British automaker Jaguar Land Rover announced this week that it will supply up to 90 second-life Jaguar I-Pace batteries to be used in a 7.5MWh energy storage system in a wind and solar park in the heart of England.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has partnered with British renewable energy specialists Wykes Engineering to develop one of the UK’s largest energy storage systems using second-life EV batteries to harness solar and wind power.
The two companies say they have developed a seamless integration of battery to BESS that does not require any additional manufacturing steps or the removal of battery modules.
Batteries supplied for the systems are simply removed from prototype and engineering test I-Pace EVs and slotted directly into the BESS racks in the containers on-site.
JLR will supply enough batteries to store a total of 7.5MWh of energy, enough to power 750 homes for a day, by the end of 2023. So far, 2.5MWh of capacity has been installed from 30 different batteries.
The planned 7.5MWh BESS will reportedly be spread across three locations at the Wykes-owned 85MW Chelveston renewable energy park which consists of both wind and solar generation.
“Our sustainability approach addresses the entire value chain of our vehicles, including circularity of EV batteries,” said François Dossa, executive director of strategy and sustainability at JLR.
“Our EV batteries are engineered to the highest standards and this innovative project, in collaboration with Wykes Engineering, proves they can be safely reused for energy sector application to increase renewable energy opportunities.
“Using the 70-80% residual capacity in EV batteries, before being recycled, demonstrates full adoption of circularity principles.
“Working together with industry-leading partners, we are developing a complete EV ecosystem, from batteries to charging, supporting our net-zero transformation.”
Such circularity principles are an important step in expanding the sustainability of the ongoing transition to electric mobility.
When EV batteries fall below the a capacity level that makes them no longer practical for use in an EV, it doesn’t mean they are useless, and the growing trend to use second-life EV batteries in standalone energy storage systems ensures greater overall sustainability.
Furthermore, as Dossa points out, when these second-life I-Pace batteries lose their viability for standalone storage, JLR will then recycle the batteries so that their raw materials can be recovered for further re-use.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.