Using energy in a more sustainable and efficient way is a major objective in the context of sustainable development. Although Switzerland does not host any gigafactories, it is closely involved in European battery research projects through its research centers or companies specialized in electronics or recycling, for example.
With demand steadily increasing, more sustainable battery technologies with higher renewable energy storage will be needed while lithium-ion batteries dominate the storage technology market.
A number of new technologies are being developed to meet the current sustainability goals.
What will the batteries of tomorrow look like ?
The Swiss Battery Technology Center (SBTC), one of the research centers of the Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne (canton of Bern), addresses these current issues. The SBTC aims to develop more ecological battery technologies based on the principles of the circular economy. The objective is to improve the life cycle of these products by reusing them for energy storage or by recycling them more efficiently.
SBTC focuses its research activities in several areas, including the sorting and dismantling of EV batteries, recycling, and battery testing. It also operates the largest battery laboratory in Switzerland for cell and module testing, the Battery Testing Laboratory, together with the BFH Energy Storage Center. The research center collaborates with partners from both industry and research to share their expertise and knowledge.
With all these innovation centers linked to battery development, Western Switzerland is positioning itself as a leader in the field of the batteries of tomorrow.
Other projects such as CircuBAT, in which the Bern University of Applied Sciences is involved, aim to create a circular business model for the production, application and recycling of lithium-ion batteries used for mobility purposes.
