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One of the regulation’s most impactful measures—the digital battery passport—is set to launch in 2027. This tool will provide comprehensive visibility into each battery’s life cycle, enhancing transparency, supporting environmental sustainability, and improving operational efficiency throughout the value chain.

What Is the Digital Battery Passport?

The digital battery passport is an electronic document designed to compile and present essential information about a battery’s life cycle. It includes data ranging from the manufacturer and raw materials to the battery’s carbon footprint, recyclability, and maintenance history.

Each light mobility device (LMT) battery, every industrial battery with a capacity exceeding 2 kWh, and each electric vehicle battery will be assigned a unique identifier, accessible via a QR code affixed directly to the battery.

When a battery reaches the end of its service life and is recycled, its digital passport is closed. This ensures that the battery’s journey is documented from start to finish, enabling better oversight, safer handling, and more efficient material reuse.

“The battery passport makes the entire battery life cycle visible. It is a tool for transparency and responsibility, but also a tool for knowledge management,” explains Saara Haapamäki, Manager – ESG Advisory, KPMG.

EU’s Goal: A Responsible and Traceable Battery Chain

The primary purpose of the battery passport is to ensure that batteries meet the EU’s stringent environmental and safety requirements throughout their life cycle. It also establishes a harmonised reporting framework across all member states, enabling consistent data collection and regulatory compliance. 

The passport’s data is divided into two categories: Public information, including the manufacturer, battery category, battery capacity, material composition, and sustainability information (e.g., carbon footprint and responsible sourcing).

Restricted information, such as battery condition, usage cycles, battery history, disposal instructions, and safety data. This information is accessible only to authorised entities, such as regulators and certified service providers.

“This is not just a technical system, but a change in the entire industry's operating model. The regulation challenges companies to look at where materials come from and how information flows through the value chain,” Haapamäki emphasises.

New Obligations for Industry Players

Implementing the battery passport will require significant changes to how companies manage reporting and data systems. Manufacturers, importers, and distributors will be responsible for ensuring that every battery they place on the market has an up-to-date, properly maintained digital passport. This obligation introduces new requirements for digital infrastructure, data integration, and supply chain collaboration.

“For many companies, this means investing in new systems and processes. At the same time, it offers an opportunity to improve data management, supply chain predictability, and the ability to demonstrate responsibility,” Haapamäki notes.

The battery passport also makes it more difficult to procure raw materials anonymously from open markets. Every material and component must be traceable back to its origin, which enhances transparency but also increases administrative workload.

“A clear understanding of the stages in the battery supply chain helps to find solutions for reducing emissions and the carbon footprint,” Haapamäki adds.

Enabling Circularity and New Business Models

The battery passport plays a key role in facilitating recycling and reuse processes. It also empowers consumers by increasing awareness of the environmental impact of batteries, enabling more informed and responsible purchasing decisions.

By improving the traceability of materials, the passport supports the availability of critical raw materials and helps reduce cost pressures. It encourages the development of new service models, maintenance solutions, aftermarket services, and value-chain optimisation strategies.

“Companies that can demonstrate responsibility and traceability can gain a competitive advantage and strengthen their position in partner networks,” says Haapamäki.

The passport can accelerate the adoption of circular economy principles by enabling:

• Battery reuse and refurbishment

• Lifecycle-based service offerings

• Rental and subscription models

• responsible consumer choices

Companies that strategically leverage battery passport data can optimise material flows, reduce operational risks, and build trust with stakeholders. The passport transforms responsibility from a vague concept into a measurable and commercially viable asset.

Maintenance: Safety and Efficiency Through Data

In industrial settings, the battery passport introduces a new dimension to maintenance operations. When a technician scans the battery’s QR code, they gain access to real-time information about the battery’s structure, disassembly instructions, component composition, and safety guidelines.

“The battery passport is a practical aid for maintenance teams. It helps identify risks before maintenance work and enables monitoring of the battery's condition throughout its life cycle,” Haapamäki explains.

This data streamlines maintenance planning, enhances safety, and supports predictive maintenance strategies. By tracking usage cycles and performance metrics, companies can schedule maintenance more accurately and extend equipment's service life.

However, to fully benefit from the battery passport, companies must adapt their internal processes and IT systems not only to read it but also to update it with new data. This requires close collaboration between maintenance and IT departments but offers improved visibility and security throughout the production chain.

Environmental Impact and Sustainable Development

From an environmental perspective, the battery passport represents a significant step forward. It helps ensure that valuable raw materials—such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt—are recovered and reused rather than lost. By documenting the origin and composition of materials, recycling can be conducted more safely and efficiently.

“When the origin and composition of materials are known, recycling can be done more safely and efficiently. At the same time, the carbon footprint of the entire value chain can be monitored and reduced,” Haapamäki explains.

The passport also helps mitigate the risks associated with unethical mining practices and supports the EU’s broader goal of creating a more sustainable and self-sufficient battery materials sector. Transparency and data bring both environmental benefits and business advantages—two goals that have traditionally been seen as conflicting.

A Cultural Shift in Industry

Haapamäki states that by 2027 at the latest, the battery passport will be an essential part of everyday industrial operations.

“This is part of a larger change in which sustainability is no longer a separate area but an integral part of business. The battery passport makes it visible and measurable,” Haapamäki concludes.

As the industry adapts to this new framework, companies that embrace the battery passport early will be better positioned to meet regulatory requirements, build resilient supply chains, and lead the transition toward a more sustainable future.

Digital Battery Passport – At a Glance

What is it? An electronic document that tracks a battery’s life cycle—from production and use to recycling.
When is it coming? Mandatory in the EU starting February 18, 2027, under the EU Batteries Regulation (EUBR).
Applies to
• Electric vehicle batteries
• Industrial batteries, with a capacity greater than 2 kWh
• Light means of transport batteries
Why is it important?
✔ Increases transparency and
accountability
✔ Improves safety and maintenance efficiency
✔ Facilitates recycling and material traceability
✔ Supports sustainability and circular economy goals
How does it work? Each battery has a QR code that links to its digital passport. When the battery is decommissioned and recycled, the passport is closed.

Digital Battery Passport – At a Glance

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The battery passport is more than just a technical system—it's a cultural change for the entire industry." – Saara Haapamäki, ESG Advisory Manager, KPMG

What is it? An electronic document that tracks a battery’s life cycle—from production and use to recycling.
When is it coming? Mandatory in the EU starting February 18, 2027, under the EU Batteries Regulation (EUBR).
Applies to
• Electric vehicle batteries
• Industrial batteries, with a capacity greater than 2 kWh
• Light means of transport batteries
Why is it important?
✔ Increases transparency and
accountability
✔ Improves safety and maintenance efficiency
✔ Facilitates recycling and material traceability
✔ Supports sustainability and circular economy goals
How does it work? Each battery has a QR code that links to its digital passport. When the battery is decommissioned and recycled, the passport is closed.

Text: NINA GARLO-MELKAS Photo: Shutterstock