The solution at Essity has been developed through a
collaboration between Volvo Cars, Essity, Stena Fastigheter and
BatteryLoop, a company within Stena Recycling that is a leader
in the reuse and recycling of batteries, primarily from the
automotive industry.
”This is a very exciting collaboration where we
together close the circle and create a sustainable cycle around
cars powered by batteries. We give the batteries a second life
in our smart energy storage system BLESS™ (BatteryLoop Energy
Storage System) and the commercial life of batteries is
ensured, while the burden on the environment is reduced. With
BLESS, we contribute to achieving the goal of zero emissions
and to secure the future for the environment and the next
generation,” says Rasmus Bergström, MD of
BatteryLoop.
When an electric vehicle, after many years in
traffic, is at the end of its life cycle, the battery still has
a large part of its capacity left, sufficient for use in the
energy storage systems built by BatteryLoop. So instead of
sending the batteries for recycling, they get a second
life.
”Volvo Cars has great ambitions regarding circular
economy and we put a lot of effort into finding new business
models that make it possible to maximize the use of batteries
throughout their life cycles. This project is in line with
those ambitions and will teach us more about the life span of
batteries and how they can be used outside of our cars,” says
Susanne Hägglund who is responsible for the global aftermarket
business at Volvo Cars.
For Essity, sustainable energy solutions are an
important part of their sustainability work.
”In Essity's climate work, more sustainable energy
solutions are in focus, for example with renewable energy. It
is a crucial factor in our work to achieve our scientifically
based climate targets. In this case, it is about providing
sustainable solutions for our employees, where the possibility
of charging at the workplace can be crucial to take the step
towards a more sustainable transport solution. Essity has also
taken the step to restructure the company car fleet, where in
practice only rechargeable vehicles are allowed,” says Axel
Thegerström Edh, Sustainability Director at
Essity.
When Stena Fastigheter, which owns and manages
Essity's property in Mölndal, was asked by Essity about a large
number of charging stations for electric cars, the company
wanted to find a sustainable solution. Stena Fastigheter has
previously built a small facility in Gothenburg, Sweden
together with Volvo Buses and BatteryLoop. With the investment
at Essity, this can now be tested on a larger scale. Stena
Fastigheter sees the collaboration as an important step along
the way in offering their tenants a solution for a sustainable
and environmentally friendly electricity supply.
”Because we can offer our customers the ability to
charge their cars with solar energy, regardless of weather,
around the clock, we contribute to even more sustainable
travelling for Essity’s employees. With a battery storage of
this scope, we can contribute to improved power regulation and
energy storage in the building, which constitutes a stabilizing
function for an evolving electricity network. We are very much
involved in and drive the development forward, which feels very
satisfying,” says Agneta Kores, MD of Stena Fastigheter
Göteborg.
BatteryLoop estimates that the demand for solutions
such as the one currently in place at Essity will increase a
lot in the coming years. This is partly due to the fact that
the growth of electric vehicles means an increased need to
handle the batteries in a sustainable and commercial way. There
is also a strong demand in the market to be able to supplement
electricity supply with renewable energy for, for example,
properties and charging stations and to be able to meet peaks
in energy demand. In addition, many see an advantage in that
surpluses from the energy storage system can be sold and
delivered to the electricity grid and thus generate
revenue.Facts:- The base of BatteryLoops’
BLESS ™ at Essity are five Volvo XC40 Recharge batteries that
provide 78 charging points for electric and hybrid cars, and 24
for electric bicycles, with electricity.- BLESS is connected to
446 solar panels that cover an area of 833 square meters on
Essity's roof.- The solar panels produce about 150 Mwh per
year, which corresponds to the annual consumption of household
electricity for about 50 apartments.- The system provides an
estimated reduction of 69 tons of carbon dioxide per year.More
information is available here: https://batteryloop.com
