E-car batteries become large industrial storage units

04/04/2024


Source: Energy & Management Powernews

With representatives from politics, business and science, Fenecon opened a new plant in Iggensbach (Bavaria) for the conversion of e-car batteries into large-scale industrial storage systems.

Fenecon's "CarBatteryReFactory" went into operation in Iggensbach in Lower Bavaria (Deggendorf district). The new factory turns unused electric vehicle batteries into large-scale storage systems that are urgently needed for the energy transition. Production of the home storage energy management system has also been relocated to the new factory, where it has been significantly expanded and automated.

The factory has a production capacity of around 500 large storage units and 30,000 home storage units per year. As a particularly innovative and CO2-saving project, the production facility was funded by the EU and the Free State of Bavaria: The investment sum for the first expansion stage amounted to around 25 million euros, of which the Bavarian Economic Development Agency contributed 1.7 million euros and the EU Innovation Fund 4.5 million euros.

Highly scaled serial processes

The home storage line has been running since January, with large-scale production of the Fenecon Industrial models following in February. The commercial and industrial storage systems with capacities ranging from 82 kWh to 1,288 kWh exclusively use new electric vehicle batteries from German premium vehicle manufacturers. The three series storage platforms from Fenecon fully utilize the many advantages of these batteries - such as the high product quality and long service life, the particularly high efficiency, the easy transportability and the liquid-based temperature management.

The Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger (Freie Wähler), Minister of State for Construction Christian Bernreiter (CSU), Deggendorf's District Administrator Bernd Sibler, several members of the Bundestag and members of the Bavarian state parliament attended the opening ceremony. Representatives from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), the Lower Bavarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the scientific community also visited the plant.

High demand for commercial and industrial electricity storage

"The market for large-scale storage systems in trade and industry as well as for solar and charging parks is currently growing very dynamically," said Franz-Josef Feilmeier, founder and Managing Director of Fenecon. The significant expansion of production capacity therefore comes at exactly the right time and enables us to offer very competitive prices.

"For many of our customers, the production of electricity storage systems and energy management in Germany and therefore the integrity of their energy data play an important role," said Feilmeier. Especially in the large-scale storage segment, it is important that the storage systems have extensive and combinable functions and can adapt to changing requirements over time.

Sustainable energy concept for the production buildings

In just over a year of construction, optimized production and storage halls as well as a development laboratory, offices and training rooms were created on the 24,000 square metre site on the A3. According to the company, the new plant will create around 100 permanent jobs in the region. All parking spaces will be equipped with charging stations and the company fleet will be completely electric. In addition, fast chargers are available for cars and trucks.

Fenecon uses all suitable roof and façade surfaces for optimal solar power production from 500 kW system output. Heat is supplied by large heat pumps, which can also run in cooling mode in summer, as well as electric peak-load heaters. The FEMS energy management system controls all generators, consumers and the large storage units with a total of 1,000 kW and 1,800 kWh, which also cap the load peaks of the industrial operation.

A second Fenecon CarBatteryReFactory is currently being built in South Carolina, USA, as the US market also has both surplus electric vehicle batteries and a need for large electricity storage units, the entrepreneur announced. With over 300 employees, Fenecon is headquartered in Deggendorf, Bavaria, and has production facilities in nearby Iggensbach and Künzing.

Author: Susanne Harmsen