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Sustainable Battery Manufacturing: A New "Greenprint" for the Battery Value Chain

Sustainable Battery Manufacturing: A New "Greenprint" for the Battery Value Chain

The EU Battery Regulation is turning sustainability from a compliance exercise into a design decision. This guide, from Minviro and Worley, explains how to build lower-impact batteries and prove it, from raw material extraction to the battery passport.

The EU Battery Regulation is turning sustainability from a compliance exercise into a design decision. This guide, from Minviro and Worley, explains how to build lower-impact batteries and prove it, from raw material extraction to the battery passport.

The EU Battery Regulation is turning sustainability from a compliance exercise into a design decision. This guide, from Minviro and Worley, explains how to build lower-impact batteries and prove it, from raw material extraction to the battery passport.

Worley

Worley

IN SUMMARY

Designing for sustainability before the first tonne of ore is mined

Designing for sustainability before the first tonne of ore is mined

Battery demand is set to climb from around 1 TWh in 2023 to nearly 7 TWh by 2030, and with it comes scrutiny of the environmental footprint of every stage in the value chain. The EU Battery Regulation, in force since August 2023, makes carbon footprint declarations, due diligence and the battery passport mandatory in phased stages, starting with EVs. In this joint paper, Minviro and Worley argue that meeting these requirements is not just about measuring impact after the fact. The real opportunity is to design lower-impact batteries from project inception, and to be able to prove it.

Battery demand is set to climb from around 1 TWh in 2023 to nearly 7 TWh by 2030, and with it comes scrutiny of the environmental footprint of every stage in the value chain. The EU Battery Regulation, in force since August 2023, makes carbon footprint declarations, due diligence and the battery passport mandatory in phased stages, starting with EVs. In this joint paper, Minviro and Worley argue that meeting these requirements is not just about measuring impact after the fact. The real opportunity is to design lower-impact batteries from project inception, and to be able to prove it.

Battery demand is set to climb from around 1 TWh in 2023 to nearly 7 TWh by 2030, and with it comes scrutiny of the environmental footprint of every stage in the value chain. The EU Battery Regulation, in force since August 2023, makes carbon footprint declarations, due diligence and the battery passport mandatory in phased stages, starting with EVs. In this joint paper, Minviro and Worley argue that meeting these requirements is not just about measuring impact after the fact. The real opportunity is to design lower-impact batteries from project inception, and to be able to prove it.

  • Materials are the footprint. As manufacturing electricity decarbonises, the impact of producing and processing battery materials does not fall at the same rate, and by mid-century could account for over half of an entire vehicle's footprint. Anode and cathode materials are the biggest contributors and the biggest opportunity.

  • Materials are the footprint. As manufacturing electricity decarbonises, the impact of producing and processing battery materials does not fall at the same rate, and by mid-century could account for over half of an entire vehicle's footprint. Anode and cathode materials are the biggest contributors and the biggest opportunity.

  • Materials are the footprint. As manufacturing electricity decarbonises, the impact of producing and processing battery materials does not fall at the same rate, and by mid-century could account for over half of an entire vehicle's footprint. Anode and cathode materials are the biggest contributors and the biggest opportunity.

  • Compliance is now mandatory and phased. The EU Battery Regulation requires carbon footprint declarations, due diligence, traceability and a digital battery passport, with EV batteries regulated first from February 2025.

  • Compliance is now mandatory and phased. The EU Battery Regulation requires carbon footprint declarations, due diligence, traceability and a digital battery passport, with EV batteries regulated first from February 2025.

  • Compliance is now mandatory and phased. The EU Battery Regulation requires carbon footprint declarations, due diligence, traceability and a digital battery passport, with EV batteries regulated first from February 2025.

  • Design beats retrofit. Identifying environmental hotspots through LCA at the pre-feasibility stage allows them to be designed out cheaply. Discovering them after an investment decision or once a facility is operational can lock producers into high-impact products.

  • Design beats retrofit. Identifying environmental hotspots through LCA at the pre-feasibility stage allows them to be designed out cheaply. Discovering them after an investment decision or once a facility is operational can lock producers into high-impact products.

  • Design beats retrofit. Identifying environmental hotspots through LCA at the pre-feasibility stage allows them to be designed out cheaply. Discovering them after an investment decision or once a facility is operational can lock producers into high-impact products.

Why battery materials are the real footprint challenge

Electric vehicles deliver a climate advantage over internal combustion engines over their lifetime, but their footprint is still significant, driven by the material- and energy-intensive processes in battery supply chains. As clean energy and manufacturing efficiency improve, the EV footprint will fall, but the contribution from producing and processing battery materials does not improve at the same rate. By the middle of the century, materials could account for more than half of a vehicle's footprint. Anode and cathode active materials are the highest contributors to a battery pack's impact, which also makes them the greatest opportunity for reduction through careful choices of processing technology, material origin and facility location. As Minviro's earlier NMC-811 analysis showed, choosing low-impact materials can cut a pack's footprint substantially.

