OEM Hyundai Motor Company have signed a deal to help enhance the safe deployment and use of second-life battery energy storage systems (ESS).
The firms will work together on ESS’ using second-life batteries (including safety testing and assessment), a North America demonstration project and an evaluation process development.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on 23 July at a ceremony at UL’s offices in Seoul, South Korea.
Sajeev Jesudas, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at UL, said: “Reusing batteries in secondary applications is a promising strategy to help combat climate change and carbon emissions.
“We are joining together to consider second-life battery applications as well as their safety and performance potential.”
The batteries from electric vehicles (EV) are deemed ready for second-life use when they “no longer meet the requirements of automotive applications”, but can be used on less demanding grid-connected energy storage applications.
Anticipating the deployment of second-life automotive batteries for ESSs, UL participated in the development of UL 1974, the Standard for Evaluation for Repurposing Batteries.
The standard, to address the safety and reliability of repurposing batteries, was published in 2018 by UL’s non-profit parent, Underwriters Laboratories, as a bi-national Standard of the United States and Canada.
