The raft of EU battery regulations that became law last December, are settling down as their implications become clear. They address critical aspects of mineral sourcing, life cycle emissions, information sharing, and repurposing according to Union of Concerned Scientists. Said union suggests North America should take them on board too, why reinvent the wheel.
EU Battery Regulations Support Circular Economy
European Union is moving away from the gasoline business towards electric vehicles. This aligns with the global imperative to slow climate change. However, those very minerals we need to achieve this goal, come with hefty environmental price tags. So we need to place more emphasis on mineral recovery, recycling and reuse.
Key tools in the EU battery regulations include obliging electric automotive manufacturers to recover spent batteries from electric vehicles. And to redeploy those minerals in new uses, and battery manufacture. There is also provision for enhanced information-sharing regarding battery types, to facilitate repurposing and recycling.
Key Components in European Union Policy
Union of Concerned Scientists explains the new EU approach ‘decouples economic activity from resource extraction’. In other words, the former does not necessarily follow on from the latter:
- Producers’ responsibility now extends beyond manufacturing and delivery to market. They must actively (a) receive used batteries, (c) find second uses for them or (c) repurpose their minerals.
- But the EU battery regulations do not stop there. Manufacturers must achieve 65% recovery by 2025, and 70% within the next five years. The targets for cobalt, copper, nickel, and lithium are tighter.
- However, all the recycled materials need not necessarily reenter the supply chain in new EV batteries. Initial targets for 2030 are 16%, 6%, and 6% for cobalt, lithium and nickel. But these targets more than double by 2035.
- Battery recyclers and re-purposers require access to battery chemistry data, mineral sourcing, and battery health data to make key decisions. They will find this information in better battery labeling, and battery passports too.
Amended regulations will be necessary to introduce these principles in United States. Although Union of Concerned Scientists hopes for some progress in California this summer.
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