Local Media: "Waste Volume to Increase by 32% Starting This Year"
As China has been actively promoting the adoption of so-called "new energy vehicles" such as electric and hybrid cars, projections indicate that the country will generate 1.06 million tons of waste batteries by 2030. In response, Chinese authorities have reportedly decided to announce measures to manage the "waste battery risk."
On September 14, Yonhap News cited the Chinese financial media outlet Caixin, reporting remarks made by Wang Pan, head of the Power Battery Division at China Automotive Data Co., Ltd.
According to the report, it was revealed at the China Automotive Industry Development International Forum on September 12 that a revised version of the "Comprehensive Utilization and Management Plan for Waste Power Batteries from New Energy Vehicles" is scheduled to be released around November this year.
The revised plan introduces a battery production code and an information reporting system. It aims to fill current regulatory gaps and stipulates that all owners of waste batteries are responsible for selling them in accordance with established norms. The plan also includes measures to block the inflow of waste batteries through illegal channels.
At the same forum, Bai Chunping, General Manager of China Resources Recycling Group Battery Co., Ltd., stated that detailed implementation rules for the "End-of-Life Vehicle Recovery Management Measures" will be announced by the end of this year. He explained that it will become mandatory for vehicle owners to hand over the power battery when reporting the scrapping of a new energy vehicle.
In China, it is common for new energy vehicles to arrive at scrapyards with their original battery packs already removed.
Caixin raised safety concerns, reporting that batteries discarded from electric vehicles are being installed in electric bicycles and motorcycles through "unofficial channels." These batteries often exceed regulatory limits. Additionally, batteries that failed quality tests at manufacturing companies are also being used in electric bicycles and motorcycles. There have been a significant number of battery fires and fatal accidents as a result.
Wang Pan predicted that China will generate 377,000 tons of waste batteries this year, and that the amount will reach 1.06 million tons by 2030. This means the annual growth rate of waste battery disposal will reach 23% from this year through 2030.
Chinese authorities are reportedly grappling with the waste battery issue as well. In February of this year, the State Council's Executive Committee deliberated and adopted the "Action Plan for the Collection and Utilization System of New Energy Vehicle Power Batteries." The action plan includes provisions to monitor the entire lifecycle of batteries, from production to disposal, using digital technology. It also calls for the establishment of legal mechanisms to facilitate battery collection and reuse.
Meanwhile, China, the world's largest automobile market, accounts for more than half of global electric vehicle sales. This year, the Chinese government set its automobile sales target at 32.3 million units, a 3% increase from last year. Of these, the target for new energy vehicles was set at 15.5 million units, up 20% from the previous year.
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