In a bid to further its mission of sustainability and circularity in the battery industry, Redwood Materials has announced that it will be recycling stationary storage batteries. The electric vehicle battery recycling and manufacturing venture, founded by JB Straubel, former Chief Technologist of Tesla, has previously focused on recycling e-bike batteries and Tesla batteries. Now, it is taking a step further by decommissioning and recycling a 4MWh stationary storage substation in Kauai, Hawaii.
The substation, part of a massive solar array, has recently been decommissioned and the batteries are currently being transported to Redwood’s facility in north Nevada for recycling. This marks an important milestone for Redwood Materials as it demonstrates the company’s ability to give a new life to lithium-ion batteries and energy storage products of all sizes.
JB Straubel, founder of Redwood, expressed his excitement about the project, stating, “When it comes to renewable energy deployment, Hawaiʻi has always been a leader, energizing some of the earliest and largest solar plus storage projects on earth. Our partnership with KIUC to decommission and recycle the first-generation storage project at the Anahola substation demonstrates their true commitment to sustainability.”
It is worth noting that the batteries being recycled are not the Tesla batteries that are currently in use at the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) installation. The storage system being decommissioned and recycled is KIUC’s Anahola substation, which consists of a 4MWh battery storage system with a 6MW power rating.
Redwood Materials sees a significant business opportunity in the decommissioning and recycling of stationary storage systems. The company highlights that 4.8GW of storage systems were installed in the US alone last year. Redwood Materials recently partnered with Southern Company and EPRI to recycle one of the earliest grid-scale lithium-ion battery storage systems in Cedartown, Georgia.
Chemical recycling is a crucial part of Redwood’s battery recycling process. After receiving batteries from various partners, the company employs a chemical recycling process to extract and refine key elements such as nickel, cobalt, and copper. Redwood claims that, on average, 95% of these key battery metals can be reintegrated into the battery-making process.
Redwood Materials, founded in 2017, is dedicated to revolutionizing the battery industry by closing the loop on the lifecycle of batteries. The company not only breaks down scrap from Tesla’s battery-making process with Panasonic but also recycles batteries from other major automakers and companies such as Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Specialized, Amazon, Lyft, and Rad Power Bikes. Redwood also produces critical battery components, including anodes and cathodes, at its facility in South Carolina.
As the long-term sustainability of battery technology becomes increasingly important, Redwood Materials aims to play a key role in the circular economy of batteries. By expanding its scope to include the recycling of stationary storage batteries, the company is making significant strides towards creating a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly battery industry.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has an expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals.