BIG LEAP addresses a critical challenge in the transition to clean energy: the lack of interoperability and standardisation in BMS and ESS, which hinders the efficient and cost-effective repurposing of First-Life Batteries (FLB) into Second-Life Battery Energy Storage Systems (SL-BESS). Currently, adapting FLBs for stationary applications involves time-consuming, expensive, and highly customised processes due to differences in battery designs, chemistries, and state-of-health profiles. These limitations reduce the economic viability of SL-BESS, slow their market adoption, and restrict their potential to contribute to decarbonisation and resource efficiency goals.
To overcome these barriers, BIG LEAP will design, develop, and validate an innovative three-layer BMS and interoperable ESS architecture capable of managing multiple battery chemistries and configurations across first- and second-life applications. The project will integrate advanced features such as Probabilistic Data Association (PDA) for chemistry identification, in-site end-of-life (EoL) diagnostics, adaptive SoX algorithms, impedance-based diagnostics, and Digital Twin models for real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance. By combining hardware adaptability, low-level software control, and cloud-based intelligence, the project aims to ensure safe, reliable, and updatable BESS operation while significantly reducing refurbishment costs and extending battery lifetimes.
The pathway to impact is underpinned by three demonstration sites, that will validate the technical solutions in real and simulated environments. These will be complemented by a standardisation roadmap, a Digital Battery Passport (DBP) alignment framework, and comprehensive environmental, economic , and social impact assessments. Through its innovations, BIG LEAP seeks to accelerate the uptake of qualified SL-BESS, reduce the need for new raw materials, and strengthen the European battery value chain. In the medium-to-long term, the project is expected to deliver measurable benefits, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, extended battery lifespans, lower costs for energy storage deployment, and the establishment of industry standards that enable large-scale, sustainable battery reuse.
