Hyundai Motor Group Launches Demonstration Project for Reusing Electric Vehicle Batteries in ESS

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Woo] Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating the establishment of an eco-friendly resource circulation system by launching a demonstration project linking electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy.

On the 10th, Hyundai Motor Group announced that it will officially start a demonstration project linking energy storage systems (ESS) reused from batteries recovered from electric vehicles with solar power plants.

Since regulations for permits and approvals regarding the reuse of electric vehicle batteries in Korea have not been established, it was difficult to promote reuse business areas. However, recently Hyundai Motor Group received approval for a regulatory sandbox demonstration exemption from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, enabling the full-scale promotion of the demonstration project.

Through this, Hyundai Motor Group is expected not only to enhance the eco-friendliness of batteries recovered from electric vehicles but also to maximize the stable supply and utilization efficiency of highly variable renewable energies such as solar, hydro, wind, tidal, and geothermal energy. Additionally, the data collected and analyzed through this demonstration project is expected to help refine related domestic permit and approval regulations.

2MWh-class reused electric vehicle battery energy storage system linked with a solar power plant installed at Hyundai Motor Ulsan Plant / Photo by Hyundai Motor Group

This demonstration project operates as an eco-friendly power plant that stores electricity generated from the solar power plant within Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan plant, built in 2018, into a 2MWh-class electric vehicle battery reused energy storage system (ESS), and then supplies it to the external power grid. The 2MWh electricity is enough to power five households of four people for more than a month.

Furthermore, through securing and selling the 'Renewable Energy Certificate (REC)' mandated by the government for power producers, Hyundai Motor Group plans to actively participate in domestic carbon reduction activities. This project, conducted based on cooperation between Hyundai Motor Group and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, is expected to lead to the promotion of the world's largest 3GWh-class electric vehicle battery reused energy storage system (ESS) distribution project in connection with domestic renewable energy projects in the future.

Jae-hyuk Oh, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Group’s Energy New Business Promotion Office, said, "This demonstration project is significant in that it allows us to proactively accumulate know-how in a field that is gaining global attention," adding, "We expect that through the electric vehicle battery reused energy storage system business, we will not only enhance the eco-friendliness of electric vehicles but also maximize the use of pollution-free renewable energy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.