Services
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Data Collection: Gather detailed battery information from the customer
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Identify Optimal Resale Channel: Utilizing the information, Bluewater assesses the batteries to determine the most suitable resale channel
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Agreement Between Parties: Bluewater, the customer and all third parties agree on pricing and execute contracts
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Procurement and Logistics: Bluewater arranges battery pickup and transportation to remanufacturing facility
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Re-Manufacturing: Incorporate and redeploy batteries into new battery pack manufacturing.
Bluewater’s process
Bluewater acquires batteries from companies with surplus inventory. If you have excess batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, that you are looking to offload due to project cancellations, manufacturing fallout, over purchasing or financial troubles, contact Bluewater.
Resale
Customer Challenges Addressed:
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OEM Trade Restrictions: Bluewater navigates OEM trade restrictions, enabling customers to find alternative resale channels compliant with OEM agreements.
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Protection of Intellectual Property: Bluewater ensures secure handling of sensitive data and proprietary technology throughout the resale process.
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Legal/Contract Hurdles: Bluewater’s in-house counsel provides expert legal guidance, simplifying complex contractual requirements and mitigating legal risks for customers.
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Market Volatility: Fluctuations in the battery market pose challenges. Bluewater provides market insights and risk management strategies to help its customers maximize the value of their assets.
Reuse / Repurposing
Bluewater offers a wide range of solutions to facilitate the reuse and repurposing of lithium-ion batteries. Often, customers will have batteries that have come out of service or are warranty returns. These batteries typically have a high remaining state of health (+ 80%). Bluewater has successfully reused or repurposed + 1.5 GWH of batteries. If you have used batteries that are not damaged and are interested in exploring other solutions beyond recycling, contact Bluewater.
Bluewater’s process
2. Second life solutions:
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Battery Assessment: The Bluewater team works with the customer to gather detailed battery information such as chemistry, form factor, capacity, condition, state of health (SOH) and usage history.
A. Reuse in Original Application: Bluewater will refurbish batteries to meet required specifications (e.g. replace low capacity cells/ modules or other components). The company will ensure that batteries meet quality standards for reuse in their original application.
B. Repurpose in for new application:
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Dissemble battery packs
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Test and assess state of health
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Integrate battery cells/modules into new battery packs
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Redeploy new battery packs (for applications such as energy storage or e-mobility)
Customer Challenges Addressed:
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Secure Packaging and Shipping Protocol: Bluewater utilizes specialized packaging and strict shipping protocols to safeguard batteries during transit, complying with all transportation regulations.
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Uniformity in Battery Integration: Dissimilar battery cells or modules are never integrated into the same battery pack.
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UN Standards for Remanufactured Batteries: Batteries undergo rigorous testing to meet safety and regulatory compliance after the repurposing process is complete.
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Protection of Intellectual Property: Bluewater safeguards intellectual property and can provide the secure disposal of sensitive battery components to protect proprietary information.
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End-of-life Recycling for Leftover Batteries: Bluewater ensures responsible recycling of unused batteries for units that fail to meet repurposing specs.
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Battery Analysis: Bluewater performs an initial analysis to determine the most suitable recycling option based on the chemistry, condition, format, and location of your batteries.
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Packaging - Bluewater provides packaging options to meet all regulations
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Collection and Logistics - Bluewater collects and ships batteries from customer location to recycling facility, generating detailed documentation of the process.
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End-of-life Recycling - See below recycling processes for lithium-ion and other battery types.
Bluewater’s process
Bluewater uses a network of industry leading battery recyclers around the globe. Bluewater’s recycling partners utilize advanced technology to optimize the recovery of the materials needed for manufacturing new batteries. To date, Bluewater has managed recycling of over 4 million pounds of batteries. If you have end-of-life or damaged batteries, Bluewater will manage the recycling process on your behalf.
Recycle
Hydrometallurgical Process:
Recycling method involving the use of aqueous solutions, such as acids or solvents, to extract valuable materials from batteries.
Pyrometallurgical Process:
Recycling method utilizing high-temperature processes, such as incineration or smelting, to recover valuable materials from batteries.
Customer Challenges Addressed:
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Damaged Batteries - Damaged batteries are dangerous and must be properly treated, handled, transported and disposed of by a qualified partners. Additionally, Bluewater provides custom PG1 rated packaging which is required to safely transport damaged batteries for disposal.
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Regulatory Compliance: Bluewater complies with all regulations and environmental standards governing the packaging, shipping, and recycling of batteries.
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Certificates of Destruction and Audit Trail Reporting: When requested, Bluewater provides certificates of destruction and detailed reporting of the recycling process to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements and environmental standards.
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Insurance requirements: Bluewater and its recycling partners adhere to the necessary insurance standards to protect customers from potential liability.
Additional Services
Surplus batteries are new, unused battery inventory resulting from project cancellations, manufacturing overruns, facility closures, etc. are typically used in cost-effective energy storage solutions while maintaining original quality standards.
Bluewater provides comprehensive surplus battery services including assessment, testing, re-certification (where possible), resale and shipping batteries, ensuring maximum value recovery through proper handling and distribution. Bluewater takes care of the logistics of battery shipping, including packaging, labelling, and documentation and keeps the full paper trail.
Bluewater handles lithium-ion batteries from both mobility applications (electric vehicles, marine batteries) and stationary applications (energy storage systems, industrial UPS).
Surplus battery sellers recover maximum value of their assets and enable second-life battery buyers for BESS, marine applications, and mobile equipment to gain access to cost-effective power solutions.
By repurposing and redistributing battery systems for energy storage and backup power, costs for renewable power solutions can be reduced. EV battery packs are disassembled to the cell level for these battery storage solutions.
Using surplus batteries minimizes waste and CO2 emissions by extending battery life. Using these batteries support circularity and creates a more sustainable energy storage ecosystem.
The evaluation process typically includes comprehensive testing, capacity verification, safety certification, and performance validation to ensure batteries meet quality standards and perform reliably in their intended applications. Bluewater customers get full access to data on battery origin, technical specifications and history.
Key features include collecting battery data, decommissioning planning, discharging, disassembling, packaging, labeling, logistics, recycling, and inventory management. A paper trail for its services, including a Certificate of Destruction (COD), is provided.
The excess and surplus batteries that Bluewater resells meet strict quality standards, including compliance with regulatory requirements for handling and transporting.
The best way to sell excess and surplus batteries is to move them to the next application as fast as possible, given the downward trend in new battery prices and rapidly changing technology. Providing supporting documents and photos, full data transparency will also help getting the best price per battery cell.
The best options include direct resale to qualified buyers, and repurposing for different applications, ideally at the battery pack level. The best option for the batteries that have reached the end of their useful life is recycling through qualified and highly scrutinized channels.
Choose a partner based on their capabilities, industry experience, distribution network, and track record in handling surplus battery inventory, ensuring they can maximize value while maintaining compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
