CEROF – Circular Electrolyte Raw Materials for Organic Flow Batteries

Rivus develops electrolytes for water-based organic flow batteries. These batteries have enormous potential to make energy storage both affordable and more environmentally friendly, without reliance on geopolitically problematic countries and environmentally damaging mining, while also contributing to the rapid expansion of renewable electricity production worldwide.

The project aims to create an increased understanding of potential bio-based and recycled raw materials within the West Swedish Chemistry and Materials Cluster in order to manufacture circular electrolytes for Rivus' organic flow batteries. The project will be conducted through mapping possible bio-based and recycled raw material streams within companies in the cluster, analyzing potential process paths for extracting raw materials from substrates, and calculating the climate benefits compared to using raw materials from, for example, China. The climate calculations will be evaluated through a life cycle analysis of the raw materials and process paths that show the greatest potential.

The active components in Rivus' organic electrolytes consist of organic molecules. Rivus' two electrolyte molecules are preferably manufactured in two process steps each. However, this can be done from several different starting molecules/raw materials, including, but not limited to, naphthalene, pyrene, dimethylaminopropylamine, and acetone. The raw materials needed to produce these electrolyte molecules are currently manufactured in extreme volumes from petrochemicals. Since we know that some of these raw materials are also available in bio-based and recycled streams, it is therefore interesting to investigate which streams are available within the West Swedish Chemistry and Materials Cluster, as well as the impact such an alternative would have compared to using fossil raw materials.

Goals

• Mapping of potential biogenic or recycled streams containing interesting raw materials for the manufacture of Rivus' organic electrolyte molecules has been carried out. This mapping should include information on volumes, purity, alternative prices, etc.
• Analysis and evaluation have been conducted regarding purification and separation processes for the extraction of possible raw materials from identified circular streams.
• A life cycle analysis has been performed, focusing on the climate impact of three identified raw materials compared to those conventionally available from fossil sources.

Participating parties
Rivus AB, BASF, Chalmers Industriteknik Renergy, Fortum, IVL, Nouryon, Perstorp, Preem and RISE

Time period
2024-06-01 – 2025-09-30

Total budget
1 240 000 SEK

Kontakta insatsområdesledaren