The government is speeding up the establishment of a used battery (waste battery) system in line with the domestic electric vehicle supply. For now, the battery policy is focused on the production and operation stages, but the importance of used batteries is expected to be highlighted within a few years.

Park Yong-seon, Director of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Automobile Policy Division, said at the 'Global e-Mobility Network Forum' held on the 8th at Jeju Shinhwa World, "There aren’t many used batteries now, but by 2030, the number is expected to exceed 100,000."

A vehicle is charging at the electric vehicle charging station in the Incheon International Airport parking lot. /Courtesy of News1

Director Park noted, "From the perspective of resource circulation, we are contemplating policies on how to reuse and manage used batteries that will become more important," and added, "By 2027, standards for used battery-related technology and safety management will be established."

He stated, "Specifically, when used batteries are generated, we plan to establish a system to collect products and evaluate their performance, safety, and quality," and said, "They will then be classified and processed into three categories: remanufacturing, reuse, and recycling based on their condition."

If a used battery is in a condition that can be reused as an electric vehicle battery, it falls under remanufacturing. If it can be applied to energy storage systems (ESS) or other power devices, it is considered reuse. If it is decomposed for precious metal raw materials, it must be viewed as recycling.

Director Park also mentioned that discussions are needed on how to mount used batteries back onto devices for remanufacturing and reuse, stating, "Ultimately, our goal is to create a safety management system throughout the entire lifecycle of the battery."

Due to the expansion of electric vehicle supply, the scale of used batteries in the country is steadily increasing. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Environment, the number of used batteries, which was 275 in 2020, is projected to increase to 31,696 this year, 56,966 by 2027, and 107,520 by 2030, with a cumulative total of 424,477 expected in 2030.

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.