At present, the recycling channels of small workshops are the main ones, and will become standardized as the scale expands
The life cycle of a power battery includes production, use, scrapping, decomposition and reuse. After the power battery is scrapped, except for the decline in chemical activity, the chemical composition inside the battery has not changed, but its charge and discharge performance cannot meet the power demand of the vehicle, but it can be used in places with lower power requirements than automobiles. The cascade utilization of power batteries has therefore become one of the most discussed recycling methods in the industry. The batteries that are about to be used in automobiles will be used in energy storage or related power supply base stations, street lights, and low-speed electric vehicles after they are eliminated, and then enter recycling. system, but this business model also faces the consideration of whether it can be profitable, involving channels and technology issues.
The recycling of power lithium batteries can be divided into two cycles:
(1) Echelon utilization: mainly aimed at the reduction of battery capacity, which makes the battery unable to run the electric vehicle normally, but the battery itself is not scrapped, and can still be used in other ways, such as for power storage;
(2) Dismantling and recycling: mainly for the serious loss of battery capacity, which makes the battery unusable. The only way to recycle the battery is to recycle valuable renewable resources.
At present, the recycling channels for power lithium batteries are mainly small recycling workshops. There are few professional recycling companies and government recycling centers, and the system needs to be restructured. At present, most of the waste power batteries in my country's power battery recycling market have flowed into small refurbishment workshops that lack qualifications. These companies have backward process equipment, but if they are handed over to formal enterprises that register and pay taxes according to law, obtain qualifications and discharge according to national standards, the price will inevitably increase. The lack of competitiveness, so how to further improve the policy to ensure the sustainable development of the battery recycling industry is very necessary.
Small recycling workshops: Recycling costs are low, and recycling prices can be raised. High-priced recycling is their biggest competitive advantage. However, after recycling, these small workshops only simply repair and repack the waste power batteries and then return them to the market, disrupting the normal order of the power battery market. In addition, because these small workshops do not have relevant qualifications, they are prone to safety hazards and environmental protection problems.
Professional recycling company: Professional recycling company is a professional enterprise approved by the state to recycle waste power batteries. It has strong comprehensive strength, advanced technical equipment, and standardized processes. It can not only maximize the recycling of available resources, but also reduce its impact on the environment. At present, my country's specialized power battery recycling companies include Shenzhen GEM, Bangpu Cycle Technology, Chaowei Group and Fangyuan Environmental Protection. At present, although there are more and more companies engaged in the layout of lithium battery recycling, they lack the support and policy incentives of the government system.
Government recycling centers: The national recycling centers set up by local governments in accordance with relevant national laws are conducive to scientific and standardized management of the battery recycling market, improvement of the recycling network, rational layout of the recycling network and recycling market, and increasing the amount of recycling through formal channels. At present, there is no government recycling center for power batteries in my country, but in the future, it can choose to develop according to the actual situation of our country.
The battery recycling industry in developed countries is dominated by market regulation, supplemented by government constraints.
Germany: The government legislates recycling, producers assume the main responsibility, and set up a fund to improve the market-oriented construction of the recycling system. The EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) and the Battery Recycling Directive (2006/66/EC) are the legislative basis for German battery recycling regulations. Recycling regulations require that manufacturers, sellers, recyclers and consumers in the battery industry chain have corresponding recycling responsibilities and obligations. For example, battery manufacturers must register with the government and assume the main recycling responsibility, and sellers must cooperate with battery manufacturers. battery recycling work, and end consumers need to return used batteries to designated recycling networks. In addition, Germany has established a waste battery recycling system using funds and deposit mechanisms, which has achieved good results. The recycling system is run by the GRS Fund jointly established by battery manufacturers and the Electronic and Electrical Manufacturers Association. It is the largest lithium-ion battery recycling system in Europe. The organization, which started to recycle industrial batteries in 2010, will also include electric vehicle power batteries in the system for recycling in the future, and actively carry out the recycling of power batteries. In 2015, Bosch Group, BMW and Vattenfo Reuse to start a cooperation project, which uses the decommissioned batteries of BMW ActiveE and i3 pure electric vehicles to build a 2MW/2MWh large-scale photovoltaic power station energy storage system. The energy storage system is operated and maintained by Wattenfurt. The project will be built in Berlin, Germany and is expected to be put into use by the end of 2015.
