Stena Recycling partnership gives Volvo bus batteries second life
A new cooperation between Volvo Buses and Stena Recycling subsidiary Batteryloop should mean that the service life of bus batteries is significantly extended and natural resources are conserved. After the batteries are removed from Volvo’s buses, they will be re-used as energy storage units for a number of years, for instance in buildings and charging stations.
“Volvo Buses is one of the pioneers in electromobility which provides clean, quiet and efficient public transport,” says Håkan Agnevall, president, Volvo Buses. “We have a clear-cut sustainability strategy at every single stage of our value chain, and we are now taking yet another step forward through planned, consistent re-use of bus batteries.
“In our electromobility operation we are thus creating a new circular business cycle and this cooperation is truly a major step in the right direction”.
When bus batteries are no longer sufficient for vehicle use, they still have considerable capacity left which is more than sufficient for static use for energy storage purposes. Repurposing the batteries means that natural resources can be conserved since it is not necessary to use new batteries for energy storage.
“We are delighted and proud that Batteryloop has the opportunity to buy the used batteries and develop this solution together with Volvo Buses,” adds Rasmus Bergström, president, Batteryloop. “In addition to re-use, under the agreement we also guarantee safe and environmentally suitable recycling when the batteries come to the end of their second life as energy storage units. We thus offer a sustainable circular solution for Volvo Buses batteries. What is more, this cooperation means we can convert a cost into a source of revenue for the customer”.
The recently-signed agreement has a global reach and covers all the batteries for which Volvo Buses is responsible in its electric buses the world over. To date most of these buses are to be found in Europe, but the number of electrified buses is expected to increase in other parts of the world too.