Life cycle thinking and safe-and-sustainable-by-design approaches for the battery innovation landscape
Publication category: Article
Publication date: February 1, 2023
Authors: Lya Soeteman-Hernández, Carlos Felipe Blanco, Maarten Koese, Adrienne Sips, Cornelle Noorlander, Willie Peijnenburg
Abstract: Developments in battery technology are essential for the energy transition and need to follow the framework for the definition of Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) criteria for SSbD chemicals and materials as set by the EU. SSbD is a broad approach that ensures that chemicals/advanced materials/products/services are produced and used in a way to avoid harm to humans and the environment. Here, technical and policy-related literature was surveyed for battery technologies and recommendations were provided for a broad SSbD approach that remains firmly grounded in Life Cycle Thinking principles. The approach integrates functional performance and sustainability (safety, social, environmental and economic) aspects throughout the life cycle of materials, products and processes. It evaluates how their interactions reflect on SSbD parameters. This review and the proposed approach is conducted in two phases. Firstly, aspirations and targets are identified which are used to define relevant toxicity/safety, environmental, social, functionality, and economic parameters for batteries, including a qualitative review of the current situation, an inventory of possible SSbD strategies that can be applied at the design stage to improve these parameters (i.e. green chemistry and circular economy), and an outlook for the battery innovation landscape in meeting these SSbD parameters. In the second phase, 22 different types of batteries (liquid & polymer gel, solid state, redox-flow and hybrid) were analyzed for criticality, toxicity/safety, environmental and social impact, circularity, functionality and cost. This analysis takes into account the big picture (life cycle thinking) to ensure battery innovation has a green and sustainable purpose to avoid unintended consequences.
