Cascade utilization and dismantling recycling are important ways to recycle retired lithium-ion batteries.
(1) Cascade utilization can realize the secondary application of retired power lithium-ion batteries in the field of energy storage, with huge downstream application potential and is also a recycling method that is strongly supported by policies. Car manufacturers and battery manufacturers have inherent advantages, but they also face the dilemma of high recycling costs for retired batteries. At the same time, this approach has extremely high requirements for battery consistency, and some demonstration projects are currently in operation;
(2) Dismantling and recycling is an important current method for recycling retired lithium-ion batteries. Among them, wet recycling has the highest degree of commercialization. Battery material manufacturers such as GEM, CALB, and BNP Paribas have all made arrangements. Against the backdrop of rising raw material prices, locking in upstream raw material prices through recycling and production will be an important way for battery material manufacturers to reduce costs in the future.
Currently, the main entities involved in the recycling of power lithium-ion batteries are small recycling workshops, professional recycling companies, and government recycling centers. A recycling system primarily based on power lithium battery manufacturers or electric vehicle companies has not yet emerged.
If discarded lithium iron phosphate batteries are not recycled, they will cause enormous environmental pollution. On the other hand, the effective recycling of metals and the utilization of residual energy can also bring considerable economic benefits.
