Fraunhofer IML and Mercedes-Benz Energy explore battery cycles

With the "Innovation Lab for Battery Logistics in E-Mobility" (InnoLogBat), scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML are collaborating with the University of Leipzig, Remondis Industrie Service GmbH & Co. KG, Rhenus Automotive SE, and Mercedes-Benz Energy GmbH to research the environmentally friendly use of batteries in a circular economy. Key questions include:

• What happens to the batteries for electrically powered vehicles when they are almost empty or in the case of accidents?
• How can the batteries be reused or the individual parts recycled?
• What requirements must be met for environmentally friendly storage and transportation?

The new research project aims to view the relationships between producers and suppliers in the automotive industry not only with regard to production processes and the end product but the entire cycle. In the so-called circular economy, the raw materials used are utilized as long as possible in a waste- and emission-free manner.

"The circular economy can make a significant contribution to environmental protection. However, the scarcity of technologically specific raw materials in batteries poses a particular challenge. In the course of the project, we are therefore placing special emphasis on the retrieval and recycling of old and defective batteries," explains Arkadius Schier, head of the innovation lab and research associate at Fraunhofer IML.

The institute acts as the consortium leader in the project and is responsible, among other things, for the establishment and operation of the innovation lab. Additionally, the scientists support industrial partners in technology development with their expertise in the areas of circular economy and hazardous goods transport. The technological developments focus on safety in the storage, handling, transport, and reuse of the batteries. For instance, old batteries could be used for power storage in power plants or robots in logistics, it is outlined. Besides new technologies, the employees of the innovation lab also aim to develop approaches to product designs suitable for recycling, as well as new business models and logistics concepts. The project runs until September 2024 and is funded with approximately 4.3 million euros by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.