China-specific unit process dataset for lithium-ion batteries

Authors: Xi Tian, Haoyu Li, Fei Peng, Yibing Wang, Kaiwen Xiong, Rongjian Zhao, Min Liao, Yaodan Zhang, Bingqian Zhang, Jinliang Xie, Huimin Chang, Xin Sun, Jianchuan Qi

Journal: Nature Communications

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become a crucial driver in promoting clean energy transition and mitigating carbon emissions, which is essential for achieving climate neutrality targets and sustainable development goals (Harper et al., 2019). With the rapid expansion of electric vehicles, global LIB production surpassed 1000 GWh in 2023, representing a ten-fold increase from 2015. China has emerged as the world's largest producer and consumer of LIBs, accounting for approximately 75% of the global production capacity.

Under the influence of green trade rules like the EU Battery Regulation, which refers to import restrictions imposed by countries on environmental grounds, more efforts are being made to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of the LIB industry. However, the supply chain of LIBs is long and diverse, closely linked to many sectors including mining, chemicals and metallurgy (Tian et al., 2024). To achieve precise emission reductions, it is necessary to comprehensively examine the emission characteristics of the production system. Life cycle assessment (LCA), as an effective tool to quantify the environmental impacts associated with all stages, shows potential for supporting decision-making in scientific optimization pathways (Tao et al., 2021).

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