– Research and Development of High-Value Recycling Pathways for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries will play a central role in transitioning California’s electricity and transportation sectors to becoming zero emission over the coming decades. Senate Bill 100 (De León, 2018) establishes the goal of providing 100 percent of retail electric sales in California with renewable and zero carbon electricity by 2045. Preliminary analyses suggest achieving this target could require cumulative capacity additions of grid-connected battery storage in the range of 50 GW by 2045, much of which is expected to be provided by lithium-ion batteries. Simultaneous electrification of transportation will require even larger deployment of lithium-ion batteries in plug in electric vehicles (PEVs). Executive Order N-79-20 sets targets for 100 percent of passenger vehicles and trucks sold after 2035 to be zero emission as well as transitioning medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles to zero emission wherever feasible by 2045. The combined retirements of grid-connected stationary storage and PEV batteries reaching end-of-life will create a large potential electronic waste stream that needs to be sustainably managed. Lithium-ion batteries from stationary storage and PEVs also have significant potential value at end-of-life for reuse and eventual recycling. Recycling and introduction of recovered materials into supply chains can reduce the need for virgin materials, thereby avoiding the environmental and social impacts associated with their production. Recycled materials may also substitute as lower cost feedstocks in the fabrication of new batteries, resulting in reduced purchase costs for batteries in PEVs and stationary storage applications. Establishing recycling expertise and capability within California creates opportunities for clean energy jobs and can contribute to the state’s economic development. Motivated by these potential benefits and the need to sustainably manage projected battery waste streams, Assembly Bill 2832 (Dahle, 2018) created the Lithium-ion Car Battery Recycling Advisory Group in 2019. The interagency group is consulting with researchers and other experts in battery recycling to develop policy recommendations for the Legislature to enable reuse and recycling of as close to 100 percent as possible of PEV battery waste at end-of-life. This solicitation builds from previous investments to fund multidisciplinary applied research and development projects with the goals of: 1) improving lithium-ion battery direct recycling processes, 2) demonstrating pathways for incorporation of recycled materials into battery manufacturing, and 3) informing scale-up and future commercialization efforts to establish direct recycling capacity in California.