Used EV batteries to be a 1.6 million-tonne problem in Australia by 2050, says new report

Preliminary findings from research by the University of Technology Sydney and commissioned by the Battery Stewardship Council predict the number of used electric vehicle batteries entering the waste stream will grow to nearly 30,000 tonnes by 2030, and 1.6 million tonnes by 2050.

The findings, released on Thursday, provide new insight on the recycling requirements for end-of-life EV batteries, according to the BSC, which said the full report will be published in July this year.

“EV batteries present increasing risks and opportunities which the vehicle industry is yet to deal with at scale,” said the stewardship organisation’s CEO, Libby Chaplin, in a statement.   

“Investment in EV battery stewardship and recycling infrastructure is immediately needed for industry to avoid costly solutions in the future and miss out on the financial opportunities offered by the recycling of used batteries.”

The research by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS was commissioned last year, and considers 2021 vehicle import data.

It estimates 100,000 EVs on Australia’s roads currently, with this number “in its infancy”, under 1,000 tonnes of batteries reaching their end of life, and this volume “set to grow exponentially.”

Picture: Tesla Motors club user [wk057]

Further reading

Battery levy to fund recycling effort

Battery Stewardship Council hopes to address market failure, grow collection and reprocessing