Electric vehicles deliver a climate advantage over internal combustion engines over their lifetime, but their footprint is still significant, driven by the material- and energy-intensive processes in battery supply chains. As clean energy and manufacturing efficiency improve, the EV footprint will fall, but the contribution from producing and processing battery materials does not improve at the same rate. By the middle of the century, materials could account for more than half of a vehicle's footprint. Anode and cathode active materials are the highest contributors to a battery pack's impact, which also makes them the greatest opportunity for reduction through careful choices of processing technology, material origin and facility location. As Minviro's earlier NMC-811 analysis showed, choosing low-impact materials can cut a pack's footprint substantially.

What the EU Battery Regulation requires

The EU Battery Regulation applies to every battery placed on the EU market, regardless of country of origin, and reaches across the whole supply chain rather than just final assembly. Its core requirements include minimum recycled content targets for cobalt, lead, lithium and nickel; mandatory due diligence reporting on environmental and social impacts; traceability across each life cycle stage; labelling and reporting for transparency; and a digital battery passport recording the battery's performance and sustainability data. The provisions arrive in phases, with EV batteries first and a carbon footprint declaration required before a battery passport. For anyone in the value chain, the practical questions are whether you understand your product's footprint against alternatives, whether you have chosen a low-impact route, whether you can prove it, and whether you can improve it.

The EU Battery Regulation applies to every battery placed on the EU market, regardless of country of origin, and reaches across the whole supply chain rather than just final assembly. Its core requirements include minimum recycled content targets for cobalt, lead, lithium and nickel; mandatory due diligence reporting on environmental and social impacts; traceability across each life cycle stage; labelling and reporting for transparency; and a digital battery passport recording the battery's performance and sustainability data. The provisions arrive in phases, with EV batteries first and a carbon footprint declaration required before a battery passport. For anyone in the value chain, the practical questions are whether you understand your product's footprint against alternatives, whether you have chosen a low-impact route, whether you can prove it, and whether you can improve it.

Designing for lower impact, not just measuring it

ESG assessment usually happens during planning and permitting, but too often as a compliance step to quantify impact rather than as an active design activity to engineer it down. Bringing LCA into project planning changes that. When a high-impact chemical or process is identified as a hotspot at the pre-feasibility stage, there is still time and budget to explore lower-impact alternatives. Gain the same insight after an investment decision, and re-routing the supply chain to avoid the hotspot is often uneconomical, locking the producer into an impactful product. This is the central argument of the greenprint: the cheapest emissions to remove are the ones designed out before capital is committed.

ESG assessment usually happens during planning and permitting, but too often as a compliance step to quantify impact rather than as an active design activity to engineer it down. Bringing LCA into project planning changes that. When a high-impact chemical or process is identified as a hotspot at the pre-feasibility stage, there is still time and budget to explore lower-impact alternatives. Gain the same insight after an investment decision, and re-routing the supply chain to avoid the hotspot is often uneconomical, locking the producer into an impactful product. This is the central argument of the greenprint: the cheapest emissions to remove are the ones designed out before capital is committed.

Turning LCA data into competitive advantage

For now, the EU Battery Regulation is widely treated as a cost of doing business, with no direct economic reward for beating the minimum standards. That is likely to change. Some companies are already taking low- or zero-carbon positions for future products, expecting a price premium for lower-impact materials, much as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is beginning to create. Beyond any premium, the data itself is an advantage: understanding the cost and footprint of different supply chain routes lets producers design supply chains that fit each end market, reduce costs, and differentiate on sustainability. This is where Minviro and Worley combine, pairing LCA-driven assessment with the engineering to deliver lower-impact assets, so companies can both prove their footprint and improve it.

For now, the EU Battery Regulation is widely treated as a cost of doing business, with no direct economic reward for beating the minimum standards. That is likely to change. Some companies are already taking low- or zero-carbon positions for future products, expecting a price premium for lower-impact materials, much as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is beginning to create. Beyond any premium, the data itself is an advantage: understanding the cost and footprint of different supply chain routes lets producers design supply chains that fit each end market, reduce costs, and differentiate on sustainability. This is where Minviro and Worley combine, pairing LCA-driven assessment with the engineering to deliver lower-impact assets, so companies can both prove their footprint and improve it.

Build a battery supply chain that's ready to prove and improve

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Anna Broughton

Strategic Accounts Manager at Minviro

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