SINGAPORE (17 August 2021) – Genplus, in conjunction with EMA, is working on developing economically viable and sustainable solutions for repurposed batteries for ESS for grid applications. These repurposed batteries are retired from electric vehicles (EVs), having dropped below the capacity required for the stringent power and range needed for EVs. While these batteries are not suitable for use in EVs, good quality working batteries in the retired pack can be extracted and repurposed to form repurposed battery modules for a different application, granting the batteries a 2nd life. Such applications are less stringent in power and capacity requirements, such as grid storage and backup power. This green initiative aims to improve the carbon footprint of batteries, reduce battery waste and the capital cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) of ESS.
Genplus is working with local research institutions such as NUS, SUTD, IMRE (A*STAR) to develop tools and techniques for deploying these repurposed batteries. The objective is to ensure the safety and efficiency of the 2nd life batteries while keeping the cost per charge-discharge cycle low for economic viability. With these research institutions, Genplus has outlined a series of work packages to achieve this objective. These include new evaluation techniques for 2nd life battery cells, revitalization and reconditioning techniques, and AI assisted battery management methodology to manage the variability in performance of repurposed batteries.
In the project’s final phase, Genplus will work closely with EMA to deploy a test-bed for the 2nd life ESS to perform grid ESS functions such as contingency reserve and demand response. The testbed serves to evaluate the ability of the 2nd life ESS to perform intermittency mitigation and its response to constant and rapid changes in charge-discharge cycles.
Through this project, Genplus hopes to drive down the cost of evaluation of 2nd life batteries by potentially up to 80%, maximize cycle life of 2nd life batteries during operation and revitalize 2nd life batteries to regain some of its lost capacity and power and extend its cycle life. The ideal outcome would be to bring the cost per cycle of 2nd life batteries to that of new batteries. This project’s success would place Singapore at the forefront of EV battery recycling and be ready for the large number of retired EV batteries that will come from electrification of the transport system in the near future.
For more information regarding the collaboration between EMA and Genplus, please visit the following website at
https://energyinnovation.ema.gov.sg/ and view the video showcase on ESS.
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