IEC eTECH
article here
The case for reusing batteries is more relevant than ever
and the IEC is providing the framework to make it happen.
Batteries sit at the heart of the clean energy
transition. They enable the electrification of transport, support the
integration of renewable energy and underpin the digital systems that shape
modern life. Yet the growing wave of batteries reaching the end of
their first life poses a challenge in terms of their disposal and an
opportunity as they can be given a second life.
The surge in electric vehicle (EV) deployment in particular
means millions of batteries will soon reach the end of their
automotive life. Yet these batteries retain substantial residual
capacity and offer precious resources. As the International
Energy Agency (IEA) notes, battery recycling has the potential to
be a significant secondary source of supply of critical minerals that is more
sustainable and less geographically concentrated than primary supply. But more
than that, repurposing and reusing them offers a powerful opportunity to reduce
waste, conserve resources and support the energy transition.
Without reuse or recycling, however,
these batteries risk becoming a significant source of hazardous
waste. IEC
TC 21 is the IEC technical committee responsible for the
standardization of all types of rechargeable cells and batteries.
“Batteries at the end of their life can release toxic pollutants if not
disposed of correctly, generally contribute to the problem of e‑waste if not
reused, recycled or repurposed,” warns Thomas Dittrich, the Chair of IEC TC 21.
The environmental cost of battery production is
already substantial. As outlined in e‑tech: Are batteries the weak link in a circular
economy?, mining lithium, cobalt and nickel carries heavy
environmental and social burdens. Manufacturing batteries is also
energy‑intensive, with supply chains still heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
These factors make the case for extending battery life even stronger:
every additional year of use reduces pressure on mining, manufacturing and
recycling systems.
Batteries can be repurposed for many uses
The market for second life batteries is expanding
rapidly. According to recent analyses, the global market for these is projected
to grow from USD 1,24 billion (bn) in 2025 to reach USD 8,93 bn by 2035. This
growth is driven by rising EV adoption, increased reliance on renewable energy
and regulatory frameworks encouraging circularity.
Second life batteries are finding applications
across a wide range of sectors. Their most common use is in stationary energy
storage, where lower power demands and predictable cycling (for more on battery
cycling read: What
is battery cycling? Energy storage guide for 2026) make repurposed
EV batteries ideal. Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia houses Europe’s largest second-life battery storage
factory with up to 1 Gigawatt/hour (GWh) production capacity.
Some pundits have
estimated that EV batteries alone could satisfy short-term grid storage demand
by as early as 2030, creating a new value pool for the power sector. These
second life batteries can be used to store excess solar and wind energy,
provide backup power for hospitals and data centres and support microgrids in
remote communities. They can also help commercial and industrial
facilities reduce peak demand charges, improving resilience and lowering energy
costs.
Beyond stationary storage, second
life batteries are increasingly used to support the EV charging
infrastructure. The EV charging segment is expected to grow at a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 43,9% until 2031, according to this 2024 report,
driven by the need to buffer grid demand at fast‑charging stations.
Repurposed batteries can store energy during off‑peak hours and
release it during high demand periods, reducing strain on local grids and
enabling charging hubs to operate in areas with limited grid capacity.
Commercial and industrial back-up power is another major
growth area. Businesses are adopting repurposed batteries to enhance
resilience, reduce reliance on diesel generators and support sustainability
goals. Residential storage is also expanding quickly, with homeowners using
second‑life batteries to store solar energy and provide backup power
during outages.
Second life batteries are not limited to storage
applications. They are increasingly used in automated guided vehicles (AGVs),
street lighting, off‑grid systems, telecom base stations and portable power
units. EVs with reduced performance needs such as golf carts and
forklifts is another market for second-life batteries. These applications demonstrate the versatility of
repurposed batteries and their potential to support a wide range of
industries.
Challenges for second life batteries
Despite their promise, second life batteries face
several challenges. Assessing battery health, for example, is not
straightforward. Repurposers must evaluate metrics including internal
resistance, capacity fade, thermal stability, mechanical integrity
and battery management system compatibility.
This highlights the need for robust testing and
certification. IECEE (IEC
System of Conformity Assessment Schemes for Electrotechnical Equipment and
Components) is one of the four conformity assessment systems administered by
the IEC. It runs a scheme which tests the safety, performance, component
interoperability, energy efficiency, electromagnetic compatibility and
hazardous substance of batteries. Since used batteries come from
different manufacturers and have different chemistries and form factors,
integration into new systems can be tricky without harmonized standards.
Economic viability is another concern. Repurposing must be
cost‑competitive against recycling or the purchase of new batteries. While
commercial and industrial markets show strong promise, business models are
still evolving. Nonetheless, the combination of regulatory pressure,
technological advances and growing demand for affordable storage is creating
favourable conditions for second life deployment.
