'Super Boom' Lithium-Ion Batteries, a 'Pile of Waste' in 10 Years? [Im Juhyung's Tech Talk]

Surge in Lithium-Ion Battery Production
Battery Lifespan Between 300-500 Cycles
'Used Battery Tsunami' May Loom
Environmental Pollution Risks from Cobalt, Lithium, Manganese
Industry Promotes Collection and Recycling with 'Digital Battery Passport'

Used batteries discarded in the battery collection bin / Photo by YouTube video capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] As the markets for electric vehicles and electronic products such as smartphones rapidly expand, the demand for secondary batteries is also skyrocketing. Accordingly, companies manufacturing lithium-ion batteries are putting their all into facility investments and increasing production capacity. However, the increased use of batteries carries the risk of causing new environmental problems. Since batteries have a limited lifespan and must eventually be discarded, some of the battery materials contain metals that are harmful to the environment.

◆Battery demand 'surges' as electric vehicle demand rises

The product currently driving growth in the battery market is electric vehicles. According to the global market research firm SNE Research, the total global electric vehicle battery energy produced in the first half of this year (January to June) was 114.1 gigawatt-hours (GWh), more than 2.5 times the amount produced during the same period last year.

Electric vehicle batteries are supplied by assembling numerous battery cells into a large 'pack.' Therefore, as the number of electric vehicles increases, battery production inevitably surges by more than double.

An electric car charging its battery. / Photo by Yonhap News

The problem lies in the battery lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries typically have 300 to 500 charge-discharge cycles. This means that with each charge, the battery’s function weakens slightly, and after more than 500 charges, about 40% of the total energy capacity is lost, causing the battery to lose its commercial value. For electric vehicles, which are sensitive to driving range, batteries are often replaced even when only 20% of the total capacity is depleted.

◆By 2030, discarded batteries could reach '12 million tons'

As a result, as battery production increases, the amount of discarded batteries that have lost their usefulness is also surging.

According to estimates by the environmental protection organization Greenpeace, if the battery market continues to grow at the current rate, by 2030, more than approximately 12 million tons of discarded batteries are expected to be generated. This could create a massive heap of batteries.

Discarded batteries are also environmentally hazardous. Batteries contain substances such as lithium, cobalt oxide, manganese, and nickel, which are designated as toxic substances by the National Institute of Environmental Research.

◆Companies focusing on 'reuse technology' for discarded batteries

Given this situation, numerous domestic and international companies are concentrating on developing alternative technologies to prevent a 'discarded battery tsunami.'

One of the most anticipated technologies in the industry is 'reuse technology.' This involves collecting discarded batteries that have lost their original use and repurposing them as energy storage facilities.

As electric vehicles using large-capacity lithium-ion battery packs gain popularity, the demand for batteries has also increased. / Photo by Yonhap News

In the industry, batteries that have lost 20 to 40% of their storage capacity are generally treated as discarded batteries. However, by collecting and connecting these aged batteries, they can be transformed into storage facilities capable of holding large amounts of electricity. These can be used in renewable energy generation facilities such as solar and wind power plants.

Of course, reuse technology only slightly extends the lifespan of discarded batteries and is not a fundamental solution. Therefore, technologies to separate and extract toxic substances contained within batteries are also being actively researched.

◆Managing batteries with 'labels'... "Creating a sustainable ecosystem"

Countries around the world are also making efforts to promote recycling and reprocessing within the battery market. In 2017, the Global Battery Alliance (GBA), established by over 70 organizations worldwide, announced plans to introduce a so-called 'digital battery passport.' This involves attaching labels to produced batteries, similar to those on PET bottles or aluminum cans, to facilitate the collection and recycling of discarded batteries.

Experts say that reducing industrial waste generated during the transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles is just as important as the transition itself.

Dr. Maya van Droe, an urban driving technology expert at the World Economic Forum (WEF), recently wrote, "The massive investments flowing into the electric vehicle sector today can be an opportunity to build a new environment," emphasizing, "It is essential that new funds are not simply used to manufacture new vehicles but are also directed toward creating a sustainable ecosystem."