One of the leading companies in the field of electrification, Green Cubes Technology, announced today that it is a founding member of CircuBAT. Lithium-ion batteries are the focus of the CircuBAT research programme, which aims to develop a circular business model for the production, application, and recycling of these batteries in Switzerland. An alliance of seven Swiss research institutes and twenty-four companies aims to improve battery sustainability at every stage of the life cycle.
As a lithium-ion battery’s life cycle progresses, CircuBAT will look for ways to make it more environmentally friendly. As a result, batteries will be able to last longer during their first use as a result. An ideal charging and discharging strategy, as well as new battery construction concepts that make repairs simple, are among the goals researchers are pursuing in this project. As part of the project’s secondary goal, batteries will be used as stationary energy storage systems after they are no longer needed for mobility. As a result, CircuBAT will investigate the most effective methods for integrating these batteries locally and ensuring their safe and efficient operation. Finally, researchers will look for ways to remanufacture batteries and recover materials that allow for large quantities of high-quality secondary raw materials to be used to make new batteries.
The CircuBAT project is led by the Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH. Additionally, six Swiss research institutions are involved in the project: Empa, the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), HSG, OST, the Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne (SIPBB), and the EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology). 24 companies from the economy and industry, including Kyburz, Leclanché, Bühler, and Green Cubes Technology, have joined forces with these institutions.
A multi-year financial commitment has been made by Green Cubes Technology as a founding member of CircuBAT. The company will also contribute first-use lithium-ion batteries for experimentation and testing within the programme, provide engineering design services to develop new more-efficient batteries, and contribute intellectual property to achieve the objectives of CircuBAT.
There will be two working groups in which Green Cubes Technology will take part. The “First Use” group’s primary goal is to increase the useful life of first-use batteries by thoroughly examining the batteries that have already been deployed in the field. Green Cubes Technology has a large number of lithium-ion batteries installed and will provide data on their performance. The “Second Life” team’s goal is to find ways to extend the useful life of lithium-ion batteries while also reducing the overall carbon footprint they leave behind.
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For more than three decades now, Green Cube Technology has been working to reduce the environmental impact of its batteries. A system of second-life batteries, in which the installed base of first-use batteries is redeployed when they reach a certain age limit, will further enhance this positive impact. Batteries made by Green Cubes Technology use non-toxic lithium-ion cells, which are currently recycled and reprocessed. It is anticipated that in the future, these cells will be repurposed for less demanding second-life applications, such as backup energy storage.
Keith Washington, CEO of Green Cubes Technology, stated, “We joined the CircuBAT research program because its mission is very well aligned with ours.” Washington added Everyone wants the same thing: a lithium-ion battery recycling economy. Our CircuBAT research partners in Switzerland are working hard to make the Swiss economy as sustainable as possible, and we look forward to sharing our knowledge and reusing electric mobility batteries with them.
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