Articles
"As An Industry, We Must Become More Transparent about Our Environmental Impact"
Heidi Hammarsten
Sustainable Battery Design
This course focuses on the fundamentals of battery materials and their sustainability assessment from the perspective of circularity. The aim is to demonstrate the principles for more sustainable battery production, especially for the EU market.
This program aims to help organizations to
- reduce the overall life-cycle climate and environmental footprint of their products
- achieve longer product lifetimes through more durable and repairable designs
- increase the circular material use rate
- reduce waste, and
- achieve higher recycling rates.
Consequently, consumers, the environment, and the climate will benefit from products that are more durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable, and energy-efficient.
Participants may choose to complete this program as a standalone or join the comprehensive EIT ALCASIM: Advanced LCA Simulation program, that this program is a part of.
The program supports the EU’s sustainable products initiative to make products placed on the EU market more sustainable. It provides product designers with knowledge and tools to understand how they can adjust existing material cycles and design new processes to optimize the environmental performance of batteries while maintaining their functional quality. Applications include electronic equipment such as computers, phones, and tablets, the automotive and aeronautic sectors, and sustainable energy-related technologies.
The program is designed and developed by Aalto University, Metso Outotec Finland Oy, TU Bergakademi Freiberg, University of Bordeaux, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. VTT and Aalto University Executive Education.
Learning Outcomes
The course provides the participants with the latest knowledge on state-of-the-art lithium battery materials and their functioning, future development, and research trends. In addition, participants will learn about the environmental foot-printing of advanced materials used in batteries and related sustainability challenges and resource implications like the criticality and circularity of raw materials use.
After the completion of this program, the participant will
- Have up-to-date-knowledge of state-of-the-art lithium battery materials, their functioning, and future development with regard to battery materials
- Understand the working principles and applications of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), key materials of LIBs and their functions, battery assembly processes and performance analysis
- Be aware of the advantages and limitations of different battery systems and related research trends
- Be able to calculate the environmental footprint of advanced materials used in batteries
For
This program is designed for chemical, process, and metallurgical engineers and materials scientists interested in learning about lithium-ion batteries, their materials, new developments, and their sustainability assessment and attributes.
Before joining the course, participants should have basic knowledge on metallurgy, materials science, and life cycle assessment.
This program is particularly suitable for
- Sustainability consultants and managers
- Materials scientists or engineers
- Chemical, process, or metallurgical engineers working in sustainability consultancy
- Professionals working in raw materials extraction and refinery companies, or in companies using LIB and advanced materials
- Professionals working in LIB battery-producing companies
Program Structure
This program consists of four interactive live online sessions focusing on different topics. Between sessions, participants will work on assignments that help apply the learning.
| March 4, 2025 10.00-12.45 (EET) |
State of the art lithium battery materials and their functioning |
|---|---|
| March 11, 2025 10.00-12.45 (EET) |
Battery materials future development and research trends |
| March 18, 2025 10.00-12.45 (EET) |
Environmental footprint of advanced materials used in batteries |
| March 25, 2025 10.00-12.45 (EET) |
Resource implications of raw materials |