Ministry of Industry and Information Technology: Will further improve the management system for recycling and utilization of power batteries for new energy vehicles

In its letter of reply to Proposal No. 1257 (No. 174, Industry, Communications, Post and Telecommunications) of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will further improve the management system for the recycling and utilization of power batteries for new energy vehicles, and accelerate the release of urgently needed national standards such as requirements for cascade utilization, product labeling, and discharge specifications. The Ministry of Science and Technology will organize and implement key projects such as "New Energy Vehicles" and "Comprehensive Control of Air, Soil and Groundwater Pollution" in the "14th Five-Year Plan" National Key R&D Program, carry out technical research on the cascade application of power batteries, focus on the study of the safety evolution of cascade utilization batteries and systems, fault diagnosis and monitoring technology, study the rapid detection and evaluation methods and evaluation index system of the residual value of retired batteries, and establish technical specifications for the cascade application of retired batteries.

The following is the original text

Reply to Proposal No. 1257 (No. 174 in the Industry, Transportation, Post and Telecommunications Category) of the Fourth Session of the Thirteenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

Member He Runsheng:

We have received your proposal on supporting the development of new energy vehicles and the recycling of retired batteries. After consulting the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, we now respond as follows:

New energy vehicles are the main direction of transformation and upgrading of the global automotive industry and green development, and are also a strategic choice for my country's automotive industry to achieve carbon dioxide emission reduction targets and high-quality development. In recent years, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, all parties concerned have worked together to promote the development of my country's new energy vehicle industry and achieved positive results. In 2020, the production and sales of new energy vehicles reached 1.366 million and 1.367 million respectively, up 7.5% and 10.9% year-on-year respectively, ranking first in the world for six consecutive years. So far, a total of more than 6.5 million vehicles have been promoted, accounting for about 50% of the global market share, and the industry has achieved a certain leading advantage worldwide. Power batteries are an important part of new energy vehicles and have played an important supporting role in the development of the new energy vehicle industry.

1. On strengthening the links between industry, academia and research in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and using special finance to help tackle new energy technology

In order to vigorously promote the coordinated development of the entire industrial chain of new energy vehicles, relevant departments have successively carried out a lot of work: First, strengthen planning guidance. Our ministry, together with 12 departments including the Central Finance Office, compiled the "New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2021-2035)", which was issued by the General Office of the State Council in October 2020. It clearly proposed strategic tasks such as "building a new industrial ecology" and "promoting industrial integration and development", and highlighted the coordinated development requirements of key links in the industrial chain, including solutions, R&D and production, use guarantees, and operation services. Second, build a collaborative research platform. Our ministry approved the construction of the Power Battery Innovation Center and the Intelligent Connected Vehicle Innovation Center, which will bring together upstream and downstream enterprises such as complete vehicles, power batteries, and key electronic components, build a cross-industry and cross-field collaborative innovation platform, and jointly create a hub and ecosystem for industrial collaborative innovation. Third, strengthen technological innovation. The Ministry of Science and Technology and our ministry, etc., have organized and implemented the "New Energy Vehicle" key project of the National Key R&D Plan, the industrial base reconstruction, and the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry. From basic science to common key technologies, system integration, and demonstration applications, we have built an integrated, full-chain R&D system and achieved a series of innovative results. Fourth, promote the development of industrial clusters. Our department organized the construction of national new industrialization industry demonstration bases and supported the creation of 23 national new industrialization industry demonstration bases in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. At the same time, our department started the cultivation of advanced manufacturing clusters in 2019, and selected a number of advanced manufacturing clusters as cultivation targets through competition. Many clusters in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area won the finals in the fields of new generation information communication, advanced battery materials, etc.

In the next step, our department will thoroughly implement the "New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2021-2035)", and based on the experience of promoting the coordinated development of regional industrial chains through platform creation and project support, support the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to optimize the layout of the industrial chain, develop high value-added industries such as new generation information and communications, and accelerate cluster development. Through channels such as industrial base reconstruction and special projects for high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, we will continue to promote the key core technologies of new energy vehicles and intelligent networked vehicles in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, make up for shortcomings, strengthen strengths, and support the solution of "stuck neck" problems.

2. On continuing to improve the ecology of power battery recycling and increasing channels for Macau to participate in battery recycling

Relevant departments attach great importance to the cascade utilization and recycling of power batteries, and have mainly carried out the following work: First, establish a management system. In April 2020, the 17th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress revised and passed the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Environmental Pollution by Solid Wastes", which clearly stated that producers of automotive power batteries and other products should establish a waste product recycling system that matches the product sales volume by self-construction or entrustment in accordance with regulations. Our department has successively issued policy documents such as the "Interim Measures for the Management of Recycling and Utilization of Power Batteries for New Energy Vehicles" and the "Interim Provisions on the Management of Recycling and Utilization of Power Batteries for New Energy Vehicles", built a national platform for traceability management, and established a sound power battery recycling system. The second is to improve the standard system. Our department is actively building a standard system for the recycling and utilization of power batteries. It has formulated and issued 7 national standards such as coding rules and residual energy detection, and 3 standards such as cascade utilization requirements are about to be issued; organize the Power Battery Alliance and others to study and formulate more than 20 group standards such as cascade battery pack inspection methods. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment organized the preparation of the "Technical Specifications for Pollution Control of Waste Lithium-ion Power Batteries (Draft for Comments)" and solicited public opinions in June 2020. The standard stipulates the requirements for pollution control, pollutant emission control and operating environment management in the dismantling, burning, crushing, sorting and material recovery of waste lithium-ion power batteries. The third is to cultivate benchmark enterprises. Our department implemented the "Industry Standard Conditions for Comprehensive Utilization of Waste Power Batteries of New Energy Vehicles" and the announcement management measures, and guided the cultivation of more than 20 leading and recycling enterprises. Actively welcome and support Macao enterprises to apply in accordance with the "Industry Standard Conditions for Comprehensive Utilization of Waste Power Batteries of New Energy Vehicles", and those who meet the conditions will be publicly announced, actively participate in the recycling and utilization of power batteries and make positive contributions. The fourth is to promote technological innovation. During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, our department used the green manufacturing financial funds project to support power battery recycling enterprises, focusing on breakthroughs in key technologies such as intelligent disassembly and reorganization of retired batteries and performance testing. The fifth is to carry out pilot demonstrations. Organize 17 regions including Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei and China Tower Corporation to promote pilot work and form a diversified recycling model combining online and offline. A number of cascade utilization demonstration projects have been built in the fields of energy storage and backup power, promoting the formation of a number of cascade utilization business models and recycling technologies such as "renting instead of selling". We also welcome Macao enterprises to actively participate in the pilot demonstration of power battery recycling.