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Battery recycler, Redwood Materials, launched an energy division Thursday. The company is repurposing EV batteries that still have remaining life, assembled into a storage array fed by a solar array.
www.technologyreview.com
In a sandy industrial lot outside Reno, Nevada, rows of battery packs that once propelled electric vehicles are now powering a small AI data center.
Redwood Materials, one of the US’s largest battery recycling companies, showed off this array of energy storage modules, sitting on cinder blocks and wrapped in waterproof plastic, during a press tour at its headquarters on June 26.
The event marked the launch of the company’s new business line, Redwood Energy, which will initially repurpose (rather than recycle) batteries with years of remaining life to create renewable-powered microgrids. Such small-scale energy systems can operate on or off the larger electricity grid, providing electricity for businesses or communities.
Redwood Materials says many of the batteries it takes in for processing retain more than half their capacity.
The prototype microgrid, used in partnership with Crusoe, an AI data center developer, is capable of generating 64 megawatt hours of electricity. Redwood plans to market this technology to data centers nationwide, at many times the scale of the prototype.
Crusoe CEO Chase Lochmiller and JB Straubel spoke with Bloomberg Business.
Contruction of a microgrid is much faster than a conventional power plant at comparable cost. They are land intensive, and efficiency is tied to available sunshine.
This is the 64 MWh grid:
The business has potential, in my opinion. I'm a little skeptical of building these microgrids in areas where land isn't as plentiful or cheap, but repurposing used batteries with solar to power data centers is brilliant. I wish Redwood the best in turning a profit.
This battery recycling company is now cleaning up AI data centers
Redwood Materials plans to repurpose EV batteries to build renewable-powered microgrids.
www.technologyreview.com
In a sandy industrial lot outside Reno, Nevada, rows of battery packs that once propelled electric vehicles are now powering a small AI data center.
Redwood Materials, one of the US’s largest battery recycling companies, showed off this array of energy storage modules, sitting on cinder blocks and wrapped in waterproof plastic, during a press tour at its headquarters on June 26.
The event marked the launch of the company’s new business line, Redwood Energy, which will initially repurpose (rather than recycle) batteries with years of remaining life to create renewable-powered microgrids. Such small-scale energy systems can operate on or off the larger electricity grid, providing electricity for businesses or communities.
Redwood Materials says many of the batteries it takes in for processing retain more than half their capacity.
The prototype microgrid, used in partnership with Crusoe, an AI data center developer, is capable of generating 64 megawatt hours of electricity. Redwood plans to market this technology to data centers nationwide, at many times the scale of the prototype.
Crusoe CEO Chase Lochmiller and JB Straubel spoke with Bloomberg Business.
Contruction of a microgrid is much faster than a conventional power plant at comparable cost. They are land intensive, and efficiency is tied to available sunshine.
This is the 64 MWh grid:
The business has potential, in my opinion. I'm a little skeptical of building these microgrids in areas where land isn't as plentiful or cheap, but repurposing used batteries with solar to power data centers is brilliant. I wish Redwood the best in turning a profit.
