The EU Battery Regulation introduces new obligations across the entire battery value chain. Battery producer organizations Recser Oy and Akkukierrätys Pb Oy, in collaboration with VTT, organized a webinar addressing the battery passport, a new digital record required for certain batteries. We have compiled the key takeaways from the webinar into this concise article.
The Battery Passport Webinar was held on December 4, 2024. It marked the fourth part of the producer organizations’ webinar series on the Battery Regulation and attracted nearly 150 participants from various organizations. Based on a poll conducted during the webinar, the majority of attendees represented importers of standalone batteries, portable batteries, and electrical and electronic devices. Other participants included manufacturers and waste management operators.
The producer organizations aim to support companies in meeting the new Battery Regulation requirements through webinars. Links to previous summary articles are available at the end of this article.
The battery passport: A digital record for battery data
The battery passport refers to an electronic record that provides key information about a battery. It will be made available through a QR code. The battery passport will become mandatory starting February 18, 2027, for batteries in light means of transport (e.g., electric scooters), traction batteries for electric vehicles, industrial batteries with a capacity exceeding 2 kWh.
The economic operator placing the battery on the market is responsible for the battery passport. This could include the manufacturer, importer, or a company preparing a battery for reuse. However, the market operator can delegate responsibility for maintaining the data and ensuring its accuracy to another party.
“All operators within the EU market must actively ensure their products comply with the requirements. If the manufacturer has not taken care of this, the responsibility falls to the importer,” explained Kati Suomalainen, Senior Specialist at the Ministry of the Environment, during the webinar.
When a battery’s purpose changes, the responsibility for the battery passport data transfers to the entity reintroducing it to the market. At that point, a new battery passport linked to the original will be created. Once a battery is classified as waste, the responsibility shifts to the producer organization or its chosen waste management operator. The battery passport ceases to exist only after the battery has been recycled.
Extensive data requirements for the battery passport
Suomalainen outlined the EU Battery Regulation’s content requirements for battery passports during the webinar.
“The battery passport will include a significant amount of information. Some data will be publicly available, while other data will be restricted to specific stakeholders,” Suomalainen said.
Information on battery models
Basic information about battery models, such as the manufacturer, battery category, place and date of manufacture, weight, capacity, and chemical composition, will be publicly available. Public information will also include data on carbon footprint, responsible sourcing, recycled and renewable content, expected lifespan, original performance capacity, and commercial warranty details.
More detailed information, such as test reports and precise compositions, will be accessible only to market surveillance authorities, notified bodies, and the European Commission. Additionally, stakeholders involved in battery waste processing or reuse will have access to disassembly instructions and component details. Information on the exact composition, component part numbers, and disassembly instructions will also be available to parties that require this data, such as those involved in battery waste processing or reuse. The Commission will issue an implementing regulation specifying the entities that will have access to this information.
Information on individual batteries
In addition to battery model data, the passport will include information specific to individual batteries. This data will be restricted to stakeholders with justified needs, such as waste handlers and reuse operators, as defined by the European Commission’s implementing regulations.
Individual battery data will include operational status, accident history, and whether the battery is original, repurposed, reused, or classified as waste.
Participate in policy development on Have Your Say
The European Commission regularly seeks input on regulatory proposals. Suomalainen encouraged stakeholders to visit the Have Your Say platform to contribute to the development of regulations related to the battery passport and digital product passports under the Ecodesign Regulation.
Sandvik leads the way with a battery passport pilot– “The battery passport is feasible and full of opportunities!“
Sandvik Oy, a manufacturer of mining equipment, has already piloted a battery passport prototype for one of its drilling equipment models in collaboration with Ioxio Oy.
“Data is becoming, if not already, a key value driver. Sharing data openly isn’t a limitation but a foundation for creating new value. Major mining customers worldwide are demanding this data to meet their own emissions reduction targets,” explained Eero Kauko, Research Engineer at Sandvik, during the webinar.
Sandvik’s proof-of-concept model, which may be the first product passport in the mining sector, received positive feedback when presented at international mining trade shows, such as in Las Vegas.
“The creation of the battery passport is achievable! You can test our demo version on your phone,” Kauko encouraged webinar participants.
The pilot aims to understand data flow between interfaces and ensure readiness for compliance with the Battery Regulation by 2027.
Practical guidance on the way– Join the FINNPASS final seminar
The EU’s Ecodesign Regulation introduces digital product passports across industries, with the battery passport as the first implementation. Initiatives like VTT’s FINNPASS project and the Ministry of Finance’s MiniSuomi.fi platform have been preparing for the rollout.
FINNPASS
“We launched the FINNPASS coordination project because product passports are a significant upcoming requirement. There’s a huge demand for information,” said Jaana Keränen, Researcher at VTT.
The project has organized a workshop related to the battery passport, where data points across battery value chains were gathered.
“During the discussions, it became clear that a lot of data about batteries is already being collected, so we definitely don’t have to start from scratch when compiling information for the battery passport,” said Keränen.
The FINNPASS project will publish a practical Digital Product Passport Playbook in February 2025, tailored to SMEs. It will be launched at the project’s closing seminar.
“I invite everyone to join! Follow the LinkedIn group where the exact date and registration details will be published. (FINNPASS – The Digital Product Passport (DPP) Group for Finland),” suggests Keränen.
Test the MiniSuomi platform
On the MiniSuomi.fi platform, the public sector is testing new technologies, including digital wallets for identity verification alongside the battery passport.
“MiniSuomi is an open co-development platform available at minisuomi.fi,” highlighted Mikael af Hällström, Development Specialist at the Finnish Tax Administration.
The battery passport can remain in use for years after its manufacturer has ceased operations. As a technical solution, the publication of the product passport on a blockchain was tested, making it practically permanent. A blockchain is a database that stores digital information on servers operating in a decentralized network. A digital wallet can provide a solution for identifying the creator of digital product passports published on a blockchain.
Battery Regulation webinars continue in 2025
We will continue hosting Battery Regulation webinars next year, including one focusing on due diligence. Follow our website for updates, or subscribe to our newsletter to receive information about upcoming events.
The Q&A document from this webinar will be added here later.
View presentations from the webinar speakers (in Finnish):
- Kati Suomalainen (Ympäristöministeriö): EU:n akkuasetuksen vaatimukset akkupassille
- Jaana Keränen (VTT): FINNPASS -hankkeen ja akkupassityöpajan tulosten esittely
- Mikael af Hällström (Verohallinto): Minisuomi.fi – kokeiluympäristö
- Eero Kauko (Sandvik): Kilpailukykyä digitaalisilla tuotepasseilla
Stay up to date with the progress and content of the Battery Regulation
As the producer organisations, it is important for us to remain up-to-date and share information on how the content of the EU’s Battery Regulation will affect the responsibility of producers of batteries and accumulators in particular.