Emma Nehrenheim, a pioneer in battery recycling, unfolds the challenges and solutions related to the environmental impact of battery manufacturing.
While batteries are seen as a powerful tool for a sustainable future, their production can have harmful environmental implications, unless managed wisely.
The Problem of Energy Storage
Availability of clean energy is not the chief issue for a sustainable future.
The major obstacle lies in the storage and distribution of this energy when and where needed.
Unfortunately, if not well managed, battery manufacturing can lead to environmental challenges.
Impact of Battery Manufacturing
The production of batteries, fundamental to storing clean energy, carries a surprisingly heavy environmental load.
This stems from the global mining, refining, and processing of minerals necessary for their production, and the significant carbon footprint of factories powered by fossil fuel grids.
Reducing Carbon Footprint with Renewable Energy
Powering battery factories with renewable energy can significantly reduce their carbon footprint by about 67%.
However, this isn’t a holistic solution as the remaining carbon emissions result from the supply chain, particularly from mineral extraction and processing.
We should not only build recycling processes and a port for the materials when they come to their end of life – we should also build accounting and traceability systems so that each carmaker can follow up and trace how much they can further slash their footprint by sending the batteries back at the end of their life. – Emma Nehrenheim
