One of the main challenges of EU battery sector to achieve the net-zero emissions objectives for 2050 consists of keeping the added value of EoL batteries, enabling their 2nd life, and improving recycling and recovery of critical materials. REINFORCE aims at designing, developing and deploying a novel sustainable, and highly efficient circular value chain serving as a reference for automated, safe and cost-efficient logistics and processing of EoL batteries from EV and stationary applications for repurposing and recycling. REINFORCE will demonstrate all technological solutions and processes in a real environment at TRL6, and the viability of the new circular value chain and business model innovations for EoL battery repurposing. This will be achieved by: (i) an optimisation of collection and reversed logistics focussed on efficient diagnostics for early battery status cut-off decision-making and safe and smart transportation solutions; (ii) safe and improved battery diagnostics and speed-up discharge and energy recovery systems adapted to the current batteries stream; (iii) adaptable and safe dismantling and sorting of EoL batteries and components based on robotics, Machine Learning and Industry 4.0, including fully automated pack-to-module disassembly and advanced module-to-cell-to-electrode disassembly; (iv) an innovative traceability system along the battery value chain based on a battery passport for the 2nd and 3rd life battery user; (v) the definition of standardisation guidelines in line with current and upcoming regulations; all revolving around (vi) robust sustainable circular business models demonstrating the application of REINFORCE proposition in a circular economy strategy and implement actions towards full market maturity. For this, REINFORCE is bringing together a wide experienced consortium led by INE, involving a team of leading industrial technology developers and providers, R&D centres and academic institutions, and end-users, at European level.

Batteries have been identified as an important technology to guide the clean-energy transition. Its presence in the automotive and energy storage industry is well-established and forecasts show its incoming market uptake. However, the current BMS of FLBs lack interoperability features, resulting in a time-consuming, expensive, and non-standardized reconfiguration process for SLB adaptation. These drawbacks complicate FLB repurposing for SLB applications, like ESS. The BIG LEAP project focuses on developing solutions for the SLBs BMS and its reconfiguration process. Technology breakthroughs will be made in its BMS, as a new three-layer architecture will be designed to ensure interoperability, safety, and reliability. It will be complemented with an adaptable ESS design to ensure BMS integration and expand the SLB's potential applications. Additionally, the BIG LEAP project intends to optimize the battery reconfiguration process by making it cost-effective, faster, and standardized. The methodology for the development of these innovations includes the collection of EV, maritime E-Vessel, and ESS batteries that will be dismantled and the data collected will serve as the basis for the BMS architecture development. It will contain adaptable SoX algorithms for accurate battery measurement, a DT for real-time monitoring, and a standardization roadmap. The new BMS will be integrated into the batteries, alongside the ESS and will be tested in three demo sites. Two physical demos will be in Paris and Prague, and a virtual demo will be in Morocco. They aim to validate the novel BMS and ESS, proving their optimization and interoperability. The BIG LEAP innovation includes a multidisciplinary consortium, a strong business case, and an Environmental Impact assessment. All with the intention of accelerating its market uptake with a cost-effective solution, positively impacting the European economy through the battery value chain and tracing its sustainable benefits.

EFFEREST targets a decisive leap forward in the novel use of data to achieve energy efficient electric vehicle (EV) designs, matching enhanced user acceptance with efficient vehicle operation. Significant improvements will be gained by leveraging knowledge from real fleet behaviour. Users will benefit from personalised data and the always-available option to select the vehicle performance type; in this way, users will perceive that individualised eco-functionality sufficiently fulfils normal daily-use requirements and will be motivated to save energy even over longer periods of regular usage. To achieve its ambition, EFFEREST brings together 11 partners from industrial and research backgrounds covering the entire EV value chain. A co-design framework will be implemented with a holistic user-centric energy management system control architecture based on adaptive digital twins, model-based optimization for component rightsizing, predictive model-based control and AI, benefitting from V2X, fleet-generated information and historical data. Most importantly, novel indicators will be identified that provide deeper insight into the effect that technical improvements have on user experience: this will help to derive more realistic development targets with a direct impact on user attractiveness, which in turn will impact the controllers that will be tailored adaptively to the current condition of the specific EV and its usage pattern, thus providing personalized and robust behaviour. Innovations in powertrains, battery systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will then be demonstrated through extensive evaluations in test facilities and a demonstrator vehicle, the aim being to make EVs more energy-efficient, comfortable, safe and affordable. As such, EFFEREST will increase the competitiveness of Europe, strengthening industrial leadership in key digital, enabling and emerging technologies to make EVs more attractive for the worldwide mass market.

eWAVE brings together 18 research, technology and shipbuilding experts to mature High-Voltage (HV) technology for electric vessels for future uptake in European shipbuilding sector, using efficient HV electric modular battery and distribution systems. It will research, develop and demonstrate solutions for sustainable maritime and inland vessels. However, the widespread adoption of such HV technology is hindered by several obstacles (e.g. current battery systems’ energy density, safety concerns, durable & sustainable materials), and, finally, economic viability/sustainability. This will be achieved by using new high-energy-density high-nickel-content batteries for waterborne applications in a lightweight housing made of recyclable thermoplastics, wired and wireless BMS solutions and multi-level converters that provide the required scalability for vessel systems up to 1MWh and far beyond. The battery system will be fostered by an integral safety system concept considering thermal runaway & ventilation, supported by an integrated real-time condition monitoring system using novel SoC/SoH algorithms and SoS estimation. The key results of eWAVE will be validated via laboratory and real-life vessel demonstrators. The applicability of the system will be investigated across multiple vessel types using an efficient modular digital twin to maximize industry uptake. To further improve circularity and sustainability of maritime battery systems, eWAVE will explore bio-based battery housings, a design for dismantling and recycling, the creation of a battery passport concept for the maritime sector, and potential 2nd life applications for the batteries. eWAVE’s HV technology solutions, tools and methods are expected to significantly improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of battery systems in shipping, thus supporting transition to all-electric shipping and contributing to the reduction of the environmental footprint of waterborne transport in the EU and far beyond.

The EXTENDED overall objective is to design, develop and validate the next-generation battery pack systems that will be an answer to the unmet need for mass-market take-up of electrical vehicles and applications by developing efficient, lightweight, eco-designed and multi-life battery pack systems with substantially reduced charging times, passenger car ranges beyond 500 km under normal driving conditions with an optimized energy storage capacity, a lifetime of at least 300,000 km and being monitored with an advanced Battery Management System developed for 1st and 2nd life. The developed technologies and solutions will be optimized for applications such as stationary and aeronautics. The battery system will be developed based on semi-solid-state battery technology with almost double energy density compared to conventional lithium ion batteries. This will be the first time that a large semi solid state battery cell (35Ah) will be implemented in EU research projects. A set of 6 Specific Research objectives (SROs) are defined below, which support the overall objective of the project, to develop the next generation battery pack system from its innovative elements and parts to a next generation battery pack system validated under real life conditions. The overall objective is besides specific research objectives also supported by a set of dissemination and exploitation objectives (DEOs, see section 2.2) and communication objectives (COs, see section 2.2.1). To achieve those challenging and innovative targets, the EXTENDED project is composed of 19 partners from 10 EU countries. The geographical distribution, expertise complementarity, positioning within the technology value chain, academic versus industrial profiles and recognizable completeness of this consortium.