BIDEKO

The BIDEKO project aims to change the current paradigm of primary batteries from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ to a new ´tailor-made’ model where batteries are ecodesigned to fit the life cycle of the device to be powered. Today, the value chain of batteries manufacturing is globalized, as it happens with electric and electronic products. The most critical aspects associated to their manufacturing are the use of non-renewable and scarce materials obtained from countries with minimal environmental and health standards, the intensive transport stages and their end-of-life management. Indeed after usage, only a small percentage of the batteries and battery components are recycled, with high-energy consuming procedures, whereas the rest end up incinerated in landfills, generating toxic greenhouse gas emissions and leaving behind a significant carbon footprint. Furthermore, the upcoming wave of power hungry Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensing nodes will strongly increase the primary battery demand in the near future thus aggravating the environmental impact associated to its production and the generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) after its operation lifetime.

BIDEKO proposes to develop a new battery concept based on the principles of ecodesign and circular economy. Thus, batteries will be designed and fabricated to ensure an optimal use of resources while reducing their potential environmental impact throughout their whole life cycle. The ecodesigned batteries imply a detailed analysis of all the stages involved in their lifecycle, i.e. raw material selection, manufacturing process, demanded energy capacity, operational time and disposal will be assessed to built-up customized batteries that minimize the environmental impact along their entire life cycle. The project plans to materialize this change of paradigm by developing battery demonstrators, specifically tailored to power devices within the area of precision agriculture, a sector with large growth expectations in the near future. Batteries will be produced using non-critical and bioderived materials that can be obtained from local bioeconomy and through valorization of industrial residues. Energy efficiency of manufacturing methods will be prioritized for their production. Then, the project will assess the feasibility of batteries following an alternative end-of-life scenario, i.e. being composted or biodegraded in natural environments. This approach represents a radical change of current battery paradigm, moving from limited and non-renewable raw materials, some of them with an associated high risk of supply (i.e. lithium, cobalt) to renewable and bio-based raw materials that can in addition nurture soil or restore natural systems at the end of their operational lifetime. In this sense, the project is perfectly timed to impact the way portable power is provided before the IoT upsurge hits the market. The project aims to act as a catalyst towards the design of portable devices with lower environmental footprint, and less dependent on critical raw materials
 

Project PLEC2021-007801 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR