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1 | Battery second life V1.0 | Methodology ID: | RIV-REC-02-BAT-V1.0 | |||||
2 | Public consultation collected comments and responses | Public Consultation period: | 04/12/2024-06/01/2025 | |||||
3 | Type | Topic | Question from Riverse | Author | Comment | Riverse response | Status | Approach changed? |
4 | Technical | Lifespan assumptions | • Do you agree with the proposed lifespan estimate? (0-10) • Do you have any additional data or considerations related to these assumptions (as outlined in Appendix 2)? | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | (8) | - | Validated | Yes. Previously, we assigned a fixed lifespan to second-life batteries. Now, we provide project developers with the flexibility to justify the lifespan of their refurbished or regenerated batteries. This approach allows for greater customization and accuracy, leveraging real-world data to create tailored estimates for each project. If developers are unable to justify the lifespan of the batteries, assumptions from existing literature will be used as a basis. |
5 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | (0) - S'il est vrai que la densité volumique d'une cellule diminue avec le temps, il n'est pas du tout évident d'en tirer des conclusions à l'échelle des packs batterie. En effet une batterie réaffectée ou remanufacturée, c'est à dire un pack constitué de cellules de seconde vie, peut tout à fait avoir une durée de vie moyenne équivalente à celle des batteries neuves qui circulent sur cette application. Il est crucial de comprendre que les cellules de seconde vie sont très majoritairement redirigéées vers des applications de seconde vie différentes de leur application de première vie, moins exigente en termes de performance. En redescendant ainsi l'escalier des performances, il est possible de maintenir une durée de vie équivalente en seconde vie. | Thank you for the detailed explanation. We agree that when a battery pack achieves its end of life, it does not necessarily mean that all cells are depleted, especially because depletion is non-linear and can be influenced by various factors. We assume that the failure of any single component—be it a cell, module, or critical part like the Battery Management System (BMS)—renders the entire battery pack non-functional. Consequently, for conservativeness, even if some cells remain operational, the battery pack as a whole is considered to have reached its end of life. | Validated | ||||
6 | Alix Armour - Nowos | (10) - Yes, as long as you also count that in the definition of re-used you also take in account the "new" batteries that from over-production and no longer needed for the first use-case. | Batteries that are new, unused, and sourced from overproduction do not qualify under this methodology. We do not consider these batteries to have reached the end of their first lifespan and, therefore, do not require refurbishing or regeneration; they only need to be reconditioned for alternative use. However, if an unused battery has degraded over time and the project restores or refurbishes it, it would then be eligible. It is assumed that overproduced batteries are new, in their first lifecycle, and awaiting initial use. | Validated | ||||
7 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | (9) | - | Validated | ||||
8 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | (2) - End of life batteries are classified as such based on the overall depletion. However each battery pack is made of cells, its not the case that and end of life battery means that all the cells are depleted. Furthermore the extraction of primarily cathode materials for re-use doesn't necessarily mean that the second-life battery has a shorter life. | We agree that when a battery pack achieves its end of life, it does not necessarily mean that all cells are depleted. Indeed, many of them can be prepared for reuse. However, because battery depletion is non-linear and influenced by various factors, we assume that the failure of any single component—be it a cell, module, or critical part like the Battery Management System (BMS)—renders the entire battery pack non-functional. Consequently, even if some cells remain operational, the battery pack as a whole is considered to have reached its end of life. | Validated | ||||
9 | Technical | Battery performance | • We adjust the amount of new batteries replaced by a second life battery based on the battery’s SoH. Do you find this approach reasonable? (0-10) • Are there other factors or data that should be considered in this adjustment? | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | (8) | - | Validated | Yes. Check answer above. |
10 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | (0) - Pour les mêmes raisons que ci-dessus, l'affirmation en question est vraie pour les cellules, mais pas pour les packs batterie de seconde vie. | We acknowledge that a battery pack, primarily consisting of individual battery units, can potentially achieve a lifespan equal to or even exceeding that of a new battery if components are replaced through refurbishing or regeneration during its lifecycle. However, it is not feasible to precisely determine the number of cell replacements required to sustain its functionality over time. As a result, and to adopt a conservative approach within the established boundary conditions, we assume that the battery's second life commences following its first regeneration or refurbishing. Recognizing that various factors influence battery lifespan, we consider the State of Health (SoH) as a reliable proxy for estimating the remaining performance of the battery. | Validated | ||||