Japan: The production method has gradually changed to the "recycling" model, and enterprises have participated in battery recycling as pioneers. In 1994, Japanese battery manufacturers began to implement the battery recycling program. Based on the voluntary efforts of each participant, they used the service network of retailers, car dealers or gas stations to recycle used batteries from consumers, recycling routes and sales The route is reversed. Since 2000, the government stipulated that manufacturers should be responsible for the recycling of nickel-metal hydride and lithium batteries, and based on resource recycling-oriented product design; after the battery is recycled, it will be shipped back to the battery manufacturer for processing, and the government will give corresponding subsidies to the manufacturer to increase the enthusiasm of enterprises to recycle . In addition, many companies in Japan are also involved in battery recycling activities. Nissan and Sumitomo Corporation jointly established 4REnergy, which is dedicated to the recycling of lithium batteries for electric vehicles; Honda is studying the technology of extracting recyclable precious metals in batteries, and is cooperating with other metal manufacturers to promote the recycling of resources; Sanyo is researching A route for recycling batteries has been formulated, and the recycling and reuse of rechargeable batteries has been actively carried out. Japan's major communication companies have also jointly established the Lithium Battery Self-Recycling Promotion Association, stating that it has the responsibility to promote the recycling of lithium batteries and strive to greatly increase the recycling rate of lithium batteries.
The United States: Market regulation is the main focus. The government restricts management by formulating environmental protection standards, and assists in the recycling of waste power batteries. The American Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) and the Portable Rechargeable Battery Association of America (PRBA) have been successively established in the US market to continuously educate the public, raise public awareness of environmental protection, and guide the public to cooperate with the recycling of used batteries to protect nature. environment. RBRC is a non-profit public service organization that mainly promotes the recycling of rechargeable batteries such as nickel-chromium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium-ion batteries and small sealed lead batteries. PRBA is a non-profit battery association composed of related battery companies , whose main objective is to develop recycling programs and measures to promote the recycling of batteries for industrial use. RBRC offers three schemes to collect, transport and recycle used rechargeable batteries. Including (1) retail recycling programs; (2) community recycling programs; (3) corporate corporate and public sector recycling programs. The Portable Rechargeable Battery Association (PBRC) mainly involves three aspects: (1) US DOT regulations on lithium-ion batteries, lithium metal batteries and relevant regulations during transportation; (2) CPSC regulations on laptop batteries and mobile phone batteries Recall; (3) Main laws and regulations on batteries. In academia, the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Research Center of the University of California, Davis also carried out research on the secondary utilization and value analysis of power lithium batteries in 2010. Specific requirements for battery performance, product development for home energy storage systems (HESA), and methodologies for evaluating the overall value of batteries (the sum of the value of electric vehicles and the secondary use field).
my country clearly adopts the extended producer responsibility system. With the continuous improvement of the policy, the industry is gradually moving towards standardization. The current situation in my country: the development of power battery recycling technology is relatively mature, but the management is relatively backward, which hinders the development of the power battery recycling industry, mainly in the following areas: (1) The recycling network is not perfect. The recycling network is mainly composed of small and medium-sized recycling companies, and it is difficult to obtain effective recycling; (2) The scale of recycling companies is small, and the level of technology is not perfect, so it is difficult to ensure the efficiency of resource recycling; (3) There are companies without business licenses that illegally engage in the recycling of waste power batteries , causing safety and environmental hazards. As the production and sales of new energy vehicles continue to grow, the recycling of electric vehicle power batteries will become more and more prominent. The national and local governments have successively introduced policies to speed up the process of building a benign industrial ecosystem.