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Battery News
Tesla Starts Energy Storage Production In Shanghai
After a nine-month construction time, Tesla has officially begun production at its Shanghai gigafactory. According to the company, the factory, which is located in the Lingang Special Area, covers 200,000 square feet and required an investment of the equivalent of 200 million US dollars. The gigafactory focuses on the production of the Megapack, a large-scale energy storage system for the global market. According to Tesla, the factory will have an annual capacity of up to 10,000 Megapack units, each with a capacity of more than 3,900 kilowatt-hours. This would give the factory an approximately 40-gigawatt-hour production capacity per year. Production is scheduled to ramp up in the first quarter of 2025. Tesla expects the new factory to significantly reduce existing supply constraints for energy storage products, including Megapacks and Powerwalls. The first Megapack produced in China has already rolled off the line and is being exported to Australia. Source:https://cnevpost.com/2025/02/11/tesla-shanghai-megafactory-starts-production/
factory
Feb 17, 2025
Battery News
“Tozero” To Recycle Graphite For Batteries On Industrial Scale
German company “tozero” claims to have successfully tested industrially recycled graphite in a battery cell for the first time in Europe. While other processes have only worked on a laboratory scale, tozero has now succeeded in recovering and recycling the material in industrial quantities. In conventional battery recycling processes, graphite is often lost or incinerated. “tozero” claims it can recover more than 80 percent of the material using an alternative process without destroying its structure. According to the company, test results show that the performance of the recycled graphite is comparable to that of primary graphite. “tozero” aims to produce more than 2,000 tons of recycled graphite annually by 2027 and to increase this amount to more than 10,000 tons by 2030. This is in response to the growing demand for raw materials for batteries, especially in the wake of electric mobility. Europe is currently almost entirely dependent on graphite imports, with China controlling the majority of the market. Source:https://www.tozero.solutions/press-release-graphite
factory
Feb 14, 2025
Battery News
“Enormous Advantages In Operating Costs And Plant Footprint”
Battery is king these days. It is no wonder, then, that TRUMPF is bringing technological innovations to the battery value chain. In an exclusive interview with Battery-News, Johannes Bührle, Director Global Business Development – Mobility & Global Sales – Battery at TRUMPF, reveals the innovations with which the company is opening up new possibilities in battery recycling and electrode drying. Battery-News: Your company recently introduced a new laser technology for recycling electric vehicle batteries. How does the process ensure greater efficiency and what impact will it have on meeting the new EU recycling quotas?Johannes Bührle: From a laser technology perspective, recycling is divided into two areas for us. On the one hand, we deal with the recycling of “end-of-life” batteries, which essentially involves separating packs and modules down to the cell level in order to create materials of the same type and to efficiently separate material combinations from each other. Housing screws are often glued and can no longer be loosened mechanically. It is therefore much more efficient and faster to cut such connections in a targeted manner, for example to separate aluminum from a steel screw and thus open the housing. Battery-News: Is this process economical?Bührle: We assume so, and that will soon become clearer as more batteries are returned – depending on how many variants there are in the future. Of course, it makes a process much easier if the same components keep coming back. If there is a wide range of variants, however, the machine has to run with many different programs. Economic efficiency is also strongly influenced by how chemistry in the cells changes. Will there continue to be NMC or will there be more LFP electrodes in the future? These are all factors that will make the recycling process more or less attractive. “Our approach is to irradiate the surface with the laser so that the active material separates from the substrate.” Battery-News: What is the second area of recycling that is of interest to your company?Bührle: In contrast to the battery’s “end of life”, our second area deals with the waste that arises when starting up electrode production. Particularly in such highly industrialized processes, a few kilometers of poor-quality electrodes can quickly be produced, which ideally are recycled by separating the copper, the aluminum as a substrate, and the active material. Currently, this is done mechanically with a great deal of effort using a jigging process. Instead, our approach is to solve this thermally and to irradiate the surface with the laser so that the active material separates from the substrate. It will be interesting to see how nickel, cobalt, and so on react to this – in other words, whether any damage is caused by the laser. We use ultrashort pulse lasers so that the interaction time is as short as possible. Battery-News: The partnership between TRUMPF and Cellforce aims to improve the performance and energy density of high-performance battery cells. How do your laser systems help to optimize the production processes and increase battery capacity?Bührle: We are in close contact with Cellforce, where we primarily consider the laser applications in the entire battery production chain together. This begins with drying the electrodes, where the DÜRR is involved as an additional partner of the Cellforce Group with its special expertise. The DÜRR company has a unique selling point: It uses a process for double-sided coating like no one else does. In this constellation, we have set up a pilot plant where we use a hybrid drying process that combines laser with conventional drying processes. This results in enormous advantages in terms of plant footprint and operating costs. “We have succeeded, for example, in reducing spatter