PRIORITY ACTIONS

1. Secure access to raw materials from resource-rich countries outside the EU.

2. Facilitate the expansion/creation of European sources of raw materials.

3. Secure access to secondary raw materials through recycling in a circular economy of batteries.

4. Support the growth of a cell manufacturing industry, with the smallest environmental footprint possible. This will provide a key competitive and commercial edge against competitors.

5. Create and sustain a cross-value chain ecosystem for batteries. This includes mining, processing, materials design, 2nd life, and recycling within the EU, encouraging cross-sectoral initiatives between academia, research, industry, policy, and the financial community.

6. Ensure the availability of high-quality and high-performance cells for European industries for the purpose of maintaining the competitiveness of several European industries.

7. Front-loading financially, e.g. IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) and/or other financial instruments such as tax incentives, the necessary investments are a must in order to be prepared for demand uptake.

8. Accelerate the process and cut time to market to meet market demand and surpass international competitors.

9. Increase the demand for e-mobility solutions including “yellow machines”.

10. The function of batteries and battery systems must be seen as plurifunctional, in the context of both power and transportation sectors. For ESS, regulation (or absence of regulation) enabling the right business models is crucial.

11. Use incentives to make storage an alternative to conventional grid reinforcement.

12. Enable integration of ESS at all levels of the power system including behind the meter.

13. Create a competitive advantage with constant incremental (e.g. lithium-ion) and disruptive (e.g. solid state) R&I linked to the industrial ecosystem. This applies to all the steps of the value chain (advanced materials, new chemistries, advanced manufacturing process, BMS, recycling, business model innovations).

14. Conduct advanced research in battery chemistry, battery systems, manufacturing and recycling. Increase universities’ output in these areas through the involvement of industrial stakeholders.

15. Attract worldwide talent with lighthouse projects for cell manufacturing. This is necessary because sufficient and key human capital skills are missing in Europe, especially in the field of applied process design.

16. Make Europe attractive for world-class experts and create a competent workforce.

17. At the end of the supply chain there is always a B2C transaction. Public-sector efforts (education in schools, role modelling and so on) should be invested in the general population’s awareness and understanding of the entire value chain so that there is relevant societal appropriation from the start. Fighting to keep the supply chain in Europe will definitely help bridge the gap between the EU citizens and the politicians.

18. Standardise storage-related installations and safety rules, including charging infrastructure, active load compensation and the enabling of vehicle-to-grid solutions.