AVL List determines CO2 footprint of batteries

AVL List wants to include a battery’s CO2 footprint in the battery passport. AVL says that it can already measure and optimise how much CO2 is produced during the manufacturing process in its Battery Innovation Center.

Instead of relying on estimates and random checks, AVL says it uses sensors that measure how much energy is used in each manufacturing step. The company opened its Battery Innovation Center in Graz in September 2021, where it compiles the data and makes it available to others. According to AVL List, its approach could reduce CO2 in production by up to 30 per cent.

So instead of using data to calculate or estimate the CO footprint, AVL takes an exact look at the manufacturing process. That is why its data “reflects the exact actual state,” the company says.

“Until now, values from databases have mostly been used to calculate the footprint. With the rapid development of technologies in battery production, these values are very quickly outdated and thus lead to incorrect results for the footprint,” explains Martin Rothbart, Senior Product Manager of Energy & Sustainability at AVL. “By using intelligent sensor technology, this can be avoided.”

Based on the results, which AVL compiles in a digital twin of the battery, it is reportedly possible to accurately determine energy consumption during production. Manufacturers should then be able to adjust production processes and thus optimise the entire process chain.

The data from the digital twin can then be processed and encrypted for inclusion in the EU battery passport, which is used to establish a digital twin that conveys information about all applicable sustainability and lifecycle requirements. To this end, AVL is working closely with Austrian startup Tributech, according to the release. Tributech specialises in notarising and distributing data so that every participant in the system has the data relevant to them at the right time.

“CO2 emissions in battery component production must be reduced as quickly as possible. Real measurements in the production process support this. Only what can be measured can be improved,” says Uwe Grebe, Executive Vice President at AVL.

Source: Info via email