Connected Energy to give old Forsee batteries a 2nd Life
The French battery manufacturer Forsee Power is cooperating with Connected Energy, a company that builds stationary energy storage systems based on spent electric vehicle batteries. The aim is to recycle Forsee batteries after they have been used in electric buses.
A first joint project with a volume of around 3.5 MWh is planned for the second half of 2023. A second, much larger energy storage system with around 40 MWh is also scheduled to go into operation in the UK from the third quarter of 2024. The batteries promised by Forsee as part of the cooperation will previously be used in e-buses from Iveco Heuliez, Wrightbus and Caetano, among others. When their capacity drops to about 75 to 80 percent, they are no longer suitable for vehicles, but with their considerable residual capacity they can be used in stationary energy storage systems.
To make the integration technically successful, Forsee Power and Connected Energy have agreed to jointly develop a technical and commercial model for the use of Forsee Zen 4 and Forsee Zen 35 batteries in Connected Energy’s E-STOR containers and M-STOR large-scale systems. According to the Newcastle-based company, the E-STOR system is suitable for storing locally generated renewable energy or as a back-up for the grid. With its modular and scalable design, it fits the different requirements of industrial and commercial customers. The larger M-STOR installations are primarily intended to be able to “support grid improvements in connection with the use of renewable energies”.
So far, certain batteries from Renault and JLR vehicles are already compatible. Forsee Power states that its lithium-ion battery packs based on NMC cells are now also “perfectly suited for a second life”. The French manufacturer claims to be “the leader in smart battery systems for buses in terms of number of customers in Europe”. They have an overview of the second-life batteries available in Europe and direct contact with their current owners.
Specifically, Forsee Power and Connected Energy are now planning to offer these owners a “second life” for their Forsee batteries. “The conversion of energy storage systems from transport to stationary solutions represents a significant commercial potential,” the partners express in unison. In addition, this could further reduce the carbon footprint of electric vehicles.
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