Second-life Jaguar I-PACE batteries harness renewables in energy storage system

A single Wykes Engineering BESS (battery energy storage system) uses 30 second life I-PACE batteries, and can store up to 2.5MWh of energy at full capacity. The batteries have been taken from prototype and engineering test vehicles, and JLR aims to supply enough batteries to store a total of 7.5MWh of energy by the end of 2023.

According to JLR, each BESS is capable of supplying power direct to the National Grid during peak hours as well as drawing power out of the grid during off-peak hours to store for future use. 

“One of the major benefits of the system we’ve developed is that the containers are connected to the grid in such a way that they can absorb solar energy that could otherwise be lost when the grid reaches capacity. This excess energy can now be stored in the second life I-PACE batteries and discharged later. This allows us to ‘overplant’ the solar park and maximise the amount of power we generate for the area of land we are using,” said David Wykes, MD, Wykes Engineering.

As part of the collaboration, Wykes Engineering and JLR said they have ‘achieved seamless integration’, with no need for additional manufacturing steps or the removal of battery modules, which are removed from the Jaguar I-PACE and slotted into racks in the containers on-site.

According to a report from McKinsey, second life battery supply for stationary applications, like renewable energy storage, could exceed 200GWh per year by 2030, creating a market worth over $30bn.  JLR said its batteries can be deployed in low-energy situations once their health falls below the requirements of an electric vehicle, which typically leaves a 70-80 per cent residual capacity.

Once the battery health falls below the required level for these second life use cases, JLR will recycle the batteries so that raw materials can be recovered for re-use. 

“Our EV batteries are engineered to the highest standards and this innovative project, in collaboration with Wykes Engineering, proves they can be safely reused for energy sector application to increase renewable energy opportunities. Using the 70-80 per cent residual capacity in EV batteries, before being recycled, demonstrates full adoption of circularity principles,” said François Dossa, executive director, Strategy and Sustainability at JLR.