Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Battery2Life (BATTERY Management system and System design for stationary energy storage with 2nd LIFE batteries)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
Europe faces a surge of end-of-life EV batteries, many still with usable capacity. Repurposing them for stationary storage can lower costs, reduce waste, and strengthen resilience in renewable integration, in line with the Green Deal, Circular Economy Action Plan, and EU Battery Regulation. Current barriers include: (i) unsafe, costly disassembly due to welded/complex pack designs; (ii) lack of standardised diagnostics and access to operational history; (iii) rigid automotive BMSs unsuited for stationary reuse.
Battery2Life tackles these by creating open, adaptable BMSs and modular system designs. Objectives: enable safe reconfiguration with 30% lower refurbishment costs; develop a cloud-based BMS interoperable across chemistries and protocols; embed smart monitoring (SoX indicators, EIS, strain/pressure sensing, active balancing); deliver fast assessment tools reducing testing time by 25%; validate solutions in two pilots (domestic PV storage and industrial EV-charging microgrid); and contribute to standardisation and exploitation.
KPIs include: 25% shorter manufacturing, 30% refurbishment cost reduction, 25% faster module assessment, +20% reliability of SoX, +10% lifetime extension, early detection of thermal runaway, and ≥25% lifecycle CO2 reduction. These impacts strengthen Europe’s clean-energy transition, competitiveness, and public trust in second-life batteries.
Battery2Life tackles these by creating open, adaptable BMSs and modular system designs. Objectives: enable safe reconfiguration with 30% lower refurbishment costs; develop a cloud-based BMS interoperable across chemistries and protocols; embed smart monitoring (SoX indicators, EIS, strain/pressure sensing, active balancing); deliver fast assessment tools reducing testing time by 25%; validate solutions in two pilots (domestic PV storage and industrial EV-charging microgrid); and contribute to standardisation and exploitation.
KPIs include: 25% shorter manufacturing, 30% refurbishment cost reduction, 25% faster module assessment, +20% reliability of SoX, +10% lifetime extension, early detection of thermal runaway, and ≥25% lifecycle CO2 reduction. These impacts strengthen Europe’s clean-energy transition, competitiveness, and public trust in second-life batteries.
In M01–M18, the consortium progressed across all technical work packages, laying the foundations for integration. In WP1, the partners captured the requirements of the two demonstration sites (an industrial microgrid and a domestic PV system), defined validation KPIs and evaluation methods, and specified open, interoperable BMS principles together with hardware and software requirements. WP2 translated these into concrete designs, producing functional safety concepts and hazard analyses, performing reusability and compatibility assessments through bills of materials and CAD analysis, and delivering both the first cloud BMS backbone—covering database, APIs, security and Digital Battery Passport integration—and an AUTOSAR-inspired modular software architecture with firmware-over-the-air capabilities. WP3 focused on the hardware dimension: electrical and electronic topologies were defined and wireless BMS prototypes built with encrypted communication and reliable balancing. Strain and pressure sensors were validated for accurate State-of-Charge estimation (R² ≈ 0.996) and embedded EIS boards enabled diagnostics at cell and module level, with later evaluation shifting towards multiplexed IC-based solutions for industrial scalability. WP4 advanced the algorithmic layer, developing diagnostic and sizing tools based on UL1974 tests, clustering and techno-economic methods, together with advanced estimators such as reduced-order models, cloud-enabled prognostics, new State-of-X indicators (including State of Safety and State of Warranty), and an EIS-based thermal runaway and lithium plating detector. Finally, WP6 produced the methodology for safe disassembly and selection of modules for reuse, including inspection steps, electrochemical testing, and rejection criteria, consolidated into a validated handbook. By M18, the project had generated validated prototypes, algorithms, architectures and tools, providing a solid base for WP5 integration and the demonstration activities in WP7 and WP8.
During the first reporting period the project has generated important intermediate technical results. These include: a complete set of requirements and KPIs for both demonstration sites; the definition of open and interoperable BMS principles; a functional safety design and reusability analysis; an operational cloud BMS backbone aligned with the Digital Battery Passportconsept; a modular AUTOSAR-inspired software architecture with firmware-over-the-air capability; validated electrical/electronic topologies and a wireless BMS prototype; proof-of-concept strain and pressure sensors for advanced state estimation; embedded EIS hardware for cell and module diagnostics, together with a decision to shift towards IC-based multiplexed EIS for industrial viability; and the first diagnostic and sizing tool aligned with UL1974-type standards. Collectively, these results form the scientific and technical foundation for the integration of second-life systems in the next reporting period.
The potential impacts of these results are significant once integrated and demonstrated. The novel BMS concepts and diagnostic tools are expected to reduce repurposing costs by around 30%, shorten assessment time by 25%, and enable safer and more reliable operation of second-life battery systems. They contribute directly to EU priorities on circular economy, reduced waste and raw material demand, improved energy system flexibility, and industrial competitiveness. The project also advances the state of the art in second-life management by introducing data-driven, application-agnostic BMS architectures and integrating sensing and EIS methods into practical designs.
To ensure further uptake and eventual success, several needs have already been identified. Continued research and validation are required through WP5 integration and WP7–WP8 demonstrations to achieve TRL6-7 and confirm the performance targets in real operational environments. Engagement with industrial stakeholders and market actors is essential to secure access to markets and finance for future deployment. Close alignment with evolving EU regulations, especially the Digital Battery Passport, and active contributions to standardisation frameworks will be key to ensuring regulatory acceptance and interoperability. Finally, preparation of business models, IPR strategies, and pathways for internationalisation will be needed to maximise commercialisation potential.
The potential impacts of these results are significant once integrated and demonstrated. The novel BMS concepts and diagnostic tools are expected to reduce repurposing costs by around 30%, shorten assessment time by 25%, and enable safer and more reliable operation of second-life battery systems. They contribute directly to EU priorities on circular economy, reduced waste and raw material demand, improved energy system flexibility, and industrial competitiveness. The project also advances the state of the art in second-life management by introducing data-driven, application-agnostic BMS architectures and integrating sensing and EIS methods into practical designs.
To ensure further uptake and eventual success, several needs have already been identified. Continued research and validation are required through WP5 integration and WP7–WP8 demonstrations to achieve TRL6-7 and confirm the performance targets in real operational environments. Engagement with industrial stakeholders and market actors is essential to secure access to markets and finance for future deployment. Close alignment with evolving EU regulations, especially the Digital Battery Passport, and active contributions to standardisation frameworks will be key to ensuring regulatory acceptance and interoperability. Finally, preparation of business models, IPR strategies, and pathways for internationalisation will be needed to maximise commercialisation potential.