11 | Alix Armour - Nowos | (10) | - | Validated | ||||
12 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | (9) | - | Validated | ||||
13 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | (2) - This seems generic. Have the different battery chemistries been considered? | We consider the battery's performance to be proportional to the ratio of the lifespans of new and second-life batteries, as well as the SoH at the beginning of the battery's second life. The ratio of the lifespans of new and second-life batteries is calculated per battery type and chemistry (values are presented in Appendix 2) | Validated | ||||
14 | Technical | Battery types | • We assume that batteries within the same type and chemistry category share similar characteristics. This means that we will collect project data on battery type and chemistry categories, and assume all batteries in that category have the same e.g. weight, composition, emission factors, and lifetimes. Do you consider this assumption reasonable? (0-10) • Would you like to tell us more about this matter? | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | (8) | - | Validated | No |
15 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | (8) | - | Validated | ||||
16 | Alix Armour - Nowos | (7) - Weights still vary...but maybe a general assumption ok. We are trying to use kWh as a reference for pricing categories. | Thank you for the feedback. We have observed that some projects are attempting to use kWh as a measurement, but at this stage, weight appears to be a more feasible metric since it is tracked by most projects. | Validated | ||||
17 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | (10) | - | Validated | ||||
18 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | (7) | - | Validated | ||||
19 | Technical | Battery weight | • Are you, as a project developer, able to provide the weight of individual battery units and the total battery pack weight? (YES/NO) • Do you have any comments on the best functional unit to use? Battery pack, cells | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | (YES) - The power hour could be another way ... maybe more easy to get ( voltagex capacity in Ah) | We were open to changing the functional unit to different physical units such as battery pack and cells becuase those are similar enough to our apporach using mass. Voltage capacity would be an interesting approach but is too different from our current appraoch, from data in our LCA database, and would require many more assumptions. | Validated | No |
20 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | (YES) - The best functional unit to use is definitelly the cells because this what is really reallocated. A battery pack made out of second life cells is as per the 2023/1542 EU regulation considered as a new pack. | Thank you for raising this point. Indeed, while we account for the entire battery weight, we recognize that the cells or modules (referred to collectively as battery units) are the components with the most significant environmental impacts and are the primary focus of recovery efforts. To ensure accuracy, we use the percentage of battery units reused as a basis to back-calculate the total quantity of complete batteries collected and treated. | Validated | ||||
21 | Alix Armour - Nowos | (YES) | - | Validated | ||||
22 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | (NO) | - | Validated | ||||
23 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | (NO) - I think battery chemistry details are more important that pack weights. its the output products and their weights/assays that I feel are more relevant. | For each eligible technology, the battery chemistry is being considered. This is included in the GHG assessment by: - Having different market shares per battery type and chemistry (Appendix 3) - considering different environmental impacts per battery chemistry (Appendix 1) - considering different battery unit percentages in a battery pack (Appendix 2) - considering different lifetimes depending on the battery type and chemistry (Appendix 2) | Validated | ||||
24 | Technical | Battery unit proportion | • Can you provide the proportion of battery unit weight (BU percentage) by mass for the entire battery pack? (YES/NO) • Any thoughts on how to best quantity the battery units? | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | (NO) - so many different casing and accessories... cooling system , BMS... | Okay thank you, we were not going to ask this data from each project, we were planning on using secondary fixed data. We will continue with our plan to use secondary data, since this seems difficult to obtain. | Validated | No |
25 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | (YES) | - | Validated | ||||
26 | Alix Armour - Nowos | (YES) - It just takes a while and it's not in our process. | Thank you for sharing this information | Validated | ||||
