Story
Crafting Electrification
Covestro is putting its energy behind a Circular Economy. Literally. Every day we apply our materials and expertise to empower ongoing energy transformation – spanning renewable energy harvesting to charging, storing and distribution. Quite simply, it underpins all we do.
Bringing innovation full circle
The aim of Covestro is to be fully circular. Covestro brings this ambition to life through its long and successful track record providing the energy sector with solutions and materials made to improve sustainability throughout the manufacturing process, along the supply chain and during consumption.
And the company continues to innovate, advancing a new kind of energy ecosystem that cuts CO2 by replacing fossil fuel dependence with renewable alternatives such as solar or wind power. For example, Covestro is improving the efficiency of wind power with new polyurethane solutions, making it possible to manufacture safer and more cost-efficient solar panel frames with coated composite integrated solutions, and enabling safe storage and distribution of electricity in batteries and EV charging stations with polycarbonate solutions.
And the company continues to innovate, advancing a new kind of energy ecosystem that cuts CO2 by replacing fossil fuel dependence with renewable alternatives such as solar or wind power. For example, Covestro is improving the efficiency of wind power with new polyurethane solutions, making it possible to manufacture safer and more cost-efficient solar panel frames with coated composite integrated solutions, and enabling safe storage and distribution of electricity in batteries and EV charging stations with polycarbonate solutions.
The world is working toward a sustainable zero-carbon economy that is powered by renewable energy. But to truly have an impact, renewable energy must become a larger part of our everyday lives. One way to achieve this is by making it easier for the mobility industry to utilize sustainable energy sources.
In the automotive industry, replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources is gaining traction. A powerful lithium-ion (li-ion) battery architecture is a key factor in promoting wider adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). A strong push to reduce EV prices is driving large-scale and cost-efficient li-ion battery cell assembly. The solutions of Covestro include packaging rechargeable batteries to increase not only their efficiency and safety but to also make them more climate friendly. This primarily means finding new ways to deal with their end-of-life cycle, for example:
• Repurpose: EV batteries are typically replaced when capacity reaches around 80%. With this in mind, several car manufacturers design batteries with the possibility of repurposing them to other applications like energy storage systems, reducing the environmental impact per kWh delivered by the battery.
• Recycle: Batteries can be transferred to recycling units to extract critical raw materials that may be reusable or recyclable. With materials of Covestro, battery packs can be designed to be more sustainable, easing disassembly and enabling their recyclability.
• Refurbished: Some battery modules with minimal degradation could likely be refurbished and substituted for the same vehicle model.
E-mobility is a field that is not only pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, but also addressing critical environmental challenges faced by society. In the process of rethinking the ways that vehicles and their components are designed, constructed and used, as well as handled at the end of their life, new options are opening up for plastics.
Biomass-based polycarbonates can help OEMs stay ahead of the curve in a changing automotive industry, providing engineers with the design freedom to create experiences that keep their customers engaged. For example, the product portfolio of Covestro offers attractive alternatives to conventional materials used to mold and coat automotive exteriors. Their lightweight strength, more sustainable composition and good flow characteristics increase efficiency and sustainability while opening up new design options for car makers.
Recently, the auto industry has experienced fast-paced changes related to car interiors. A number of materials from Covestro play a role in what comes next – from applications that will soon take cabin design to the next level to those that will elevate the passenger experience in years to come.
Innovative materials of Covestro and production processes fulfill emerging specifications for optical purity (e.g., higher transparency, controlled translucency and brilliant colors with high UV stability), information display, lighting performance, surface decorations and the ability to integrate functional electronics. Think dynamic illumination through natural material surfaces like wood and stone, molded in-color solutions to avoid secondary coating processes, and an interior design reflecting and based on sustainable materials.
As one of the leaders in engineering plastics and a longtime partner of the automotive industry, the deep advanced technology know-how of Covestro is accompanying the transition of the automotive interior into the future.
Covestro is one of the worldwide leading producers of polycarbonates and polyurethanes for over 60 years on a global scale. Now, the industry leadership continues as it helps electrify the future with engineering materials.
Circularity is becoming the key innovation driver for the electrification of many different industries. The experience of Covestro to develop sustainable polymers is allowing it to redefine the production and consumption of engineering plastics in the energy sector – from supplying sustainable products and promoting circular design concepts to enabling value chain collaborations.
