Source: Energy & Management Powernews , December 13 2022
In the EU, batteries are to be produced and disposed of sustainably in the future. Overall, a tenfold increase in demand is forecast by 2030.
In the EU, batteries are to be produced and disposed of sustainably in the future. The negotiators of the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament agreed on Friday evening on a new regulation that regulates the entire life cycle of all batteries.
The Union's regulations cover for the first time the entire value chain from production to reuse and disposal. The aim is to ensure that the upcoming boom in battery production is safe and sustainable and contributes to the competitiveness of European industry.
"Batteries are a key element on the EU's path to zero-emission mobility," said the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Czech Environment Minister Marian Jurecka, after the negotiations in Brussels. "The demand for batteries will increase tenfold by 2030. That's why we need to make sure we have enough batteries and that they are produced sustainably."
The regulation establishes quality characteristics for batteries that should ensure extensive recycling. These include collection rates, target values for the reuse of certain materials, and extended producer liability.
For example, manufacturers must increase the collection rate for transportable batteries to 73 percent by 2030, and for "light" batteries (for example, for electric bicycles) to 61 percent. Of the components of industrial and SLI batteries (used to start engines, for example), 80 percent of the lithium must be collected by 2031 at the latest. 16 percent of cobalt, 85 percent of lead and 6 percent of lithium and nickel must be recycled. That must of the manufacturers also document.
Batteries in apparatuses such as mobile telephones must be able to be removed from the equipment and replaced by the consumer. For this, manufacturers have a transition period of 42 months. Medical apparatus and devices in which safety would be jeopardized by replacement are exempt.
Batteries for light vehicles must be able to be replaced by a specialist workshop. Extensive labeling requirements are intended to ensure fair competition in the European internal market based on safety and sustainability. Buyers must be informed about the performance, service life and conditions for safe operation.
Passport for larger batteries
Larger batteries over 2 kWh capacity will receive a lifetime digital "battery passport" with QR code. This must be introduced in three years, while the QR code must be introduced in three and a half years.
The carbon footprint for traction batteries of electric vehicles (EVs), including micro and light vehicles (LMTs) and rechargeable industrial batteries must also be labeled.
On top of that, all used LMT, EV, SLI and industrial batteries must be taken back free of charge for end users, regardless of type, chemical composition, condition, brand or origin.
In order to make the production of batteries more environmentally friendly and socially acceptable, manufacturers must document in detail the origin of their raw materials and intermediate products. Exceptions apply to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs / SME).
For hazardous substances such as mercury, cadmium or lead, strict limits are provided. The negotiator of the Greens, Malte Gallee, spoke of a "groundbreaking regulation, with which the EU sets globally unique standards for sustainable design and recycling of batteries." In doing so, he said, it paves the way to the performance and durability standards of the future and to environmentally sustainable mobility.
Reactions
The German E-Mobility Association praised the move, saying, "Electric mobility batteries, from e-bikes to e-aviation, can thus be described as the EU's first green product, creating both transparency and a level playing field in the name of environmental and climate protection."
The environmental organization "Transport and Environment" (T&E) welcomed the agreement as a turning point in battery production. Manufacturers who wanted to bring batteries to the European market would have to document the entire footprint of their products by 2024 at the latest and would only be allowed to use "clean energy" from 2027. Batteries are already more sustainable than the use of fossil fuels,
The EU Commission also welcomed the agreement as an important element of the European climate pact (Green Deal). Thus the circular economy receives an important impulse and the EU advances on its way to the elimination of environmental pollution. He said the regulation provides the framework for the development of a sustainable and competitive European battery industry, which will help the EU advance the energy transition and strengthen its energy independence.
Author: Tom Weingärtner