A visitor looks at Samsung SDI’s fifth-generation battery for electric cars at the InterBattery 2021 at COEX in Seoul on June 9, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards has announced that the amendment of the Electrical Appliances and Consumer Products Safety Control Act, which includes the legal basis for the reuse of retired electric vehicle (EV) batteries, passed at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The new legislation, which enters effect in October next year, carries the legal basis for reusing retired EV batteries in energy storage systems (ESS) instead of scrapping them.
It stipulates the rules on mandatory safety checks, an indication of the safety check, selection of a safety check agency and follow-up management, and mandatory insurance subscription for safety check agencies.
The Ministry of Environment estimated that the number of retired EV batteries generated every year will increase from 275 in 2020 to 31,700 in 2025 and 107,500 in 2030.
The industry had been criticizing the government for a lack of a safety check institution, which had blocked entry into the market for reusing retired EV batteries.
The agency plans to draw up standards for the selection of a safety check agency in order to ensure that safety checks are conducted properly.
It also plans to develop software-based safety check methods to expedite the safety check process and save costs.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