and increasing the yield rate.” Battery-News: How do you achieve this specifically?Bührle: This is possible because the laser has a very high electrical efficiency, and the surface of the electrode is irradiated very homogeneously in a continuous process. The conventional drying process is actually only there to get the moisture and the solvent out of the drying chamber. In addition, there are other processes – especially the joining processes – in which we use the laser for contacting or sealing the cells for welding. We combine a scanner technology with our sensor and, in some cases, with AI filters to better monitor the process. In beam forming, for example, we have succeeded in reducing spatter and increasing the yield rate. Battery-News: What impact will the integration of laser processes with green wavelengths – which studies show to be significantly more sustainable – have on future production?Bührle: Green lasers offer certain advantages, but they also have their disadvantages. One advantage is the high absorption on highly reflective materials, such as copper. In many electronic components, where thin materials are used and where the degree of heat input is important, the green laser is a perfect fit. But how successful it is in the cell area is determined by the material combinations. Especially when no copper is used, similar results can often be achieved with a single-mode laser, which is more cost-effective to invest in. Green laser is limited in power and beam quality. If we are dealing with thicker materials and cell connections, the infrared laser is the better economic solution. “I am convinced that there will be a battery evolution – in small steps.” Battery-News: What will the significance of battery production be in ten years? What technological advances and possibilities do you expect by then?Bührle: In Germany, people are talking about electric mobility being dead again. I believe in e-mobility. I believe there is no way back. Of course, there will also be hybrid solutions, because electric mobility is not the only option, and it is not the best option for all areas. There are many opinions and many studies. In any case, innovative battery technologies such as the solid-state battery still have many technological hurdles to overcome, so there will certainly be no major industrial turnaround in the next five to eight years. But I am convinced that there will be a battery evolution – in small steps which improve cell chemistry. Battery modules will probably disappear, allowing cylindrical and prismatic cells to become a direct part of the vehicle chassis and replace pouch cells. Beyond such format developments, however, I do not expect any major changes in the near future.
factory
Feb 14, 2025
Battery News
Imco Writes Off 400-Million-Dollar Investment In Northvolt
According to a Bloomberg report, the Investment Management Corporation of Ontario (IMCO) has written down its 400-million-US-dollar investment in Northvolt. The Swedish battery cell manufacturer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States in 2024 after an intended rescue funding fell through. IMCO had invested in the company via convertible bonds, making its largest European investment to date in 2023. Northvolt has reportedly 5.8 billion dollars in debt and has yet to find new lenders to emerge from bankruptcy. The Canadian pension fund, which manages about 77 billion Canadian dollars for public organizations in Ontario, has not commented on the write-down. According to the report, IMCO is not the only institutional investor to suffer financial losses as a result of Northvoltʼs insolvency. Several large Canadian pension funds had invested in the company, including the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and the Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec. European pension funds have also been affected, as the Swedish state pension fund has written off its entire holding, while the Danish ATP pension fund has suffered losses on its five-percent holding. Source:https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/2025/02/11/ontario-fund-writes-down-400-million-investment-in-northvolt/
factory
Feb 13, 2025
Battery News
Toyota To Test New Recycling Process For Hv Batteries
Toyota Chemical Engineering is working on an alternative process for recycling high-voltage (HV) batteries that does not require the conventional incineration process. The goal is to reduce material losses and emissions during recycling. From 2031, battery manufacturers in the EU will be required to use a certain percentage of recycled metals. As a result, the search is on for processes which enable higher recovery rates. Conventional recycling methods rely on thermal pre-treatment, which involves burning parts of the batteries. This results in carbon emissions and some of the valuable materials being lost. Toyota Chemical Engineeringʼs new process employs mechanical treatment of used batteries. The electrolyte fluid, which is important for ion transport, is distilled and extracted to reduce the risk of fire. The battery cells are then shredded, sorted, and prepared for further processing. The recovered materials, including metal fractions and black mass, are to be delivered to partner companies for further processing. Since 2010, the company already operates a recycling plant for nickel-metal hydride batteries in Japan using the conventional incineration method. Source:https://www.toyota-media.de/blog/technik/artikel/toyota-chemical-engineering-entwickelt-neue-recyclingmethode-fur-altbatterien/text
factory
Feb 12, 2025
Battery News
Toyota To Start Battery Production In The Usa
Toyota will soon be starting production of electric vehicle batteries at its new plant in the US state of North Carolina. The Japanese carmaker intends to supply batteries for the North American market starting in April 2025. Production will include batteries for hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles. It will be Toyotaʼs first battery plant outside of Japan. With an investment volume of almost 14 billion US dollars, around 5,000 jobs are set to be created in North Carolina. Production is scheduled to ramp up to a total of more than 30 gigawatt-hours per year by 2030, with incremental ramp-ups of production lines. In December 2021, Toyota had first announced the construction of the battery facility in the town of Liberty. Groundbreaking for the plant had taken place in mid-2022. The site is one of the companyʼs eleven manufacturing facilities in the United States. Source:https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/corporate/42193203.html?adid=ag478_mail&padid=ag478_mail
