Waste Battery
Waste Battery
What is a waste battery?
Waste batteries are the batteries that have reached the end of their lifespan, with their capacity reduced to 70% or less after being used to charge and drive eco-friendly electric vehicles.
The Beginning of Explosive Growth, Waste Battery Industry
The world and corporation have opened the era of electric vehicles to respond to climate change for future generations and achieve carbon neutrality. As the spread of electric vehicles increases, the amount of waste batteries generated is expected to grow, prompting many companies that recognize the potential for industrial growth to venture into the waste battery business.
Social Issues Related to the Growth of the Waste Battery Industry
With the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market, the emission of large amounts of waste batteries has emerged as a social problem. The average battery life of an electric vehicle is as short as 8 to 10 years, and the battery function decreases as the usage period increases. As the mileage is shortened, the running power is reduced, and the reaction speed is slowed down, the battery needs to be replaced in a short cycle, and it is expected that the discharge of waste batteries will further increase. Additionally, waste batteries contain valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, and disposing of them in landfills can have a harmful impact on the environment. As a result, the reuse and recycling of waste batteries will become increasingly crucial to mitigate these environmental risks.
Reuse of Waste Batteries?
Battery re-use is a method of refurbishing and reassembling waste batteries collected from electric vehicles to change their uses. The process may seem straightforward, but there are limitations to the types of products that can be reused due to the varying shapes and states of the batteries.
Electric Vehicle Waste Battery Reuse (Re-Use) Process
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Waste Battery Arrival
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Cleaning the Battery Pack and Visual Inspection
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Analysis Battery Pack
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Battery Pack Module Disassembly
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Module Analysis
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Rating and Grading
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Packing and Exporting
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Re-Use
Battery recycling is a method used to disassemble a battery and extract raw materials such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt to make a new battery. Although it is technically difficult, it is easy to apply to various products, and it can be reused as a battery raw material to reduce production costs, and it can also greatly contribute to environmental protection.
Social Issues Related to the Growth of the Waste Battery Industry
With the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market, the emission of large amounts of waste batteries has emerged as a social problem. The average battery life of an electric vehicle is as short as 8 to 10 years, and the battery function decreases as the usage period increases. As the mileage is shortened, the running power is reduced, and the reaction speed is slowed down, the battery needs to be replaced in a short cycle, and it is expected that the discharge of waste batteries will further increase.
Additionally, waste batteries contain valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, and disposing of them in landfills can have a harmful impact on the environment. As a result, the reuse and recycling of waste batteries will become increasingly crucial to mitigate these environmental risks.
Electric Car Battery Circulation Economy
Among these, Korea Zinc is placing greater emphasis on the 'recycling' business, which
can lower production costs by reusing materials as battery raw materials
Battery recycling process
after using an electric vehicle
Responding to Social Issues: Korea Zinc's Efforts and Future Value
Korea Zinc is committed to responsibly addressing the problems arising from the growth of the electric vehicle market. Leveraging its leadership in zinc and soft smelting, the company aims to extract rare metals using specialized technical capabilities, recycle them for battery production, reduce production costs, and contribute to environmental protection. Additionally, Korea Zinc plans to establish a resource recycling structure that maximizes the benefits of stable supply while minimizing material imports. In addition, the global waste battery market is projected to exceed 100,000 units by 2030, and it is evaluated as a business that is expected to be highly profitable because the purchase cost of raw materials is not large. This is a great opportunity for us to expand the company’s operations. By extending its expertise from secondary battery materials—key to electric vehicles—to the waste battery recycling industry, Korea Zinc is poised to strengthen its commitment to sustainability. With its unique technological capabilities and innovative DNA, the company is positioning itself to make a strong leap forward in the green energy sector.
