GOOD START FOR
BATTERYLOOP
Stena Recycling's subsidiary Batteryloop has quickly taken a place in the electrification of industry and society. The company's solution for creating energy storage plants from recycled batteries is arousing considerable interest. Several business arrangements and collaborative projects have been initiated.
In early September, Batteryloop announced a global collaborative agreement with Volvo Buses. The agreement calls for Batteryloop creating energy storage plants with Volvo Buses’ used batteries. This is a sustainable solution that extends the commercial life of batteries and conserves natural resources. Local energy storage plants can be used both by industrial and commercial properties to, for example, store renewable energy that can later be used to meet peak energy demand. Surplus can be sold and supplied to the power grid.
“By giving the batteries a “second life”, we use the earth’s resources in a better way. In electromobility, we create new circular business systems and this collaboration is really a big step in the right direction,” says Håkan Agnevall, CEO, Volvo Buses.
“We are very happy and proud that Batteryloop is getting the opportunity to buy the used batteries and develop this solution together with Volvo Buses,” says Rasmus Bergström, CEO, Batteryloop. “In addition to reuse, the agreement also means that we can guarantee safe and environmentally sound recycling once the batteries are no longer capable of energy storage. Through this arrangement, we can provide a sustainable circular solution for Volvo Buses’ batteries. Collaboration also means that we can turn a cost into a revenue stream for the customer.”
Stena Line has a long-term plan for electrification of vessels. Solving how to charge them is an important issue. Energy storage of recycled batteries can be a solution.
Towards the end of September, news of a collaborative arrangement was announced with, among others, Stena Rederi and Stena Line, as well as the ports of Göteborg and Kiel. Here it is a matter of developing a solution for energy storage that works in a port environment, such as for charging future electric ferries. The project is partially financed by the EU through the innovation unit INEA (the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency).
“One thing is certain, batteries are here to stay,” says Rasmus Bergström. “To conserve natural resources and make this sustainable, we need to do everything we can to use the batteries for as long as possible. Our conclusion is that very many batteries can have a second life in energy storage. If we can find solutions that are scalable and that work in a port environment, we have a win-win situation in many ways.”
Rasmus Bergström, CEO, Batteryloop and Håkan Agnevall, CEO, Volvo Buses, signing the cooperation agreement
“This is an important milestone for electrification of shipping,” says Per Wimby, project manager for electrification at Stena Teknik. “The fully electric ferry Stena Elektra is on the drawing board, but to succeed we need, among other things, to solve the charging issue. Energy storage plants in port, based on recycled batteries, is a very interesting and sustainable alternative for the future.”
Batteryloop and Volvo Buses are already running a joint project, together with Stena Fastigheter, with bus batteries being used to store energy to provide electricity to the Fyrklövern residential area in Göteborg. The stored electricity comes from solar panels on building roofs.
Several new and exciting developments are underway that will be presented later in the autumn.
