▲ Groundbreaking ceremony for the used electric vehicle battery recycling cluster (Photo source: Gyeongsangbuk-do)

Integrated control tower for the national used battery industry...Building a foundation for a circular economy
Used Battery Recycling Cluster to be Designated and Announced as Green Convergence Cluster

Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is holding a groundbreaking ceremony for a used battery resource recycling cluster and is starting to fully implement its plan to emerge as a base for national battery resource recycling and the core of an eco-friendly green industry ecosystem.

On the 5th, Gyeongsangbuk-do held a groundbreaking ceremony for the used battery resource recycling cluster at the Pohang Blue Valley National Industrial Complex (Gongdang-ri, Donghae-myeon), with approximately 100 people in attendance, including representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Pohang City, Gyeongsangbuk-do Techno Park, and battery-related companies.

The used battery resource recycling cluster is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2025 with a total project cost of KRW 48.9 billion (KRW 45.9 billion from the national budget). It will function as an integrated control tower for the national used battery industry, including the establishment of a recycling technology verification test bed, battery performance and safety testing/certification, green finance support, and training of recycling experts.

The used battery resource recycling cluster consists of a promotion facility (Comprehensive Information Support Center) and a research facility (Resource Recycling Research Center).

The Comprehensive Information Support Center will be used as a space for corporate networks by constructing rental offices, conference halls, etc., and the Resource Recycling Research Center will be used as a space for demonstration and testing evaluation of recycling preprocessing and wastewater treatment.

Also, the Ministry of Environment enacted it in 2021 According to the 'Act on the Creation and Promotion of Green Convergence Clusters (hereinafter referred to as the Green Convergence Cluster Act)', the used battery resource recycling cluster is expected to be designated and announced as a green convergence cluster by the end of 2023 at the earliest.

According to the Green Convergence Cluster Act, the state and local governments can provide various support to cluster resident companies, such as reductions in the usage fees for demonstration facilities and local taxes, which is expected to attract companies related to used batteries and revitalize the industry.

Gyeongbuk Province began a used battery-related business in Pohang in 2019 as the first local government through the Battery Recycling Regulation-Free Special Zone.

In 2021, the 'Secondary Battery Comprehensive Management Center' was completed with only local government funds, and has been functioning as a used battery collection center in the Yeongnam region, leading the battery reuse and recycling industry.

In addition, starting in 2022, we are building an 'Electric Vehicle Used Battery Inline Automatic Evaluation Center' in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and Pohang City to quickly evaluate used batteries, which are expected to increase rapidly in the future, and determine whether they can be reused or recycled.

Through this, Gyeongbuk Province plans to complete the full-cycle infrastructure related to used batteries (collection-storage-performance evaluation and grade classification-reuse/recycling) for the first time in Korea, thereby emerging as a base for national battery resource circulation and the core of an eco-friendly green industry ecosystem.

Meanwhile, at the groundbreaking ceremony held that day, Lee Dal-hee, Vice Governor of Economic Affairs of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, suggested to Minister of Environment Han Hwa-jin that measures be taken to secure industrial water, saying that this year alone, an unprecedented 5.7 trillion won in investments by secondary battery companies are continuing in the Blue Valley National Industrial Complex, which has been designated as a secondary battery advanced strategic industry specialized complex.

In addition, the economic vice-minister said, “The used battery industry is building an eco-friendly resource circulation system to achieve carbon neutrality and secondary batteries. He said, “This is an urban mine that can kill two birds with one stone: securing a strong supply chain for the industry,” and “Gyeongsangbuk-do will spare no effort to secure a global lead in the used battery industry.”

Minister Han Wha-jin, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony that day, said, “Once the electric vehicle battery resource circulation cluster that is breaking ground today is fully operational, it will greatly contribute to the creation of new industries in response to carbon neutrality and the climate crisis, as well as to strengthening the international competitiveness of the battery upstream and downstream industries.”