Experts: Peter Krummenacher (BloqSens AG)
What has long since been standard practice for humans will soon apply to batteries too – identification by means of a passport. In future, this will make their origin, usage and service life transparent and, despite its small size, will have a big impact. There’s more to this solution than mere bureaucracy. Swiss technology is paving the way to a genuine circular economy.
Picture: BloqSens AG
Batteries have become an indispensable part of our lives: toys, fitness trackers, smart device controls, electric vehicles, home storage systems – small button cells and large lithium-ion batteries provide energy anytime and anywhere. They are an integral part of digital healthcare solutions and the energy transition. But batteries come with challenges. A great deal is unclear about batteries – for example, raw material sources, processed materials, residual capacity, battery ageing and the number of charging cycles. As the number of batteries in use increases, questions relating to second use and recycling are coming into focus. The question of transparency is also becoming increasingly important.
The EU wants to lead by example and ensure transparency when it comes to batteries. It is therefore introducing a digital passport for batteries with a capacity of 2 kilowatt hours or above as part of the Battery Regulation – the Digital Battery Passport (DBP), from 2027. This affects batteries for electric vehicles, cargo bikes and other specialised e-bikes, as well as domestic storage systems, but not batteries for standard e-bikes, watches and remote controls.
It has not yet been conclusively defined which data should be recorded in the battery passport – according to the current status, there are likely to be around 100 data points. One thing that is certain is that the DBP will contain information about manufacturing – such as raw materials and their sources, materials used, supply chains and CO₂ emissions. The DBP should also include dynamic data such as the number of charging cycles, residual capacity, repair work and maintenance cycles that changes over a battery’s life. Such information is relevant for resale and second use, but also for safety.
The battery passport must therefore be issued at the level of each individual battery and not just once for a product type. BloqSens, a Biel-based start-up, is rising to this challenge and developing its very own software solutions for digital passports. Peter Krummenacher, CEO of BloqSens, summed up the situation: “The DBP is an electronic dataset that brings together comprehensive information about a battery, its manufacture and its life history in one place and makes it available to various stakeholders.”
There are two major challenges that need to be overcome. On the one hand, not every player in the value chain should have unrestricted access to the data. Decentralised data storage in the blockchain solves this challenge, because blockchain guarantees tamper-proofing and enables transparency and traceability. Another advantage of blockchain is automation through smart contracts, which automatically execute certain processes when predefined conditions are met. BloqSens uses the Internet Computer Protocol (ICP), a special form of blockchain that uses optimised consensus mechanisms compared to Bitcoin and Ethereum and consumes significantly less energy.
On the other hand, the DBP does more than just store static data about the battery. It also records dynamic values such as charging and maintenance cycles. This means that it requires more than just interfaces through which the manufacturer can transfer data to the DBP. Another interface is required to read data directly from the battery management system and display it in the passport. The data is effectively supplied by the battery itself.
The DBP enables transparency along the value chain. Manufacturing companies must disclose which materials were used, the conditions under which the battery was manufactured and the associated environmental impacts. Greenwashing becomes more difficult, as verifiable data as opposed to vague promises form the basis of this. Recycling companies also benefit, as the DBP includes important information about reuse and disposal.
At the same time, the battery passport strengthens trust in products because it provides information about battery quality and thus resale value. Electric vehicles in the used car market also benefit from this.
There are still a number of obstacles standing in the way of widespread implementation. For manufacturing companies, it is likely to be a major challenge to collect the corresponding data, for example on CO₂ emissions, along the entire value chain, to observe data protection regulations and to manage access rights. “Issuing battery passports cannot be left to the IT department alone,” commented Peter Krummenachere. “We need specialists.”
From 2027, digital passports for other product groups such as textiles, toys and furniture should follow. The DBP will become a DPP – a Digital Product Passport. However, the regulations in the EU and their transposition into Swiss law are not yet finalised for all product groups. But the DPP can be more than just a technical necessity. For companies, it is an opportunity to position themselves as sustainable in the global market and thus strengthen trust in their brand.
Europe is taking on a pioneering role and significantly strengthening the circular economy with the DPP. Thanks to comprehensive information, products can be reused, repaired or recycled in a more targeted manner, conserving resources and reducing waste. It’s a visually small label that has a big impact.
