Enhancing battery sustainability: a novel sustainability modelling platform for battery production

Batteries are vital for various applications, but have significant environmental and economic costs. Enhancing their sustainability requires innovative battery designs and production processes across the value chain. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) and cost estimations are valuable tools to evaluate these innovations and facilitate sustainable decisions. However, existing assessments do not sufficiently capture the technical details involved in battery production for adequate engineering decision-making, and can also be time-consuming to establish. This necessitates advanced models that enable efficient, automated assessments while enhancing their relevance to engineering decision-making. This presentation introduces a novel modelling platform for the environmental and techno-economic assessment of batteries. It incorporates detailed models for products and processes, simulates material and energy flows, and links these to LCAs and cost evaluations. The platform's flexible and modular structure enables an extensive analysis of the complexities of novel battery technologies. Its capabilities are demonstrated through a case study comparing conventional and a novel cell production route. The case study exemplifies how the platform enhances the engineering applicability of LCAs and cost estimations, while significantly reducing effort for practioners. The platform thus stands as a valuable tool for enabling sustainable decision-making in future battery research.