Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing North America has received US$ 4.5 million (EUR 4.3 million) in funding from the US Department of Energy to boost a circular supply chain for batteries.
Toyota’s research division will partner up with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Waygate Technologies to meet its sustainability goals.
The financial backing is part of the Catalyzing Innovative Research for Circular Use of Long-lived Advanced Rechargeables (CIRCULAR) Program.
In tandem
Toyata explains the enw project aims to develop an ‘industry-relevant’ template for a 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) facility of the future. The goal is to help resolve the primary bottlenecks in current battery supply chain circularity, which are the automation of battery pack disassembly, data-driven battery classification, and addressing cell degradation.
Together, the partners will develop tools and procedures, including:
- an automated pack disassembly process
- advanced diagnostic tools and protocols for module and cell 3R classifications
- a refabrication method for 3R cells into new energy systems.
High demand for innovation
Toyota underlines that end-of-life and battery scrap volumes will be increasing in the coming years. This means a new approach is urgently needed to extend the useful life of many standard battery pack components, and conserve their initial techno-economic investments, paving the way for a cleaner and greener battery supply chain.
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