The batteries from Nobina’s own electric bus fleet that have been taken out of service are to be installed in storage systems instead of being sent for early and costly recycling. After a successful pilot project, the battery storage systems will be set up in the countries in which Nobina operates and operated by Nobina to support the grid. In addition, the local grids will be stabilized overall and surplus electricity will be available for trading on the spot market.
Fleet of more than 1,000 electric buses
Nobina is the largest bus fleet operator in the Nordic region and is thus represented in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. Every day, the company travels around the globe 23 times, transporting around 1 million passengers. Nobina currently has more than 1,000 electric buses in a fleet of 5,000 buses. The total battery capacity currently available is around 500 MWh.
“We are proud of this partnership, which is developing new pioneering solutions that can positively influence both the entire industry and society. This sustainability initiative not only strengthens our operational resilience and lowers energy costs, but also reduces Europe’s dependence on critical raw materials and helps stabilize local power grids – a truly circular and sustainable approach,” says Petra Hammarin, Director Business Development at Nobina.
Research project for the repair of old modules starts
“The resilience of society and the stability of public transport are becoming increasingly important – especially as the increase in electrification brings new challenges for system stability. Battery storage solutions with retired bus batteries could play a crucial role, both for competitiveness and for sustainability,” Petra Hammarin adds.
Extend the lifespan of batteries
“We see great potential for Nobina to extend the lifespan of batteries through stationary storage applications when they are no longer suitable for use in vehicles. This provides a resource-efficient alternative to expensive recycling, which we believe removes batteries from circulation far too early,” says Dr. Nam Truong, CEO & Co-Founder of STABL Energy.
Large-scale storage from used batteries of EVs
“We can do pioneering work together here, set new standards for e-fleet operators across Europe and drive the energy transition. The resource-efficient use of batteries is also of immense strategic importance for Europe from a geopolitical point of view, because it enables us to strengthen the circular economy and reduce dependence on resources,” adds Truong.
Resource efficiency included: energy transition must be economically viable
The investment in the electrification of fleets is high. By using modular multilevel inverter technology, which makes itpossible to build battery storage systems from second-life batteries, the investment costs for e-vehicles can be offset by the further use of the batteries and the business can be made more efficient. This is the economically viable alternative to the current recycling process, which, when all the associated processes are taken into account, is unattractive and expensive.
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Apart from the fact that greenhouse gas emissions have already been released during the production of batteries, second-life applications ensure that the batteries contribute to the reduction of further CO2 emissions until the end of their life and when fully utilized. (hcn)