Within the EU-funded project EPISODE (“European Produced Sustainable Sodium-Ion Batteries for Stationary Applications”), ITAS together with university of Alcala is in charge of work package 5 (WP5), which focuses on a comprehensive sustainability assessment of the newly developed sodium-ion battery systems.

The aim of WP5 is to ensure that the EPISODE batteries are not only technically and economically competitive but also meet the highest environmental and social standards throughout their life cycle. Our work supports material and component development by providing continuous feedback on environmental impact, resource efficiency, and compliance with upcoming EU battery regulations.

Our core activities include:

• Hazard and toxicity screening: In the early stages of material selection, we assess potential human health and environmental risks to support a safe-and-sustainable-by-design approach.
• Circularity and resource security: We analyze the origin and recyclability of materials as well as the resilience of supply chains, with the aim of maximizing the share of non-critical raw materials from the EU while minimizing environmental impact and import dependency.
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): We quantify and evaluate the environmental impacts from raw material extraction to, production and use to end-of-life (EoL). The results will guide eco-design decisions and demonstrate compliance with EU regulations such as the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and carbon footprint.
• Life Cycle Costing (LCC): We assess the economic performance of the battery system over its full life cycle, identifying cost drivers at cell, module, and system level to help achieve the project’s cost target of 0.03 €/kWh/cycle.
• Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA): We evaluate social and ethical risks along the value chain, e.g., related to working conditions, human rights, and local impacts – to support compliance with future due diligence obligations.

By integrating environmental, economic, and social assessment, WP5 makes an important contribution to the development of a sustainable battery technology “Made in Europe.” Our results feed directly into the technical work packages and support decision-making throughout the battery development process – from material selection to recycling strategies.

Project website: https://episode-sodium.eu/partner/kit/

Tel.: +49 721 608-23215
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