ElringKlinger honored for resource-saving battery cell housing design

Dettingen/Erms, Fellbach, November 5, 2021 +++ ElringKlinger AG has come second in the "Material Efficiency" category of this year's Baden-Wuerttemberg Environmental Technology Award. The company was honored for "InnoCap", an innovative cap design for prismatic lithium-ion cells. The award ceremony by Sibylle Hepting-Hug, Head of the Department of Principle, Sustainability, Climate Protection, Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy at the Ministry of Environment took place yesterday evening at the Schwabenlandhalle in Fellbach. .

The Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy Management Baden-Wuerttemberg has been awarding the Environmental Technology Prize every two years since 2009 for outstanding and innovative products in environmental technology. The prize money amounts to 100,000 euros and is divided among four categories and a special jury prize. In the categories "Energy Efficiency," "Material Efficiency," "Emission Reduction, Processing & Separation," and "Measurement and Control Technology, Industry 4.0," awards are given to products that make a significant contribution to resource efficiency and environmental protection and are about to be launched on the market or have been on the market for no longer than two years. Companies based in Baden-Wurttemberg are eligible to enter the competition.

ElringKlinger took second place in the "Material Efficiency" category. The company impressed the jury with an innovative, resource-saving lid design for prismatic lithium-ion cells, which act as energy storage devices and are usually interconnected to form modules. The new cell lid ensures that power is transmitted into and out of the cell via the cell poles. ElringKlinger is a member of the second battery IPCEI project "EuBatIn" and contributes to the establishment of a sustainable European battery value chain.

"The second place for our "InnoCap" is not only a great confirmation of the good work we have done in the Battery Technology and Electromobility business area in recent years. It is also proof of how far we have already come at ElringKlinger in terms of sustainable mobility," says CEO Dr. Stefan Wolf.

The excellent battery cell housing design makes it possible to reduce the number and complexity of components as well as the use of energy-intensive raw materials such as aluminum and copper. "We are saving up to a quarter of the components as a result. The resulting reduced manufacturing effort and material requirements mean that the CO2 footprint for this product can be reduced by around 40 percent. Likewise, due to the reduced number of components and efficient assembly, the scrap rate is significantly reduced," explains Gunnar Deichmann, Vice President Battery Technology & E-Mobility.

"I am impressed by the determination and consistency with which companies are contributing to sustainability and environmental protection with resource-efficient processes and products. With the Baden-Wuerttemberg Environmental Technology Award, we are honoring this commitment and giving companies the opportunity to present their innovative developments," explained Environment Minister Thekla Walker.

The other jurors are Prof. Dr. Thomas Hirth (Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Elsner (Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT), Dr. Christian Kühne (Managing Director THINKTANK Industrial Resource Strategies), Dr.- Ing. Ursula Schließmann (Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Head of Business Field Environmental and Climate Protection Technologies), Dr.-Ing. Hannes Spieth (Managing Director of Umwelttechnik Baden-Wuerttemberg GmbH - Landesagentur für Umwelttechnik und Ressourceneffizienz Baden-Wuerttemberg), Dr. Silke Wagener (Freudenberg Technology Innovation SE & Co. KG, Head of Technology Innovation Communication).