POSH Wins Prestigious Re-X Before Recycling Prize

POSH Wins prestigious Re-X Before Recycling Prize

‍

Hayward, CA – June 2024 – POSH has been named a winner of Phase 1 of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Re-X Before Recycling Prize. This award, which includes a $50,000 cash prize and up to $5,000 in consulting services from a DOE national laboratory, recognizes their innovative project focused on repurposing end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries for long-duration energy storage.

Shifting Towards a Circular Economy

The Re-X Prize aims to transform the U.S. manufacturing sector from its traditional linear model—sourcing raw materials, manufacturing products, using them, and discarding them (the take-make-waste model)—into a more sustainable circular economy. This approach keeps materials in use for multiple life cycles, reducing the need for new resources and decreasing waste. Over time, this method is expected to save more energy and emissions compared to recycling alone. The three-stage Re-X Before Recycling Prize will award up to $5.6 million in federal funding and technical assistance from U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories to support competitors’ innovations to unlock new or expanded supply chains that can reintegrate end-of-use products into the economy.

Repurposing EV Batteries

POSH's project involves creating 1 MWh containerized modular battery energy storage systems (BESS) using retired second-life EV lithium iron phosphate batteries. These systems are ideal for demand management and power backup applications. By 2030, the proliferation of EVs is expected to result in the availability of 100–200 gigawatt-hours of second-life EV batteries, which can be repurposed for energy storage, significantly lowering the costs and environmental impact compared to new batteries.

Our innovation is not just about recycling; it's about rethinking the lifecycle of materials to maximize their utility and minimize waste. By integrating advanced battery management systems, scalable modular designs, and ensuring compliance with safety standards, we are setting new benchmarks for cost-effectiveness, safety, and environmental benefits.

‍

Impact and Community Benefits

The Re-X Before Recycling Prize aims to advance innovative designs that keep materials in use, increase the recovery and reuse rate of end-of-use products, and reduce the embodied energy and carbon of manufactured goods. It also seeks to strengthen regional manufacturing supply chains, increase U.S. security of supply, create jobs, and reduce environmental burdens related to extraction, landfilling, and incineration.

POSH's project is expected to have significant environmental and economic benefits. The reuse of second-life batteries can reduce carbon emissions by up to 30% compared to new lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, it offers substantial cost advantages, with the potential to reduce the levelized cost of electricity by up to 50%.

‍