27 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | (NO) | - | Validated | ||||
28 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | (NO) | - | Validated | ||||
29 | Technical | Recycling rate by component | • Do you have data on the recycling percentage for each of these components based on the mass of the collected material?: 1) [Battery Units (BUs)] (YES/NO) 2)Battery Management System (BMS) (YES/NO) 3) Auxiliary components (YES/NO) • Any comments on recycling rates of components? | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | 1) YES 2) NO 3) NO We can get easily the weight of the cells pack but all the rest it's more difficult... | We will offer a default conservative value for auxiliary components and BMS if that data isn't availble (a conservative assumption of 100% of collected auxiliary components sent for recycling). | Validated | Yes |
30 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | 1) YES 2) YES 3) YES BUs = 84% (reuse rate) - 16% (recycling rate) BMS = 100% (recycling rate) Auxiliary components = 100% (recycling rate) | Thank you for providing this information. It is reassuring to confirm that this data is feasible for projects to collect. While the rates may vary across different projects, they serve as a crucial input for calculating overall emissions per project. These rates are further utilized to determine the overall emissions for each battery type and chemistry. | Validated | ||||
31 | Alix Armour - Nowos | 1) YES 2) YES 3) YES Yes we could on all 3, because we often take each apart before sending to recycling. The text is not showing up in this table FYI. | Thank you for the comment | Validated | ||||
32 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | 1) YES 2) YES 3) YES Battery units: Al, Cu, Ni, Co, Li, Mn and C mainly. Recycling rates depend on the method used (pre-treatment + hydromettalurgy or pyromettalurgy) BMS: can be processed as e-waste auxiliary components: I would suggest to indicate the main components of them. I guess it could be Aluminium casing. | Thank you for your comments. We added the following text in bold (from the glossary) to the methodology text: The individual non-electrochemical parts within a battery pack, including casings (usually aluminium or steel), connectors, and electronic control systems. | Validated | ||||
33 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | 1 NO 2) NO 3) NO | - | Validated | ||||
34 | Technical | BMS rate | • The current estimate for the BMS weight is set at 0.02 kg per kg of battery pack. We understand that this may vary, but do you think a fixed rate is reasonable? Is 2% an appropriate estimate? If available, could you provide more precise data on the BMS weight for different battery types and chemistries? | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | - | - | Validated | No |
35 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | I think that a fixes rate is reasonable for the 4 principal application (EV, BESS, LMT and consumer electronics). | Thank you for confirming this | Validated | ||||
36 | Alix Armour - Nowos | Would need to ask our technicians. | - | Validated | ||||
37 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | Good estimate | Thank you for confirming this | Validated | ||||
38 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | - | Validated | |||||
39 | Technical | Battery chemistry market share | • Do you work with other battery chemistries beyond these? (YES/NO) • If so, could you specify which chemistries you handle and provide the corresponding percentage of used batteries for each? | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | (YES) - NiCad batteries used in industrial site, navy, solar plant, nuclear plant... big market in UAE... endreds tons/year... good success rate after regeneration (more than 85% reach 80% of SOH) | Thank you for sharing this. Currently, we do not have the impacts for NiCd battery, we'll analyse the possibility of adding this in a future methodology revision | Validated | Yes |
40 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | (NO) | - | Validated | ||||
41 | Alix Armour - Nowos | (NO) | - | Validated | ||||
42 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | (NO) | - | Validated | ||||
43 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | (NO) - It also important to breakdown the Li-ion between NMC, LCO and LFP. NMC batteries are generally better to recycle due to the value of Ni and Co and the energy density available is not really useful for stationary second-life batteries. | Thank you for your comment. Indeed, the impacts associated with each lithium-ion battery chemistry may vary. To account for this, we use different ecoinvent processes for NMC, LCO, and LFP chemistries (see Appendix 1). Regarding the baseline, we cannot be certain that an NMC battery is replacing a new NMC battery. Therefore, the baseline assumes a market mix of different chemistries. We will make sure to include the various lithium-ion chemistries as an option in the model moving forward. | Validated | ||||
44 | Technical | Eligible technologies | Comment on eligible technologies | Bertrand Coste - Be Energy | - | Validated | Yes | |