IEC is leading the way on standards for reuse
The IEC has developed a comprehensive suite of standards
addressing reuse, repurposing, safety and environmental performance. “One of
the roles of TC 21 is to standardize second life aspects of batteries,
including preparation for dismantling and recycling,” explains Dittrich.
The recently published IEC 63338 provides
general guidance on the reuse and repurposing of secondary cells
and batteries, covering safety risks associated with lithium‑ion and
nickel systems, suitability assessment and manufacturer warnings, as well as
sets out general requirements for repurposing secondary cells, modules, packs
and systems. IEC 62933‑4‑4 addresses environmental requirements
for battery‑based energy storage systems using reused batteries,
while IEC 62933‑5‑3 specifies safety requirements for grid‑integrated
energy storage systems.
“We also have worked on IEC
TR 63330‑2, a technical report on the repurposing of secondary batteries,”
Dittrich adds. “That work focuses on classifying batteries for second life
applications and determining whether they are safe enough to be reused. The
challenge is that you often don’t know what happened to a battery during its
first life, so the group is developing non‑destructive methods to assess
condition.”
Down the road, the TC is looking at developing another
potential standard. “We are also planning a quality management standard for
companies dismantling EV batteries down to module level and reassembling them
for applications such as stationary energy storage. It is still at a
preliminary work item stage. Before moving forward on this work, we need to
expand our scope as it currently doesn’t include management systems,” Dittrich
says.
IEC example of battery reuse on the ground
The IEC Impact Alliance is partnering with organizations
which can help the IEC turn the value of the work it does in electrical,
electronic and ICT standards and conformity assessment into tangible
benefits for the communities who need them most. An example is the work
with Differ Community
Power (DCP), an international provider of solar energy services. The
project in rural Kenya repurposes used electric car batteries to revive dead or
dormant solar panels at local schools and health centres. This scalable project
connects communities and reduces e-waste at the same time. It brings
long-lasting benefits to everyone, empowering local people to maintain their
solar systems by training them on best practices through the use of
international standards and conformity assessment.
Enforcing digital transparency
Digital passports are a separate approach which could
potentially give all the information required about the first life of a
battery. The IEC and ISO have established a joint committee, ISO/IEC JTC 5, to
develop the global framework for Digital Product Passports (DPPs). A DPP is
a digital record that stores key information about a product’s
origins, repairability, and recycling instructions. (Read more on this topic in
the interview with IEC/ISO JTC 5 Chair.)In Europe, the EU Batteries Regulation
(2023/1542) embeds circularity across the battery lifecycle
and mandates Digital Battery Passports for EV and
industrial batteries from 2027 onwards.
The Global Battery Alliance Battery Passport initiative
complements this work, providing ESG benchmarks, carbon footprint methodologies
and digital infrastructure for supply chain transparency.
“The DPP requires two things,” explains Dittrich. “First, an
IT system capable of handling all the data: access rights, data storage, who
can read or write what. The European Commission issued a standardization
request for this and the European standardization organization CEN-CENELEC has now published five
standards covering the IT architecture for DPPs across multiple sectors - not
just batteries, but textiles, construction and more.
“Batteries are the first product category being used to test
the concept. The second part is battery‑specific data. For that, there is no
standardization request. The Commission has instead issued guidance documents
describing the required data points for the battery passport. A key element of
the passport is the state of health of the battery, which is essential for
determining whether a battery can transition from first life to second life.”
Evolution of the technology
Technological advances are improving the feasibility of
second life deployment. AI‑driven diagnostics enable faster and more accurate
grading of used batteries. Modular pack designs simplify disassembly and
repurposing.
Advanced battery management systems improve
safety and performance in second‑life applications. Hydrometallurgical and direct recycling methods are
becoming more efficient, reducing the environmental impact of end‑of‑life
processing. Hybrid energy systems combining batteries with
hydrogen or thermal storage offer new pathways for resilience and
sustainability.
Other IEC Technical Committees play important roles relating
to battery standards. IEC
TC 120, responsible for electrical energy storage systems, developed IEC 62933-5-4, which specifies safety test
methods for lithium‑ion battery‑based systems. IEC
TC 111, which focuses on environmental standardization, has issued IEC 63395,
addressing sustainable e‑waste management and extended producer responsibility.
The IEC Advisory Committee for Environmental Aspects (ACEA) monitors key environmental challenges, including
material efficiency and e‑waste, ensuring that standardization keeps pace with
emerging issues.
Second‑life batteries are poised to become a
cornerstone of the circular economy. They extend battery life, reduce
waste, support renewable energy and unlock new value pools across the power
sector. Standards developed by IEC TC 21 and its subcommittee, SC
21A, provide the technical foundation for repurposing across global
markets. They ensure that repurposed batteries meet stringent safety,
performance, and environmental criteria, enabling manufacturers, integrators
and operators to deploy second‑life systems with confidence.
No comments:
Post a Comment