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GHG Emissions from the Production of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles in China

Author

Listed:
  • Han Hao

    (State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Zhexuan Mu

    (State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Shuhua Jiang

    (State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Zongwei Liu

    (State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Fuquan Zhao

    (State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

Abstract

With the mass market penetration of electric vehicles, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions associated with lithium-ion battery production has become a major concern. In this study, by establishing a life cycle assessment framework, GHG emissions from the production of lithium-ion batteries in China are estimated. The results show that for the three types of most commonly used lithium-ion batteries, the (LFP) battery, the (NMC) battery and the (LMO) battery, the GHG emissions from the production of a 28 kWh battery are 3061 kgCO 2 -eq, 2912 kgCO 2 -eq and 2705 kgCO 2 -eq, respectively. This implies around a 30% increase in GHG emissions from vehicle production compared with conventional vehicles. The productions of cathode materials and wrought aluminum are the dominating contributors of GHG emissions, together accounting for around three quarters of total emissions. From the perspective of process energy use, around 40% of total emissions are associated with electricity use, for which the GHG emissions in China are over two times higher than the level in the United States. According to our analysis, it is recommended that great efforts are needed to reduce the GHG emissions from battery production in China, with improving the production of cathodes as the essential measure.

Suggested Citation

  • Han Hao & Zhexuan Mu & Shuhua Jiang & Zongwei Liu & Fuquan Zhao, 2017. "GHG Emissions from the Production of Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-12, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:4:p:504-:d:94884
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Daniele Stampatori & Pier Paolo Raimondi & Michel Noussan, 2020. "Li-Ion Batteries: A Review of a Key Technology for Transport Decarbonization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-23, May.
    2. Yixuan Wang & Yajuan Yu & Kai Huang & Baojun Tang, 2019. "From the Perspective of Battery Production: Energy–Environment–Economy (3E) Analysis of Lithium-Ion Batteries in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Hualong Yang & Xuefei Ma & Yuwei Xing, 2017. "Trends in CO 2 Emissions from China-Oriented International Marine Transportation Activities and Policy Implications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    4. Maksymilian Mądziel, 2023. "Liquified Petroleum Gas-Fuelled Vehicle CO 2 Emission Modelling Based on Portable Emission Measurement System, On-Board Diagnostics Data, and Gradient-Boosting Machine Learning," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-15, March.
    5. Tianduo Peng & Sheng Zhou & Zhiyi Yuan & Xunmin Ou, 2017. "Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Analysis of Multiple Vehicle Fuel Pathways in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-24, November.
    6. Mattia Dallapiccola & Grazia Barchi & Jennifer Adami & David Moser, 2021. "The Role of Flexibility in Photovoltaic and Battery Optimal Sizing towards a Decarbonized Residential Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Alexander, Scarlett & Abraham, John, 2024. "Making sense of life cycle assessment results of electrified vehicles," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    8. Nenming Wang & Guwen Tang, 2022. "A Review on Environmental Efficiency Evaluation of New Energy Vehicles Using Life Cycle Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-35, March.
    9. Riccardo Iacobucci & Benjamin McLellan & Tetsuo Tezuka, 2018. "The Synergies of Shared Autonomous Electric Vehicles with Renewable Energy in a Virtual Power Plant and Microgrid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-20, August.
    10. Jie Yang & Fu Gu & Jianfeng Guo & Bin Chen, 2019. "Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Mobile Power Banks with Lithium-Ion Battery and Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-24, September.
    11. Johnson, R.C. & Mayfield, M., 2020. "The economic and environmental implications of post feed-in tariff PV on constrained low voltage networks," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 279(C).
    12. Kristoffer W. Lie & Trym A. Synnevåg & Jacob J. Lamb & Kristian M. Lien, 2021. "The Carbon Footprint of Electrified City Buses: A Case Study in Trondheim, Norway," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-21, February.
    13. Velasquez, Carlos E. & M.Chaves, Gustavo & M.Motta, Deborah & Bitencourt G. L. e Estanislau, Fidellis, 2024. "Carbon dioxide life cycle assessment for Brazilian passenger cars fleet towards 2050," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    14. Christian Aichberger & Gerfried Jungmeier, 2020. "Environmental Life Cycle Impacts of Automotive Batteries Based on a Literature Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-27, December.
    15. Sathre, Roger & Gustavsson, Leif, 2021. "A lifecycle comparison of natural resource use and climate impact of biofuel and electric cars," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C).
    16. Elitza Karadotcheva & Sang N. Nguyen & Emile S. Greenhalgh & Milo S. P. Shaffer & Anthony R. J. Kucernak & Peter Linde, 2021. "Structural Power Performance Targets for Future Electric Aircraft," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-30, September.
    17. Liexun Yang & Peng Zhou & Ning Zhang, 2017. "A Review of Low-Carbon Transformation and Energy Innovation Issues in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-6, July.
    18. Arminda Almeida & Nuno Sousa & João Coutinho-Rodrigues, 2019. "Quest for Sustainability: Life-Cycle Emissions Assessment of Electric Vehicles Considering Newer Li-Ion Batteries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-19, April.
    19. Xia, Xiaoning & Li, Pengwei & Cheng, Yang, 2023. "Tripartite evolutionary game analysis of power battery carbon footprint disclosure under the EU battery regulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 284(C).
    20. Yongtao Liu & Chunmei Zhang & Zhuo Hao & Xu Cai & Chuanpan Liu & Jianzhang Zhang & Shu Wang & Yisong Chen, 2023. "Study on the Life Cycle Assessment of Automotive Power Batteries Considering Multi-Cycle Utilization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-24, September.
    21. Zhang, Haoyi & Zhao, Fuquan & Hao, Han & Liu, Zongwei, 2023. "Comparative analysis of life cycle greenhouse gas emission of passenger cars: A case study in China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).

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