30 May Charging Ahead Recap: Navigating Innovation, Regulation & Circularity
Charging Ahead Recap: Navigating Innovation, Regulation & Circularity
30 May 2025
On Wednesday, 28 May, NMi hosted Charging Ahead: Sustainable Battery Innovation & EU Compliance at our Metrology Tower in Delft—a timely gathering of innovators, engineers, policymakers, and compliance professionals facing the next wave of battery regulation and sustainability demands.
As the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) begins its phased enforcement—and with the recent proposal to postpone due diligence requirements—there’s growing urgency for clarity, collaboration, and concrete strategies. Charging Ahead delivered just that: grounded insights from those building the future of batteries from all angles—technical, regulatory, and environmental.
Battery Innovation: Beyond Chemistry
Our technical specialist, Zhaolong Li, began the day by tracing the evolution of battery systems—from early electrochemical breakthroughs to today’s diversified landscape of lithium-ion, solid-state, aqueous based battery systems and emerging sodium-ion platforms.
He emphasized a critical takeaway:
“Breakthroughs in battery technology will come not just from materials, but from how chemistry, engineering, and system-level application evolve together.”
This was echoed by LeydenJar, whose silicon anode technology is pushing energy density 70% beyond conventional lithium-ion—paving the way for longer-range devices, including battery-electric short-haul flights.
EU Battery Regulation and the Battery Passport
Valentina D’Amelio, NMi’s Innovations Manager – Electrification, delivered a comprehensive walkthrough of the EU Battery Regulation (EUBR) timeline, obligations, and certification paths. She highlighted how the EUBR places batteries at the centre of the EU’s energy transition while also pointing out challenges in its current rollout:
- No Notified Bodies (NoBos) have been designated yet
- Low awareness among smaller market actors
- Lack of official guidance and harmonized standards
“We can’t afford to see the EUBR as a moving target. Businesses need to prepare now—before the market and enforcement demand it.”
– Dr Valentina D’Amelio, NMi Group
TNO then introduced the Battery Passport as a cornerstone of digital traceability. Described as the EU’s first Digital Product Passport (DPP), it will create a secure, dynamic platform to track battery data from manufacture to reuse to recycling—with varying access levels for regulators, consumers, and industry.
Sustainability, Due Diligence, and LCA
Sustainability isn’t just a reporting obligation—it’s a competitive necessity. That was clear in the presentations from Edwin van Leth and Vince Evers of Dispersed, who unpacked Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools and strategies. Whether through quick scans, full LCAs, or Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), the challenge lies in sourcing reliable data across global supply chains.
Iris Millenaar of Grant Thornton Impact House then tackled battery due diligence’s current and future state under EUBR and the OECD guidelines. She emphasized the importance of starting now—despite the proposed delay to 2027 as part of the EU Omnibus package—by:
- Establishing management systems
- Creating risk management plans aligned with Annex X
- Reporting progress transparently
“Quick wins help, but embedding due diligence means changing how businesses think about risk and responsibility.”
Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycling
Circularity was front and centre in the final session.
Refurb Battery highlighted its mission to give batteries a second life by reassembling new modules from existing cells—avoiding the carbon cost of new production while extending battery value.
Back to Battery brought a global lens, connecting geopolitics, end-of-life batteries, and raw material recovery. With China dominating refining, the US imposing tariffs, and the EU still building capacity, Europe must develop closed-loop, next-gen recycling processes—like advanced hydrometallurgy—to remain competitive and sustainable.
“We can’t keep shredding valuable materials. End-of-life batteries are resources, not waste.”
Want to Learn More?
If you couldn’t join us in Delft or would like access to the event presentations and materials, reach out to: Luana Gama Gato
We’re happy to share resources, answer questions, or help your organization move forward—wherever you are in your battery journey.
