Regulating batteries impact throughout their lifecycle

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Batteries are essential for sustainable mobility and contribute to the zero-pollution ambition. Their demand will grow rapidly and to ensure that the expected massive deployment does not hamper efforts in the green transition, the EU takes resolute action for the sustainable production, deployment and waste management of all batteries placed on the EU market: portable batteries, automotive batteries, industrial batteries, and batteries for e-vehicles.

The Sustainable Batteries Regulation establishes specific sustainability requirements at each stage of the battery value chain, in addition to ensuring that raw materials are supplied sustainably and responsibly, that battery cells, modules and packs are manufactured using clean energy, contain a low amount of hazardous substances, are energy efficient and designed to last long, and that are properly collected, recycled or repurposed

The proposed new Regulation suggests mandatory requirements on:

• sustainability and safety (such as carbon footprint rules, minimum recycled content, performance and durability criteria, safety parameters) 
• labelling and information (such as storing of information on sustainability and data on state of health and expected lifetime) 
• end-of-life management (such as extended producer responsibility, collection targets and obligations, targets for recycling efficiencies and levels of recovered materials) 
• obligations of economic operators linked to product requirements and due diligence schemes 
• electronic exchange of information

For requirements related to the carbon footprint, the levels of recycled content and the responsible sourcing of raw materials (due diligence), the proposal foresees mandatory third-party verification via notified bodies. These rules are applicable to all batteries entering the EU market, independently of their origin. For batteries manufactured outside the EU, it will be the importer or distributor of the batteries into the EU that needs to ensure compliance of the batteries with the relevant requirements set out in the Regulation.

This offering is part of the wide DNV sustainability services portfolio that includes validation of environmental performance, carbon footprint assessment and supply-chain traceability services. In addition, DNV offers a unique Digital Product Passport service to its customers, which enables them to meet the requirements for digital availability of compliance information, as well as additional communication and post-market traceability services.

Reach out to our team of experts to know if your products will be subject to this regulation and see how we can support in your overall EU Green Deal strategy and compliance needs.