Research Impact

We are focused on maximising the impact of our research to the benefit of the economy and society. This is in line with our aim to encourage and support interdisciplinary collaboration (across the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, across the University of Münster, and with other research organisations and industry partners), to enable our research to have meaningful impact.

Our research supports and advances the UN‘s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Sustainable Development Goals 7, 9, 12 & 13
© United Nations

Here are examples for our research that explores issues relating to these SDGs:

  • SDG 7: Location choice for large-scale battery manufacturing plants: Exploring the role of clean energy, costs, and knowledge on location decisions in Europe

    Driven by an increase in the demand for battery electric vehicles, the location of large-scale battery manufacturing plants, that is, gigafactories, has become a substantial and burgeoning topic in academia, policy, and industry. This study contributes to this debate by examining how a country's specific battery manufacturing costs and knowledge and the environmental impact of its energy mix affect the choice of location for gigafactories in the European Union. We found that France, Latvia, and Germany are suitable locations when equally balancing costs, knowledge, and energy. However, our results also showed that no country leads in all three dimensions, suggesting that there is no single best location to set up gigafactories… (click here to read more)

     

  • SDG 9: Economies of scale in battery cell manufacturing: The impact of material and process innovations

    One key lever to reduce high battery cost, a main hurdle to comply with CO2 emission targets by overcoming generation variability from renewable energy sources and widespread electric vehicle adoption, is to exploit economies of scale in battery production. In an industry growth currently supported by subsidies, cost-efficient battery plant sizes are vital for the establishment of a self-sustaining industry and a transition into a long-term climate-neutral society. For optimal plant sizing, no consensus has yet been achieved in the battery literature and a detailed analysis of economies of scale is unavailable. To close this gap, a process-based cost modeling approach is taken that reflects the determinants of economies of scale… (click here to read more)

     

  • SDG 12: A battery value chain independent of primary raw materials: Towards circularity in China, Europe and the US

    As the production of batteries for electric vehicles continues to grow, so does the demand for primary battery raw materials. Against the supply risks and environmental issues associated with raw material mining and transportation, battery material circularity has become a burgeoning topic in academia, policy, and industry. While prior research has explored secondary supply and demand, an important gap remains regarding the break-even points (BEPs) where full circularity is reached (secondary supply =demand)... (click here to read more)

  • SDG 13: Costs, carbon footprint, and environmental impacts of lithium-ion batteries – From cathode active material synthesis to cell manufacturing and recycling

    Strong growth in lithium-ion battery (LIB) demand requires a robust understanding of both costs and environmental impacts across the value chain. Recent announcements of LIB manufacturers to venture into cathode active material (CAM) synthesis and recycling expands the process segments under their influence. However, little research has yet provided combined costs and environmental impact assessments across several segments of the LIB value chain. To address this gap, we provide a combined cost assessment and life cycle assessment (LCA), covering CAM synthesis, cell manufacturing and hydrometallurgy recycling… (click here to read more)