Installation of 'Future Waste Resource Hub Collection Centers' in Four Regions Nationwide... Support for Recycling Electric Vehicle Waste Batteries

Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Resource Circulation of Electronic Products Approved at the Cabinet Meeting

Establishment of Hub Collection Centers in Siheung, Gyeonggi (Capital Region); Hongseong, Chungnam (Chungcheong Region); Jeongeup, Jeonbuk (Honam Region); Dalseo, Daegu (Yeongnam Region)
Full-scale Operation from 2022

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] Hub collection centers supporting the recycling of electric vehicle waste batteries will be established in four nationwide regions: Siheung, Gyeonggi (Capital Region); Hongseong, Chungnam (Chungcheong Region); Jeongeup, Jeonbuk (Honam Region); and Dalseo, Daegu (Yeongnam Region).

On the 29th, the Ministry of Environment announced that the partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Resource Circulation of Electrical and Electronic Products and Automobiles was approved at the Cabinet meeting and will be enforced from the 6th of next month.

With the expansion of electric vehicle distribution and the anticipated increase in waste batteries, 17.1 billion KRW will be invested to establish the hub collection centers. These centers will collect waste batteries returned by electric vehicle owners to the government, measure residual value such as remaining capacity and lifespan, and then sell them to the private sector, serving as a distribution base for the recycling system.

The hub collection centers, which began construction in November last year and currently have a progress rate of 93%, will be completed in August, undergo pilot operation, and then be fully operational from 2022 when private sales are permitted.

Currently, waste batteries returned through vehicle scrapping are stored in temporary facilities, but once the hub collection centers are completed, systematic collection, storage, and private supply of waste batteries will be possible.

To promote the recycling of electric vehicle waste batteries, the Ministry of Environment revised the Enforcement Rules of the Waste Management Act last November to newly classify electric vehicle waste batteries as a type of waste and separately established technical and facility standards required for recycling business permits. Recycling methods include simple repair, refurbishment, and reassembly for reuse as energy storage systems (ESS) for solar power facilities or electric bicycle batteries, as well as recycling methods involving crushing, grinding, and extraction processes to recover valuable metals such as cobalt and nickel.

Seo Young-tae, Director of the Resource Recycling Division at the Ministry of Environment, said, "The electric vehicle waste battery recycling industry is seen as an opportunity for innovative growth, and industry interest and investment are active. We will prepare so that the future waste resource hub collection centers can play a pioneering role in the waste battery recycling industry."

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