BMW uses old batteries to build a power plant

German car manufacturer BMW recently announced the successful completion of its new utility-scale energy storage facility based in Hamburg, Germany that reportedly utilizes 2,600 worn electric vehicles (EV) used battery modules to stabilize the grid of the plant.

The power plant officially opened on Thursday, 26 September in Hamburg, Germany as BMW's joint project with Bosch and Vattenfall. The stored energy will be sold on to primary control reserve markets, along with power from other flexibility controlled facility.

This innovation will also provide a useful second life for batteries that are previously used in BMW EVs. The used batteries will first be tested and wired up before being merged into the electricity storage facility.

With this establishment, the German automaker becomes committed to electro-mobility. ‘In future, with BMW storage we will be able to offer efficient battery storage solutions tailored to customer needs. In the context of the new energy landscape, the BMW group regards energy storage as the core component of energy management,’ said Vice president of BMW, Dr Bernhard Blattel in a statement.

This isn’t the first time BMW will be using car batteries as a source for commercial or domestic energy storages. Previously, BMW made used old i3 batteries from cars and essentially hung them on walls as re-purposed energy storage systems. The system could even integrate with solar panels and charging stations along with the provision of real-time supply/demand energy readings.