Environmental Impacts of Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries Based on Life Cycle Assessment

Aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) are gaining widespread scientific and industrial attention thanks to their safety and potential environmental sustainability in comparison with other battery chemistries relying on organic electrolytes. AZIBs are good candidates for sustainable stationary storage, covering household energy needs or smoothing the intermittency associated with wind and solar energy. In spite of their potential as a sustainable energy storage technology, the study of their environmental repercussions remains unexplored. The environmental impacts associated with the fabrication of AZIBs are quantified using a cradle‐to‐gate life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Six laboratory‐scale battery designs offering high delivered capacity, energy density and operating lifespan are selected. The contribution of different battery components to eighteen environmental impact indicators is shown. An average value of 45.1 kg CO2 equiv per 1 kWh is obtained considering the metallic Zn anode, the cathode, the separator, the aqueous electrolyte and the electricity required for cell assembly. AZIBs are environmentally competitive with lithium‐ion, lithium‐oxygen, lithium‐sulfur, and sodium‐ion battery technologies and are attractive from a Circular Economy viewpoint given the potential of renewable materials as separators and the high recycling rates of electrodes. The obtained results prove the suitability of zinc ion batteries as a sustainable stationary energy storage solution. The environmental impacts associated with the fabrication of laboratory‐scale aqueous zinc ion batteries are quantified using a cradle‐to‐gate life cycle assessment. With an average value of 45.1 kg CO2 equiv per 1 kWh of storage in global warming, these batteries offer attractive environmental advantages over conventional lithium‐ion batteries. Environmental impacts are classified into 18 standardized categories, offering further cues for the future ecodesign and commercialization of green stationary energy storage.