The rapid expansion of industrial and commercial applications such as peak shaving, virtual power plants, and backup power has driven up global energy storage demands. While scaling up storage technologies presents many opportunities, it also poses unique challenges, particularly end-of-life battery management. For companies entrenched within industrial and commercial energy storage—The Origotek Co., Ltd. for example—batteries recycling technologies within the scope of energy storage systems has shifted from being an afterthought to being a potential game changer for sustainable energy storage strategies. After 16 years in research and development for energy storage products focusing on the industrial and commercial sectors and custom solutions, Origotek understands that the integration of viable battery recycling will help it meet its promise to safer, advanced, and unrestricted global energy.

The Need for Recycling Batteries to Sustain Energy Storage Systems

Energy storage batteries, particularly in the industrial and commercial sectors, come with a predictable lifecycle. After many years of supporting mission-critical operations like peak shaving and power supply for continuous manufacturing, battery packs do reach a point of no return. If recycling is not done, retired battery packs will expose the environment to detrimental toxic leakage and lose the opportunity to recover lithium, nickel, cobalt, and other precious metals.

For companies providing energy storage, the recycling of batteries is one way to complete the “sustainability loop.” Providers of energy storage solutions must address the immediate energy storage needs as well as the integration of service solutions that manage unbalance problems over three phases. More and more energy storage solution providers look for partners with sustainability in mind. Over the last 16 years, Origotek has worked to upgrade its energy storage products to the fourth generation. This has included a focus on sustainability in the form of battery recycling technology, which has integrated within the product ecosystem to ensure every stage of energy storage complies with the energy storage withdrawal and discharge cycle and meets the resulting environmental obligations. 

Core Processes and Technological Advancement in Battery Recycling

Modern battery recycling is a technological advancement of disposal by means of complex processes that sequentially address the recovery of each resource and disposal of the environmental waste. The first of these processes in any cycle is the pretreatment step, which includes disassembly and sorting. This includes the removal of external casings and the separation of battery modules to prepare for the targeted recovery of materials, and for safety, the elimination of short circuits and thermal runaway in subsequent processes.

The second stage of recovery focuses on innovative technologies of hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy. Hydrometallurgy uses liquid state chemical solutions and captures pure lithium, nickel, and cobalt during pyrometallurgy. The battery components are melted and the separated metals are recovered. These technologies need to be scaled and customized to I&C energy storage batteries which are larger and more complex than consumer batteries. Origotek uses these technologies to match the recycling standard to the chemical components of their fourth generation energy storage products.  

In the end, high-value utilization stage aims to feed recovered materials into the production cycle of new energy storage products. This diminishes the need for new, virgin materials and significantly reduces the overall emissions involved in new battery construction. Origotek markets I&C energy storage products to clients knowing these batteries contain recycled materials. This allows Origotek to strengthen the eco-friendly perception of the complete energy solutions they provide.

Origotek’s Vision: Battery Recycling as a Driver of Global Energy Sustainability

Origotek has spent 16 years focused on designing and delivering bespoke I&C energy storage solutions as client needs evolve: from peak shaving to integrating into virtual power plants. With the shift to more renewable energy use globally, the importance of and need for battery recycling technology also grows. Efficient energy storage products need to be created, but enterprises must also ensure these products assist in the creation of a circular economy.

Origotek, by integrating recycling into its end-to-end energy solutions, meets the environmental expectations of its global clients and battery recycling technology's industry standards. With the continued advancement of battery recycling technology, energy clients and the planet will benefit from sustainable practices in fourth generation I&C products and all future iterations as this industry leader focuses on kept promises.

Ultimately, battery recycling technology transcends being just a technical process. It is a promise, a promise that the expansion of energy storage growth will not come with negative environmental repercussions. Every I&C enterprise utilizing Origotek’s solutions is contributing to a more sustainable, energy-independent future.