Levelized cost of storage of second-life battery applications in Flanders, Belgium

Batteries from electric vehicles can still provide around 80 % of initial capacity, being suitable for stationary applications. Electricity storage is a solution for integrating renewable energies as the electrification of the transportation fleet will make used batteries available. However, it is unclear if second-life batteries (SLB) will offer a more sustainable alternative to stationary new batteries (SNB). Therefore, this study investigates the life cycle economic impacts of future SLB in Flanders, Belgium. It focuses on collecting, dismantling, repurposing, using them in a second application, and recycling those batteries. Hence, a levelized cost of storage (LCOS) calculation is carried out from cradle-to-grave. Three use cases in Flanders, Belgium, are assessed: a household use case, an industrial use case, and a utility use case. The LCOS of SNB for the three use cases was found to be between 71.77 €/MWh and 202.25 €/MWh in 2040, whereas the LCOS of SLB varies between 64.99 €/MWh and 211.10 €/MWh. For SLB, dismantling and repurposing costs dominate the LCOS in the first years. Towards 2040 battery purchase and charging costs will be major contributors. The cost-competitiveness amongst SLB and SNB varies over the different years. The results show the importance of the application and that the cost of extending the lifetime of EV batteries can be considerable.