News & Events

The RESPECT project is already in its first year of development, and to celebrate this important corner stone, they organise a launch event. It is time to introduce the project and discover how the RESPECT project is going to drive a positive change and accelerate the transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable world.

The event will take place online on the 5th of October from 09:00 to 12:25 CEST.

In the framework of the launch event, Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA) is going to provide a workshop: „Sharing the best practices and common expertise to improve EU-funded R&I projects efficiency and dissemination results“. Including 2 fruitful Panel Discussions:

1. „Lessons learned from other clusters“ (Collabat, Solid4B (waiting for confirmation) and Battery heroes)
2. “Clustering activities for the projects on Sustainable, safe and efficient recycling processes?” (RESPECT, FREE4LIB, RHINOCEROS (waiting for confirmation))

The 3 Panel discussion “How do R&D projects support the creation of the EU battery value chain and the implementation of the new legislative requirements?” will cover several aspects related to the implementation of Battery Regulation.

Registration link

Project description:

RESPECT project proposes a logistical chain of disruptive, flexible, sustainable and versatile recycling processes that consider the safety aspects of battery opening and deactivation, and utilizes hydrometallurgy or direct recycling, depending on the targeted LIBs to be treated, thereby supporting the next generation of battery materials development.

The vision of the RESPECT project is to contribute to paving the way for increasing global competitiveness, strategic autonomy and circularity of the European battery ecosystem by developing innovative green recycling materials recovery processes, and thus supporting the growing Li-ion battery manufacturing in Europe.

On Monday, 10 July 2023, the Council of the European Union adopted a new regulation that strengthens sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries. This regulation covers the entire life cycle of batteries, ensuring their safety, sustainability and competitiveness from production to reuse and recycling.
Read the official press release

Recognising the vital role batteries play in the decarbonisation process and the transition towards zero-emission mobility, Teresa Ribera, Spanish Minister for the Ecological Transition reinforced the Presidency’s support for the regulation, which applies to all types of batteries: waste portable batteries, electric vehicle batteries, industrial batteries, starting, lightning and ignition (SLI) batteries primarily used in vehicles and machinery, as well as batteries for light means of transport like electric bikes, e-mopeds, and e-scooters.

“At the same time end-of-life batteries contain many valuable resources and we must be able to reuse those critical raw materials instead of relying on third countries for supplies. The new rules will promote the competitiveness of European industry and ensure new batteries are sustainable and contribute to the green transition.”

| Teresa Ribera, Spanish Minister for the Ecological Transition

To foster a circular economy, the regulation establishes requirements for the end-of-life phase, including collection targets and obligations, material recovery targets, and extended producer responsibility. Dedicated collection objectives for waste batteries used in light means of transport will be implemented, aiming at 51% by the end of 2028, respectively 61% by the end of 2031. Furthermore, the regulation sets mandatory minimum levels of recycled content for industrial batteries, SLI batteries and electric vehicle batteries. The following initial values have been established:

• 16% for cobalt
• 85% for lead
• 6% for lithium
• 6% for nickel

Additionally, batteries will also be required to hold documentation proving their recycled content.

To improve the functioning of the internal market for batteries and ensure fair competition, the regulation introduces safety, sustainability, and labelling requirements. It includes provisions for battery labelling and information disclosure, including details on battery components and recycled content. Additionally, an electronic “battery passport” and a QR code will be implemented to enhance traceability and transparency. These labelling requirements will take effect by 2026, while the QR code implementation is expected by 2027, providing member states and manufacturers with ample time to prepare.

This new regulation aims to mitigate environmental and social impacts throughout the battery’s life cycle. By establishing strict due diligence rules for operators, the EU is ensuring operators are bound to verify the source of raw materials used for batteries placed on the market. However, the regulation provides for an exemption for SMEs from the due diligence rules.

The adoption procedure for the regulation concluded with the Council’s vote, and it will now proceed to be signed by both the Council and the European Parliament. Following this, the regulation will be published in the European Union’s Official Journal and will enter into force 20 days thereafter.

Monitoring Crucial Secondary Legislation Linked to the Batteries Regulation

The new regulation aiming at strengthening sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries will be supported by various secondary legislation pieces that play a crucial role in ensuring the comprehensive and effective implementation of the proposal’s objectives, particularly in important areas such as raw material sourcing, battery design, manufacturing processes, the second-life of a battery, and battery recycling and reuse.

One of the most urgent legislations is the carbon footprint (Art. 7) methodology for electric vehicles (EVs), which is under development with the JRC report and is expected by early 2024. Another relevant piece of secondary legislation is referring to recycling efficiencies (Art. 71), where the JRC is closely working with stakeholders in different expert groups.