factory
Feb 11, 2025
Battery News
Freyr Cancels 2.6-Billion-Dollar Gigafactory In Georgia
FREYR Battery has abandoned its plans to build a gigafactory in Coweta County in the US State of Georgia. Originally, the Norwegian company had intended to invest up to 2.6 billion US dollars. FREYR cited rising interest rates, falling market prices for batteries, changes in management, and changing strategic goals as reasons for the withdrawal. Instead, the company is now focusing on a solar panel factory in Texas. In November 2022, FREYR had announced the construction of Giga America in Coweta County. A multi-phased development was planned, starting with a battery cell production module with a capacity of approximately 34 gigawatt-hours and an estimated investment of 1.7 billion dollars. By 2029, the investment was expected to increase to more than 2.6 billion dollars, expanding annual capacity and creating more than 720 jobs. The production of lithium-ion battery cells was to be used for both vehicles and energy storage systems. However, construction never began. Source:https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/02/06/freyr-battery-scraps-plans-factory-coweta-county-georgia-official-says/
factory
Feb 10, 2025
Battery News
“2025 Battery Monitor” Sees European Manufacturers Under Pressure
Together with global cosultancy Roland Berger, the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University has published the “2024/2025 Battery Monitor”. According to the study, global demand for batteries will triple to up to 4.6 terawatt-hours by 2030 and double from there by 2040. The European battery market is currently characterized by a price war between Asian manufacturers. The authors claim that local overcapacities due to overly optimistic demand assumptions from China are causing prices to fall worldwide and are putting further pressure on European manufacturers, who are already struggling with higher production costs and uncertainties during the ramp-up of electric mobility. According to the Battery Monitor, new players in Europe will have to produce high-quality battery cells more cheaply in future, whereby collaboration with Asian competitors could prove useful. “Despite considerable uncertainties, the global battery market continues to grow strongly and thus also offers opportunities for European manufacturers if they focus on competitive advantages through innovations, high-quality process technologies, and the eco-balance of batteries.” “Despite considerable uncertainties, the global battery market continues to grow strongly and thus also offers opportunities for European manufacturers if they focus on competitive advantages through innovations, high-quality process technologies, and the eco-balance of batteries,” says PEM Director Professor Achim Kampker. “In 2024, the volatility in the market for battery cells has increased significantly,” summarizes Wolfgang Bernhart, Partner at Roland Berger. ”This is mainly due to uncertainties regarding demand, because the number of e-cars sold is increasing more slowly than expected and it is uncertain how the regulatory situation will develop in both the USA and the EU.” The study therefore presents three forecasts for the development of demand: a positive assumption that assumes a rapid progression of electrification, a baseline scenario that predicts the achievement of emission targets in the EU and the US despite a temporary decline in e-car sales, and a negative case with significant delays, for example due to a postponement of the “combustion engine ban” in the EU. On the global market, China is currently producing significantly more batteries than its own market demands, meaning that the surplus is being exported. This is leading to falling prices worldwide, but they cannot remain this low, as some suppliers and producers in China are already no longer covering their costs. At present, however, the fall in prices is putting pressure on European manufacturers in particular, who are working on building up their own capacities and could therefore theoretically cover more than European demand. According to the Battery Monitor, however, not all announced projects will be realized. Companies in the EU and the USA have recently made advance investments in vain and are now being extremely cautious in their investment plans, which in turn poses the risk of an undersupply. “This trend is also being driven by delays in industrialization and a lack of economic competitiveness,” says Kampker. “It is unlikely that European or North American companies will ever be able to catch up with the Chinese cost advantage and access to raw materials for the same products and technologies.” However, European battery manufacturers are focusing primarily on sustainability in order to set themselves apart from their Chinese and US competitors. The aim is to reduce emissions in the production of battery cells to up to 40 kilograms of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour. This corresponds to around a third to a half of the current carbon footprint of battery cells. This is a potential competitive advantage for Europeans, says PEM management member and battery expert Professor Heiner Heimes. “Especially as it is unlikely that European or North American companies will ever be able to catch up with the Chinese cost advantage and access to raw materials for the same products and technologies.” Another starting point for the industry is realistic progress in cell chemistry. “Those who gear their production plans towards innovations such as new, cost-effective battery types for small and mid-range electric cars at an early stage can move into mass production more quickly,” Heimes says. The 2024/2025 Battery Monitor is available as a free download in our Downloads section.
