Sustainable power: Mercedes-Benz Group, GETEC ENERGIE and The Mobility House extend the life cycle of vehicle batteries once again

The Mercedes-Benz Group, GETEC ENERGIE and The Mobility House are extending the life cycle of their stationary energy storage systems from vehicle batteries by a further five years. The storage facilities in Lünen and Elverlingsen, which have been in operation since 2016 and 2018 respectively, have once again been prequalified for the provision of primary control power (PRL) – the fastest and most critical grid service in the electricity system. Over 2,000 repurposed battery modules from the two storage facilities developed and supplied by Mercedes-Benz Energy will therefore continue to provide 29 MW of power and 31 MWh of energy to stabilize the electricity grid and achieve independence from fossil fuel power plants.

Rigorous qualification process confirms service life and stable storage capacity

As part of the assessment of stationary battery storage systems by the transmission system operators, demanding criteria must be met in order to remain active in the PRL market. These include, in particular, sufficient storage capacity as well as stable and rapid power adjustment. Despite having already been used for five years in stationary storage and partly upstream in electric cars, the batteries have once again passed this demanding qualification. The very stable storage capacity confirmed in this process is proof of the low ageing of electric car batteries when managed “correctly”. This is ensured by The Mobility House’s intelligent marketing and operating algorithms. Mercedes-Benz Energy’s professional technical concept is also the basis for long-term reuse. The company develops and sells complete stationary storage solutions that are used in industrial applications and as grid-supporting solutions.

Grid stabilization and value creation through stationary applications

When a battery reaches the end of its useful life in the vehicle, it usually still has around 70 to 80 percent of its original capacity. This still considerable energy reserve opens up the possibility of an extended second life in a stationary battery storage system. In addition, 1st-life battery modules can be “kept fit” in stationary applications as a spare parts store before they are installed in vehicles. This is only possible with innovative algorithms and state-of-the-art software, which The Mobility House has been developing and continuously refining since 2015 specifically for the marketing of electric car batteries. The technology company has also recently taken over the marketing of stationary storage systems for third parties on the European balancing power and energy markets, including a prequalification service.

Using the flexibility that lies in charging and discharging electric car batteries is an important building block on the way to a renewable energy system. Electric car batteries can thus replace fossil fuel power plants and compensate for fluctuating generation from the sun and wind. As batteries react very quickly – faster than gas-fired power plants, for example – they make a particularly valuable contribution to a stable grid frequency and power grid quality.

“We are delighted that our storage systems have been prequalified again. This confirms that our algorithms and trading strategies both generate high revenues and make the best possible use of the batteries with minimal ageing. We have made important progress with our partners from the automotive industry as a result. We are therefore now also making our expertise available to owners of large-scale and industrial storage systems – we will soon be using this commercially as a vehicle-to-grid technology for the benefit of our customers,” explains Marcus Fendt, Managing Director at The Mobility House.

“The close integration of the energy and automotive industries is essential for a sustainable energy economy. The intelligent use of automotive battery systems represents an ecologically important approach – not least in terms of resource efficiency. The renewed prequalification of the energy storage system confirms this: Our technologies meet industrial requirements for durability and safety, even after many years. These core competencies make our complete stationary storage solutions suitable for a wide range of applications,” says Norman Möhler, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz Energy GmbH.

“By operating the 2nd Life batteries, we are also gaining valuable experience for the development of bidirectional and networked charging applications for our vehicles: on the one hand, we have learned how much the flexibility of batteries in the power grid is worth, and on the other hand, how resilient the batteries are in this application,” says Eva Greiner, Chief Technology Officer of the Charging Unit at Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG.

“The demand from our industrial customers for green electricity has increased enormously in recent years. In our view, the provision of innovative primary control services is an important addition to the continuous expansion of our range of sustainable energy products. Sufficient grid stability is the basic prerequisite for the success of the energy transition,” adds Cord Wiesner, CEO of GETEC ENERGIE.

The project partners

With the two projects, the partner companies cover the entire battery value and recycling chain: From the production and processing of the battery systems by Mercedes-Benz Energy, to the installation and marketing of the stationary battery storage system on the energy markets by The Mobility House and GETEC Energie. Mercedes-Benz Mobility is using the knowledge gained from this project to develop smart charging solutions and future customer offerings.

Mercedes-Benz Group AG: Mercedes-Benz Group AG is one of the most successful automotive companies in the world. With Mercedes-Benz AG, the vehicle manufacturer is one of the largest suppliers of high-end passenger cars and premium vans. As a pioneer in automotive engineering, Mercedes-Benz is motivated and committed to shaping the future of mobility safely and sustainably. The company focuses on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and high-quality vehicles that fascinate and inspire. Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG specializes in financial and mobility services. The offering ranges from financing, leasing, vehicle subscription and rental, fleet management and insurance brokerage to innovative mobility services and digital payment solutions. Mercedes-Benz Mobility also offers comprehensive products and services in the areas of charging at home, in public spaces and in the business sector.

As a subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG, Mercedes-Benz Energy GmbH is responsible for the development of innovative energy storage solutions. These are based on the automotive battery technology used in the Mercedes-Benz Group’s electric and hybrid vehicles.

Further information: Mercedes-Benz Group & Mercedes-Benz Energy: Energy storage.

The Mobility House: zero zero – zero emissions at zero cost. That is the goal of The Mobility House. Through intelligent charging and energy solutions, the company is helping electromobility achieve a breakthrough. Existing and new technologies enable the integration of electric vehicles into the power grid as an aggregated swarm storage of driving electric cars or as stationary storage from vehicle batteries. The Mobility House was founded in 2009 and supports all leading car manufacturers in over ten countries worldwide from its locations in Munich, Zurich, Paris and Belmont (California).