Nissan Australia has deployed repurposed electric vehicle batteries to help power part of its aluminium casting plant in Victoria, advancing a circular economy model that combines renewable energy generation and second-life energy storage.

The Nissan Node project, delivered in partnership with Melbourne-based battery technology company Relectrify, integrates a 100 kilowatt rooftop solar array with a 120 kilowatt-hour battery energy storage system built from nine retired Nissan Leaf batteries to supply operations at the Dandenong facility and support two newly installed electric vehicle chargers.

Relectrify’s cell-level control technology, which unifies battery management systems and inverter functions, is designed to extend the usable life of second-life batteries and reduce energy storage costs, enabling high quality end-of-life vehicle batteries to contribute meaningfully to industrial energy needs.

Nissan Oceania’s managing director described the project as an important demonstration of how end-of-life batteries can be harnessed to reduce emissions and energy consumption, with the system expected to cut roughly 259 tonnes of annual carbon dioxide emissions and save about 128 megawatt-hours of energy each year.

The initiative reflects broader industry and policy interest in repurposing electric vehicle batteries as stationary storage to enhance energy resilience and sustainability, part of a growing trend toward reducing waste and supporting decarbonisation through innovative reuse of automotive components.

By incorporating second-life battery storage with on-site solar generation, Nissan Australia’s project underscores how established manufacturers can leverage circular economy principles to reduce environmental impact while advancing renewable energy integration at production facilities.