The lifecycle emissions of solid state batteries

This briefing seeks to shed some light on the questions surrounding solid-state batteries (SSBs, concerning their potential benefits and environmental impact. It also looks at where the opportunities lie for development of SSBs, and what policy makers can do to take advantage of these.

Published

July 2022

The potential benefits of SSBs, which replace liquid electrolytes with innovative solid materials, are widely anticipated. This technology promises increased safety, increased driving range (due to higher energy density), faster charging times, and, in the long run, lower costs. However, little is known about their potential environmental impact in comparison to conventional lithium-ion batteries, as well as whether SSBs represent an environmental as well as an industrial opportunity.

One of the first to try to answer this question is Transport & Environment. they commissioned Minviro, a company specialising in raw material life-cycle analysis, to conduct a study comparing the environmental performance of SSBs manufactured in Europe to incumbent lithium-ion battery technologies. The study compares the global warming potential of solid-state batteries to current and upcoming chemistries such as nickel-manganese-cobalt-lithium (NMC-811), lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP), and its promising derivative lithium-iron-manganese-phosphate (LFMP).