The Batteries Europe working groups (WGs) have a large degree of freedom to develop papers and initiatives aiming at fostering the development of the battery value chain in Europe.
WGs are responsible for identifying new challenges and issues that the battery research and innovation community could face. Their work will feed into key strategy documents, including the updated Strategic Research Agenda. They follow planned deliverables but are also open to new subjects or issues that may appear, and which may have an impact on their work.
The WGs are building on the work from the SET Plan action on batteries, to ensure that stakeholders from the battery sector as a whole are still involved. Through continuous feedback, the WGs provide vision and guidance for the development of the integrated research and innovation roadmap.
To apply to one of the Working Groups, write to info@batterieseurope.eu.
WG1 - New and emerging battery technologies
The aim of the WG is to build a long-term vision for the battery value chain and brings industry and academia together, with a special emphasis on involving industry experts across the entire value chain. The WG deals with new concepts and chemistries to be investigate. The group also cooperates with Battery 2030+ and other national initiatives, which examine the low technology readiness level (TRL).
Its specific tasks and topics include
- technology watch: to create an awareness of new concept technology developments worldwide
- study of the development of an efficient modelling platform, integration of sensor technology, new battery chemistries
- analysis of how emerging battery technologies can be brought to from lab to factory and into the market
- supporting small and medium-sized companies (SME´s) with new concepts to connect with industry
WG2 - Raw materials and recycling
The WG brings together the raw materials supply industries (like mining and processing) and the growing recycling industry to address the issues faced by the raw materials providers and the recyclers.
Its specific tasks and topics include
- development of circular models including substitution of critical raw materials
- focus on producing and refining materials
- ecodesign and eco-labelling
- reversed logistics, battery dismantling and improved chemical processes for metal recovery
- address sustainability and public acceptance issues
- second life
- disassembly
Working Group 2 has released a Raw Materials and Recycling Roadmap on February 2021.
WG3 - Advanced materials
This WG works on advanced materials developments for improvements of current battery technologies and high technology readiness level (TRL) technologies, including solid state batteries. The WG will focus on the development or coupling of materials to produce batteries for specific applications like electric vehicles, maritime and aviation. The interplay between active materials and cell design is also a topic of interest.
There will be joint workshops with WG4 on manufacturing, as there are many relations and interdependences between the used materials and the manufacturing processes. Future workshops with WG2 on recycling are also planned. The progress made in research and development for advanced materials is expected to have an impact in the coming 3 to 5 years.
Its specific tasks and topics include
- benchmarking of various battery chemistries as well as on full cell level
- standardisation for reporting of materials performance
- study of materials selection for specific applications
- workshops concerning materials and manufacturing and materials and recycling
WG4 - Cell design and manufacturing
The group focuses on the development of manufacturing methods and cell designs for current and future battery technologies. New techniques, such as additive manufacturing, can be investigate for scalability and applicability to battery production. The Pilot Line Network plays an important role in this WG, along with the battery cell production stakeholders.
Its specific tasks and topics include
- address issues in relation to intellectual property rights
- carry out studies with respect to sustainability
- consider new manufacturing techniques and applicability to battery technology
WG5 - Application and integration: Mobile
WG5 brings together research and industry parties involved in electro-mobility that support the European objectives of mobile solutions, like the electrification of the transport sector. This includes yellow machines, aerospace applications, waterborne technologies and power tools.
Its specific tasks and topics include
- identify the technological needs and challenges for the transport sector like hardware for (fast) charging, digitalisation for application side and assessment of battery performance for transport
- fast charging infrastructure
- vehicle to grid (in cooperation with WG6)
- second life batteries (in cooperation with WG6)
- recycling for the end users (in cooperation with WG2 and WG6)
WG6 - Application and integration: Stationary
The WG focuses on identifying the challenges and solutions for grid integration and stationary applications for batteries and assist in the development of a benchmarking of the state-of-the-art technologies.
Its specific tasks and topics include
- identify the technological needs for efficient stationary battery storage system
- explore the role of batteries for stationary applications such as providing balancing and ancillary services
- vehicle to grid (in cooperation with WG5)
- second life batteries (in cooperation with WG5)
- recycling for the end users (in cooperation with WG2 and WG5)
- study of the benefits of digitalization and blockchain technology for stationary applications
- explore the regulatory barriers that could avoid the deployment of battery stationary storage
- study the potential development of business models that allow monetisation of services
- hybridisation of energy storage technologies
Task Force: Digitalization
The Batteries Europe Task Force on Digitalization aims to identify challenges and opportunities related to digital technologies for the battery value chain. It focuses on topics from disocvery to end of life, assessing and evaluating the state-of-the-art of the currently available digital technologies and the benefits their further development can bring.
Task Force: Education and Skills
This Task Force focuses on the needs of the battery value chain in terms of education and skills for its workforce, looking at core technical knowledge and skills needed for manufacturing. Its focus is on the analysis of the present situation and a set of recommended actions needed to make Europe ready for competitiveness in 2030.
Task Force: Safety
The intention of this Task Force is to identify safety-related aspects across the entire battery value chain, working on the identification of potential hazards and failure modes, and working on prevention and mitigation of risks. The Task Force contemplates challenges like future battery technologies, automatization and the use of robotics in the processes, digitalization, sustainability actions and education needs.
Task Force: Sustainability
The Batteries Europe Task-Force on Sustainability aims at defining the key sustainability aspects that need to be taken into account across the whole battery value chain, defining the main sustainability requirements in terms of Economic sustainability (lack of raw materials, EU independence, regulatory aspects, etc), social sustainability (workers’ rights, jobs, social life cycle assessment, etc) and Environmental sustainability (use of hazardous materials, recycling, life cycle assessment, etc).
NRCG: National and Regional Coordinators Group
The National and Regional Coordinators Group gathers Member State and Associated Countries representatives coming from national and regional authorities in charge of research, innovation, education, climate action, energy. The group provides room for exchange of best practices between Member States and regions, allowing for the establishment of synergies in the field of battery research and innovation funding.