45 | Maxime Bleskine - VOLTR | It seems to me that portable batteries and portable batteries of general use should definitely be eligible under this methodology. We, at VoltR, repurpose and remanufacture specifically these kinds of batteries. In addition I would suggest to add repurposing and remanufacturing to the scope of the methodology. Those two activities are defined in the EU regulation 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries. | Due to related regulations from the WEEE directive and portable batteries, and because they seemed to not be a very common battery type for refurbishing/regeneration, we did not consider portable batteries in this first version of the methodology (for collected used batteries). We will research them and consider including them in the next revision of this methodology. | Validated | ||||
46 | Alix Armour - Nowos | You're not including repair in this? your defintion of "refurbishing" does not include any mention of "mechanical repair", which is a most common issue. This mechanical repair is giving the battery a second life, without this it would be tossed to recycling. Are you keeping it separate for some other reason? what about remanufacturing? https://www.nowos.com/definitions We try to use the EU battery regulation definitions. | Thank you for your comment, we changed the following text in bold for the refurbishing definition in the methodology glossary: The mechanical process of repairing and replacing worn components, reconditioning structure, disassembly, cleaning, and testing. High-quality parts are reused for "second-life" batteries, extending the lifespan for battery repurposing or reuse in the original application. We named the process "refurbishing" to align with other Riverse methodologies (e.g. Refurbishing of electronic devices) About remanufacturing, since the EU battery regulation stated that "As regards waste batteries, remanufacturing can be considered to be preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing. For that reason, it is not necessary to provide in this Regulation a specific regime for the remanufacturing of waste batteries that is different from the regime on preparation for re-use or preparation for repurposing of waste batteries" Thus, we did not include this as it is similar to the described processes in the methodology. However, we added the following distinction to the methodology: before we were referring to "Preparation for reuse" only, which for us would include reuse and repurpose. Now we mention both preparation for reuse and preparation for repurpose. | Validated | ||||
47 | Arnaud Dubief - Hydrovolt | - | - | Validated | ||||
48 | Andrew Jeyarajah - Numerco Limited | - | - | Validated | ||||
49 | General | Comment on eligibility criteria | - | Validated | ||||
50 | General | Comment on GHG quantification (baseline or project) | - | Validated | ||||
51 | Editorial | Additional comment on anything? | Alix Armour - Nowos | One of my main questions was in the last page on the technologies: "This methodology distinguishes between two types of processes enabling a battery's second life: Refurbishing: involves a lighter process to restore battery packs to optimal working conditions. This includes cleaning the battery, addressing issues related to the battery management system (BMS)—such as software fixes or BMS replacement—and testing the battery pack's capacity. In this process, any damaged or low-quality battery units and auxiliary components are replaced with either reused or new parts." My comment and question, as I am really curious about this: You're not including repair in this? your definition of "refurbishing" does not include any mention of "mechanical repair", which is a most common issue. This mechanical repair is giving the battery a second life, without this it would be tossed to recycling. Are you keeping it separate for some other reason? what about "remanufacturing"? https://www.nowos.com/definitions, We try to use the EU battery regulation definitions. I may suggest it includes this train of thought with the wording "repair" and "mechanical repair" Refurbishing/Repair: involves a lighter process to restore battery packs to optimal working conditions. This includes cleaning the battery, addressing issues related to the battery management system (BMS)—such as software fixes or BMS replacement—and testing the battery pack's capacity. It includes mechanical repair such as Cosmetic damage (casing), Deep discharge, Water ingress issues, Component replacement and rework, Fuse replacements, BMS repair and balancing, Wiring harness repairs... In this process, any damaged or low-quality battery units and auxiliary components are replaced with either reused or new parts." | Thank you for your suggestion. We have changed the text for clarity. Changes in bold below: Refurbishing: involves a lighter process to restore battery packs to optimal working conditions. This includes but is not limited to mechanical repairs such as cosmetic damage (casing), deep discharge, component replacement, fuse replacements, battery management system (BMS) repair and balancing, wiring harness repairs and "cleaning the battery. In this process, any damaged or low-quality battery units and auxiliary components are replaced with either reused or new parts. | Validated | Yes | |