Fuel Cells, Wind Turbines, and ESS to Be Collected at Regional Collection Centers

Expansion of Criteria for Lithium-ion Battery Recycling
Nickel and Cobalt Content Set at 13% or Higher
Recycled Materials Limited to Domestic Manufacturing Use

Offshore wind power in Yaksu, Yeonggwang, Jeonnam. The Yaksu offshore wind power project has a capacity of 4.3MW and is a pilot project implemented by Jeonnam Development Corporation—the first local public enterprise to do so—located approximately 2.5 km offshore from Baeksu-eup, Yeonggwang-gun. Photo by Hyung Kangjin

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced that, starting from August 21, it will post for public comment until October 1 partial amendments to the “Enforcement Rule of the Waste Management Act” and the “Enforcement Rule of the Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles” (so-called EEE Resource Circulation Act), to promote the circular use of future waste resources such as spent secondary batteries.

The main feature of this enforcement rule amendment is that the functions and roles of regional collection centers, which are being operated nationwide by the ministry, have been significantly expanded.

Firstly, to boost the recycling of lithium-ion batteries, the recognition criteria for recycled raw materials will be broadened; the minimum content will be raised from the previous requirement of 10% nickel content to a combined total of 13% for nickel and cobalt. It will also be clearly stipulated that the raw materials must be used domestically in product manufacturing, thereby promoting domestic production of recycled materials.

In anticipation of increased volumes, a new classification code for “waste secondary batteries for energy storage and backup power” will be established, so that separate statistics can be managed for waste batteries used in energy storage systems (ESS) and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).

The amendment will also extend the waste transportation and storage standards, previously applied only to spent EV secondary batteries, to include waste secondary batteries generated from hybrid vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, construction and agricultural machinery, and electric storage facilities.

For high-risk waste secondary batteries that are damaged or deformed, requirements such as sealed transport containers, containment equipment, and insulation and buffering measures will be implemented to prevent the leakage of hazardous substances as well as the risk of fire or explosion during transport and storage.

The scope of items handled by the collection centers will expand from the former focus on spent EV secondary batteries and solar panel waste to include core components of eco-friendly vehicles and a broad range of renewable energy facilities.

Accordingly, collection centers will now also support operations such as collection, storage, and sale of core parts from electric, hybrid, and hydrogen vehicles—such as drive motors and fuel cells—as well as wind turbine nacelles and blades, and energy storage systems (ESS). The ministry stated, “We will establish facility, equipment, and technical personnel standards for collection centers to ensure a professional operational system that supports circular use tailored to the properties of each type of waste resource.”

The full details of the amendment can be found via the National Legislative Information Center and the official website of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment. The ministry explained that, after gathering feedback from various stakeholders and review by the Ministry of Government Legislation, the enforcement rule of the EEE Resource Circulation Act will take effect on December 10, 2026, while the amendment to the Waste Management Act enforcement rule is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.