By David Wagger
Late September, the Department of Energy (DOE) selected two project proposals involving ReMA for Phase I of DOE’s Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) Recycling Prize: “A Circular Economy for Electric Vehicle Batteries” and “Reward to Recycle – Closing the Loop on Portables”. Both projects have the same goal of developing an information system that contains and can provide information about LIBs at any point in their lifecycle. Everledger, a block-chain company, invited ReMA to participate in the two proposals as recycling experts and leads these Phase I projects as they are centered on blockchain technology. Better information about LIBs should enable and improve their reuse or recycling.
The LIB Recycling Prize is a three-phased $5.5M competition for identifying and testing innovative solutions for efficiently moving LIBs from use in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and industrial and stationary applications into reuse and recycling markets. Projects in Phase I, Concept Development and Incubation, are eligible to compete for more funding in Phase II, Prototype and Partnering. In turn, Phase II projects are eligible to compete for more funding in Phase III, Pilot Validation. Projects in these three phases receive progressively more funding of at least $40k, $250k, and $500k and last 6, 12, and 15 months, respectively.
Everledger, ISRI, and other project partners recently began Phase I activity on these projects and are intending to submit proposals for Phase II in 2020.