Nissan and EDF Energy, the manufacturer’s long-term UK supplier, signed a new partnership agreement partnership which kicks off with a collaboration to explore how second-life Nissan electric vehicle (EV) batteries can support demand-side management.

The first joint project will see the partners explore the business case for recycling retired batteries from Nissan LEAF into commercial battery storage. The system would see electricity stored in the batteries and released back to the grid using EDF Energy’s PowerShift to react quickly to demand side response (DSR) initiatives. Storage systems offer a lower carbon solution compared to relying on coal and gas power stations to meet peaks of electricity demand on the grid.

The combined system will be trialed to see how it can support on site generation, greater control and flexibility over energy use, and provide additional revenue streams.

Already this year, there are more lithium-ion batteries being installed in electric vehicles than into consumer electronics; demand for electric mobility is only expected to increase, equating to millions of used electric vehicle batteries being available for the energy storage market. These batteries have as much as 70% of their original capacity and will still have more than 10 years of remaining life.