RWE and Audi are breaking new ground

RWE has put an energy storage system, consisting of used lithium-ion batteries from Audi, into operation at the site of the pumped-storage power plant at the Hengsteysee reservoir in Herdecke, North Rhine-Westphalia. The reference storage system saves resources by making use of used high-voltage batteries and RWE creates a special combination of security of supply and sustainability by marketing the storage capacity.

"Second Life"

The "second-life batteries" supplied for the project come from Audi e-tron development vehicles. At the end of their first life in the cars, they still have a residual capacity of more than 80 percent. Depending on how they are used, the batteries could still have a remaining service life of one to ten years. And they’re much cheaper than new cells. Thus, they are ideally suited for use in stationary electricity storage systems.

The carbon emissions generated when the batteries were produced are spread sustainably across two service lives - that’s where “second life” comes in.