A new Brazilian study will use blockchain technology to track the battery production chain. Focusing on the regularization and sustainability of this type of manufacturing, the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) announced a project that will develop a type of “digital passport”. The proposal is to obtain information and monitor the life cycle of devices through a blockchain-based system.
The platform will complete the mapping of batteries of any type and purpose, contemplating car manufacturers, of cell phones, industries and also the government. For that, an online platform is being created to allow different companies to connect in the same data chain. Like this, it will be possible to track information from the extraction of the ore to the moment of disposal and recycling of the devices.
The teacher and project coordinator, Hudson Zanin, explained how the system will work. “It’s like you put a tracking chip in them, in all the stages they go through, to map processes and know how much carbon dioxide they emit, how much electricity and water were used and who is responsible for recycling”.
Regularization of device production
The study has a group of 15 researchers at the Center for Energy and Petroleum Studies (Cepetro) from Unicamp and is being made possible through financing from the French multinational TotalEnergies. The project started from the need to regularize production and disposal.
At the moment, manufacturing and destination data are still confusing, not confirming who owns the batteries and how they are being disposed of. This reality generates a large volume of obsolete devices that is likely to increase significantly in the coming years..
A Unicamp tIt also uses the European Union as a reference, which approved battery regulations, strengthening sustainability rules. The system will provide models that predict the health status of batteries offering strategies for charging and discharging, classification, risk level assessment and reuse optimization.
Data for optimized manufacturing
Zanin states that the proposal is to transform production processes in a sustainable way through greater transparency of processes. The coordinator explains that in his logistics chain, batteries pass through different importers and manufacturers.
“You need to know who will take care of battery recycling. Knowing who actually owns the battery between the manufacturer and the end user”, added. But, in addition to the sustainability factor, the platform will also be positive for reducing costs in your production. In this way, the use of data will assist in production and commercial strategies.
"Therefore, Can you predict how long it (battery) will last. From a commercial point of view, This makes a big difference in business models. It’s not just about the environmental issue”, defends. Furthermore, Zanin stated that system data will be encrypted for security and privacy.
This study is part of an agreement of R$ 22,9 million signed in June by Unicamp and TotalEnergies, providing for the execution of six projects in the areas of solar energy and batteries. The system is expected to be completed in approximately three years, Estimated time to carry out the study.
