Reuse car batteries for grid power storage

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【Summary】Jaguar Land Rover plans to repurpose old car batteries into an energy storage system for the national grid, helping to balance supply and demand. The company aims to provide enough batteries to power 750 homes for a day by the end of the year. The batteries, which typically have 70-80% residual capacity, will be stored in containers at a renewable energy park.

FutureCar Staff Aug 26, 2023 4:20 PM PT

Reuse car batteries for grid power storage

The UK's largest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has unveiled plans to repurpose old car batteries to store excess energy that the national grid cannot utilize. This initiative aims to create one of the largest energy storage systems in the country.

Battery storage plays a crucial role in holding surplus power during off-peak times, when there is an imbalance between the supply of electricity, such as from wind farms, and the demand for energy. The stored power can then be released and reintegrated into the grid when needed.

JLR's battery scheme aims to provide enough batteries to power 750 homes for a day, equivalent to 7.5 megawatt hours of energy, by the end of this year.

According to JLR, electric car batteries can be reused due to their high standards, even after they no longer meet the stringent requirements of an electric vehicle. Typically, these batteries retain 70% to 80% of their residual capacity.

The used batteries will be stored in containers located at the Chelveston renewable energy park in Northamptonshire. JLR also envisions expanding the program by creating additional containers to house more used batteries from vehicles in the future.

Furthermore, JLR believes that there is potential to further utilize used batteries in the years to come. A 2019 McKinsey report suggests that the supply of used batteries for energy storage could exceed 200 gigawatt-hours per year by 2030, with a global value of over $30 billion (£23.5 billion).

Energy storage is considered a solution to the challenge of renewable electricity being generated but not being used due to limitations in transferring it from the point of generation to where it can be utilized.

This announcement highlights the longevity of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, as they can outlast the vehicles themselves and find new applications even after their use in cars. Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, emphasizes that most of the metals in EV batteries can be recycled, with only a minimal amount being lost. In contrast, a petrol car irreversibly burns 17,000 liters of fuel by the end of its life.