Battery Iron Red Project Environmental Assessment Report

How are flow battery technologies based on environmental impact?

The production of three commercially available flow battery technologies is evaluated and compared on the basis of eight environmental impact categories, using primary data collected from battery manufacturers on the battery production phase including raw materials extraction, materials processing, manufacturing and assembly.

Do all-iron flow batteries have a negative impact on the environment?

In the baseline scenario, production of all-iron flow batteries led to the lowest impact scores in six of the eight impact categories such as global warming potential, 73 kg CO 2 eq/kWh; and cumulative energy demand, 1090 MJ/kWh.

What factors affect the environmental impact of flow batteries?

Three types of flow batteries with different design parameters were analyzed. Design factors and materials choices largely affect the environmental impact. Choices fr cell stack, electrolyte and membrane materials influence total impact. Design of accessories and balance of plant can reduce environmental impact.

Are zinc-bromine flow batteries harmful to the environment?

Production of zinc-bromine flow batteries had the lowest values for ozone depletion, and freshwater ecotoxicity, and the highest value for abiotic resource depletion. The analysis highlight that the relative environmental impact of producing the three flow battery technologies varies with different system designs and materials selection choices.

Does carbon fiber pyrolysis affect the environmental impact of a flow battery?

Although the amount of carbon fiber felt used in a flow battery system is small and does not significantly influence the total environmental impact, the relatively high energy consumption for carbon fiber felt production is considered here as the high-temperature pyrolysis may trigger high environmental impact ( Minke et al., 2017; Romaniw, 2013 ).

Are vanadium redox flow batteries good for the environment?

While the production of vanadium redox flow batteries led to the highest impact values for six categories including global warming potential, 184 kg CO 2 eq/kWh; and cumulative energy demand, 5200 MJ/kWh.