BATTERIES & CHARGERS
SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY WITH THE EU BATTERY REGULATION
T
he EU Battery Regulation aims to ensure that batteries placed on the European market are sustainable and safe throughout their life cycle, covering all actors and their activities. The Regulation entered into force on 17 August 2023, replacing the Battery Directive 2006/66/EC which has now expired two years later. The regulation introduces significant changes and requirements aimed at enhancing the sustainability and safety of batteries and battery-operated products. In contrast to a directive, a regulation is a legal act which applies automatically and uniformly in all EU countries, without the need for transposition into national law. The new regulations apply to economic operators using batteries in applications with an incorporated battery for their own service/ business. UK-based operators who place or put into service batteries and battery-powered products in the EU market must also comply.
WHAT TYPES OF BATTERIES ARE COVERED? The Regulation covers the entire life cycle of a battery, including raw materials procurement, battery production, and battery reuse and recycling. It also introduces new categories of batteries according to their use and design. This includes portable, industrial, starting, lighting and ignition (SLI), electric vehicle (EV), light means of transport (LMT) batteries and stationary energy storage batteries. Battery cells, modules or packs ready for end use shall be considered to have been placed on the EU market as batteries subject to the requirements applicable to the most similar battery category.
CARBON FOOTPRINT AND RECYCLED CONTENT
The regulation includes provisions for calculating the carbon footprint of batteries and setting recycled content targets for various elements (cobalt, lead, lithium, nickel).
To mitigate the impact of batteries on climate change, the Regulation requires rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity greater than 2 kWh, LMT batteries and electric vehicle batteries:
To be accompanied by a carbon footprint declaration (until it becomes accessible via QR code). This declaration shall be drawn up for each battery model per manufacturing plant.
By Grant Gibbs, Senior Manager for Energy Storage at TÜV SÜD
CE MARKING
From 18 August 2024 manufacturers have been required to affix the CE marking to batteries before placing them on the market or putting them into service. The CE marking indicates compliance with EU safety, health, and environmental protection requirements. Notified bodies may be involved in granting the CE marking for certain types of batteries.
SAFETY TESTING (SBESS)
Safety testing requirements are introduced, but they apply only to stationary battery energy storage systems (SBESS).
To observe maximum life cycle carbon footprint thresholds. The declared life cycle carbon footprint value shall stay below the maximum life cycle carbon footprint threshold.
PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN BATTERIES Under the Regulation, portable batteries of general use (excluding button cells), rechargeable industrial batteries and LMT batteries shall comply with electrochemical performance and durability parameters set out in annexes to the
To bear a label indicating the carbon footprint of the battery and the carbon footprint performance class of the relevant battery model per manufacturing plant.
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Autumn2025 UKManufacturing
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