factory
Feb 07, 2025
Battery News
Volvo Cars Takes Over Novo Energy For Free
Volvo Cars will take full control of the NOVO Energy battery joint venture without paying a purchase price to Northvolt. This is revealed in the companyʼs latest quarterly report. According to Volvo Cars, the acquisition was negotiated as part of a broader agreement with Northvolt. Battery production in Gothenburg, Sweden, which was originally planned for 2026, remains a matter of doubt. Volvo Cars has confirmed that the almost completed factory building has now been secured against the weather. However, the company is still considering whether to sell the plant, use it for other purposes, or find a new partner for battery cell production. Without an external investor, production cannot start as intended. Northvolt had already pulled back financially in 2024 and stopped financing numerous joint ventures. In November 2024, the company filed for bankruptcy under US Chapter 11. Source:https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volvo-cars-will-not-pay-northvolt-battery-joint-venture-stake-it-says-2025-02-06/
factory
Feb 07, 2025
Battery News
Volvo Cars Takes Over Novo Energy Without A Purchase Price
Volvo Cars will take full control of the battery joint venture “NOVO Energy”, but will not pay a purchase price to Northvolt. This is revealed in the company’s latest quarterly report. The acquisition had already been announced, but without financial details. According to Volvo Cars, the acquisition was negotiated as part of a broader agreement with Northvolt. Battery production in Gothenburg, originally planned for 2026, remains a matter of doubt. Volvo Cars has confirmed that the almost completed factory building has now been secured against the weather. However, the company is still considering whether to sell the plant, use it for other purposes or find a new partner for battery cell production. Without an external investor, production cannot start as planned. Northvolt had already pulled back financially in 2024 and stopped financing many joint ventures. In November, the company filed for bankruptcy under US Chapter 11. Source:https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volvo-cars-will-not-pay-northvolt-battery-joint-venture-stake-it-says-2025-02-06/
factory
Feb 07, 2025
Battery News
Altilium Launches Lfp Battery Recycling In The Uk
Altilium has started recycling lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries which come from an undisclosed global manufacturer of electric vehicles and energy storage systems. With this move, the United Kingdom-based company is expanding its recycling offering, which has so far focused on nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries. Compared to NMC batteries, LFP batteries contain less valuable raw materials, making recycling less economically attractive. Altilium uses its proprietary EcoCathode recycling technology, which the company claims recovers more than 97 percent of the batteriesʼ lithium and 99 percent of their graphite. Both materials can then be reused in the production of new batteries. The focus is on lithium recovery, as iron and phosphate have a lower market value. Altilium already recycles NMC batteries from two UK car manufacturers and production waste from gigafactories. The recently opened plant in Plymouth can process 300 kilograms of black mass per day – roughly the equivalent of an electric vehicle battery. A planned facility in Teesside in the northeast of England will be one of the largest recycling centers in Europe, with the capacity to process used batteries from more than 150,000 vehicles per year. It will also process a range of battery types, including LFP. Source:https://altilium.tech/2025/02/03/8196/
factory
Feb 06, 2025
Battery News
Li-Cycle Expands Recycling Partnership In The Eu
Li-Cycle from Canada has announced a recycling partnership with an unnamed “leading premium automotive manufacturer.” The agreement covers the recycling of lithium-ion battery materials at Li-Cycleʼs German facility. Through the collaboration, the company will receive feedstock for the recycling process from a production facility for electric vehicles within the EU. According to the Canadian battery recycler, the new partnership will ensure the supply of recyclable materials to the Magdeburg plant in Germany. However, no specific details were given regarding the quantities and duration of the collaboration. The German spoke plant was commissioned by Li-Cycle in 2023. The company operates several such plants, which process waste from battery production and used batteries into black mass – a material containing valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. Further processing into battery raw materials will then take place at intended hub plants. The companyʼs goal is to use this infrastructure to create a closed supply chain for battery materials. Source:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250203263560/en/Li-Cycle-Further-Expands-Commercial-Footprint-in-EU-with-Additional-Exclusive-Recycling-Partnership-for-its-Germany-Spoke
factory
Feb 05, 2025