The Cluster Hub “Production of raw materials for batteries from European resources” within the current legislative framework

As the implementation of the new battery regulation progresses, the Cluster Hub will continue to serve as a catalyst for advancements in battery recycling. By leveraging the collective efforts and expertise of participating projects, the platform acknowledges its pivotal role in driving the transition towards a more sustainable and circular future for the battery industry in Europe.

Get to know the EU-funded projects driving the innovations for the recycling of batteries: CROCODILE, RHINOCEROS, BATRAW, FREE4LIB, RESPECT, RELiEF and LiCORNE.

Download the infographic

Join numerous EU-funded mineral raw materials projects for a one-and-a-half-day clustering event to discuss and exchange ideas on current technological challenges and topics within the raw materials sector.

Practical information

• Conference dates and times:
  30 October 2023, 09.30 – 17.15 EET
  31 October 2023, 09.00 – 12.30 EET
• Venue: Santa´s Hotel Santa Claus, address: Korkalonkatu 29, 96200 Rovaniemi
  (Google maps: Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus – Google Maps)
  Transport to Levi leaves from in front of the Hotel Santa Claus 31st October at 13.30 EET
  Closing date for Abstracts: 1 September 2023

Register here

Call for abstracts [accepted by 1 September 2023]

About the event

Currently the EU is highly dependent on a small number of countries for raw materials, especially the critical raw materials that it needs for strategic value chains such as e-mobility, batteries, and renewable energy. Europe’s opportunity to become self-sufficient, resilient, sustainable and responsible in critical minerals supply from its own resources is a reachable goal due to its geological setting and significant mineral endowment.

However, many of the critical raw materials do not form their own mineral deposits, but rather are produced as by-products, associated with other primary commodity mines. This switch to a multi-element way of mining will demand new ways to conduct exploration activities in general, as exploration must nowadays shift to the more integrated point of view of mineral systems. There is also a need to develop innovative exploration concepts and data analysis tools to enhance the probability of finding new sources of critical raw materials for the EU’s economy.

Thirteen EU-funded raw materials projects EIS, AGEMERA, CIRAN, EXCEED, GOLDENEYE, GREENPEG, M4MINING, MaDiTraCe, MinExTarget, MultiMiner, S34I, SEEMS DEEP and SEMACRET, as well as the University of Queensland (Australia) are partnering up to organize a one-and-a-half-day clustering event “European Union SuperCluster Lapland Geoconference”, which will take place on Monday 30^th and Tuesday 31^st October 2023 in Rovaniemi, Finland. With this event, the organisers hope to bring together a wide range of stakeholders, such as the European Commission, EU projects and other initiatives related to the raw materials sector; regional authorities; industrial representatives; exploration companies as well as other interested stakeholders, to discuss and exchange ideas on current technological challenges and topics within the sector.

The SuperCluster event will be organized just before the official start of the 14^th Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining (FEM) 2023 conference (Levi, Kittilä, Finland. Home – FEM (femconference.fi)). Planning for transport from Rovaniemi to FEM Conference in Levi is underway. This is for those participants who would like to attend both events (see map here: Rovaniemi – Levi Summit – Google Maps).  The FEM conference is one of the most significant and largest mining industry events in Europe.

The latest live conference FEM 2019 brought together 1215 participants from 32 different countries and more than 400 organizations to Lapland.

The expected number of SuperCluster participants is about 100 persons, and we hope to attract people and companies who usually do not attend the FEM conference. The main target audience are European Commission, EU projects and other initiatives related to the raw materials sector; regional authorities; industrial representatives; exploration companies as well as other interested stakeholders.

This meeting will comprise 20-minute oral sessions, poster space and discussion time to maximise the benefits to all participants. No keynote talks are planned – the focus will be on EU-funded projects exclusively.

The conference is free-of-charge! Also, lunches and conference dinner is free for the registered participants.

Register here

Call for abstracts [accepted by 1 September 2023]

The 2023 Batteries Event will take place in October 10^th-13^th, 2023 in Centre des Congrès – Lyon – France.

After a very successful 2022 event that gathered 750+ participants from the battery industry, the conference’s ambition is to keep growing and welcome more than 900 participants in 2023!

As always, the organisers’ goal is to create the perfect forum where all the battery industry stakeholders will be able to meet, discuss industry trends and best practices – from the battery production to its recycling. More than 90 stakeholders will showcase their products & services with an individual booth.

What happened in the last 25 years?

The Li-ion battery market has increased from 2 GWh to more than 725 GWh! In value, the market for batteries and their components has experienced a strong double-digit growth and several positive factors ensure the fast-growing evolution of the market.

What is Batteries Event 2023’s ambition?

3 days to inspire, learn, understand, inform and share. The objective is to bring together at least 900 people from across the industry (researchers, raw material suppliers, components, manufacturers, consultants, intellectuals …). Over 130+ selected speakers, thematic conferences, 90+ exhibitors, quality networking moments and friendliness are only a few highlights the Batteries Event has in place for the 2023 edition.

More information about the Batteries Event 2023