Reuse car batteries for grid power

author: FutureCar Staff    

The UK's largest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has revealed its plans to repurpose old car batteries for energy storage. JLR aims to create one of the largest energy storage systems in the UK by using these batteries.

Battery storage is crucial for holding excess power during off-peak times, when the supply of electricity exceeds the demand. JLR's battery scheme will allow the stored power to be released and fed back into the national grid when needed.

By the end of this year, JLR plans to supply enough batteries to power 750 homes for a day, which is equivalent to 7.5 megawatt hours of energy.

JLR emphasizes that electric car batteries can be reused due to their high standards and ability to meet stringent requirements. Typically, these batteries still retain 70% to 80% residual capacity.

The used batteries will be stored in containers located at the Chelveston renewable energy park in Northamptonshire. JLR also states that there is potential to expand the program by creating more containers to accommodate additional used batteries in the future.

In the coming years, JLR believes that used batteries can be utilized even further. According to a 2019 McKinsey report, 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 particularly important for renewable energy sources like wind farms. During periods of excess wind energy, the farms can be instructed to power down if there is no immediate demand or if the national grid cannot handle the surplus energy. Energy storage systems help address this issue by allowing the excess energy to be stored and used at a later time.

This announcement highlights the long lifespan of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Even when they are no longer suitable for use in cars, they can still find new purposes elsewhere. Colin Walker, the head of transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, emphasizes that most of the metals in EV batteries can be recycled, with only 30kg being lost after everything else has been recycled. In contrast, a petrol car irretrievably burns 17,000 liters of fuel by the end of its life.

FutureCar Staff