Around 200 experts came together at last week’s annual industry meeting. The three-day conference schedule covered a great deal of ground, as more than 20 expert lectures were on the agenda as well as three plant tours at the companies Bebat, DK Recycling and Roheisen/ACCUREC Recycling GmbH, and REVATECH.
Dr Christian Hagelücken of Umicore kicked off the conference. In his keynote speech he presented the impacts of the EU Commission’s planned circular economy package on the recycling of metals. Dr Fabian-Alexander Polonius and Dr Sebastian Spies from Daimler AG then proceeded to speak on the issue of transport safety. They emphasised that the transporting of automotive lithium-ion batteries does not basically constitute a significant risk. Even the risk of transporting damaged batteries can be well calculated and kept to a minimum, primarily through the use of suitable packaging. In their view, a transparent, standardised process for the safe handling of lithium-ion batteries and consistent implementation by well-trained personnel are the essential safety factors.
Further lectures were held on the significance of battery recycling in a European circular economy. In this context, José Rizo Martin from the Directorate-General for the Environment of the EU Commission portrayed the viewpoint of the Commission. Hans Craen from the European Portable Battery Association also spoke on the effects of the planned expansion of the circular economy. Dr Claude Chanson from the European Association of Advanced Rechargeable and Lithium Batteries (RECHARGE) explained the significance of extended producer responsibility.
The lectures were supplemented by country reports on various collection systems, including reports on the battery market in the USA and Canada. In addition, Laurens ten Horn from the European association of national collection schemes for batteries (Eucobat) presented current technological developments in the rechargeable battery field. He named the use of silicon and the development of lithium-sulphur batteries as examples. The development of lithium-air technology could also compete with lithium-ion batteries in future, as a far higher energy density could be achieved through their use.
The 22nd ICBR 2017 industry meeting will be held in Lisbon, Portugal from September 20 to 22, 2017.
