Product-Category Rules (PCR) for Preparing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Lithium-ion Secondary Battery Pack

Based on the latest report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the UN, the greenhouse effect results in climate change and impacts human survival significantly. Product carbon footprints have become a hot issue of great concern for industry.

The product carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the process of acquisition of material, production and manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal of a product. The disclosure of carbon footprints not only provides information of products, but also a method for finding carbon reduction hot spots.

Trend Power participated in the establishment of the "Lithium-ion Secondary Battery Pack Product Category Rules". The purpose is to have a foundation for consistent comparison for the environmental declaration after quantifying the environmental impacts of products with the same functions. This PCR is applicable to all lithium-ion secondary battery packs produced and manufactured worldwide. The Commodity Classification Codes (CCC Codes) are as follows:

  • 85076000107 Mobile battery packs with lithium-ion storage batteries
  • 85076000900 Other lithium-ion storage batteries

It is expected that the requirements of this PCR will use the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) of third category products pursuant to ISO 14025.
 

Product-Category Rules (PCR) Establishment Process

Stakeholder Meeting

The PCR was established by Trend Power Technology Private Limited Taiwan Branch (Singapore), and the Taiwan Battery Association invited the major manufacturers in Taiwan and the representatives from the stakeholder groups to hold explanation and consulting meetings of stakeholders in Taiwan on May 19, 2022, for public negotiation and discussion.

Stakeholders Meeting

The expert review meeting for the PCR of "lithium-ion secondary battery pack" was convened on May 25, 2022.

EPD-PCR Announcement

The new version of "EPD-PCR for Li-ion Secondary Battery Pack" has been announced on the Environmental Footprint Website of the Bureau of Industry. (https://www.idbcfp.org.tw/detail.aspx?nid=2260)

 

EPD Type III Environmental Declaration

The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is based on the characteristics of the product life cycle and provides consumers with quantifiable and comparable environmental performance according to the ISO 14025: Environmental Labels and Declarations. Trend Power formulated the product category rule (PCR) for "Lithium-ion Secondary Battery Pack EPD” in 2022 as a common calculation benchmark for the industry, and at the same time complete the Backup Battery Unit (BBU) module Type III Environmental Declaration, becoming the world's first case of BBU passing third-party EPD verification. And the verification has been extended in 2023. ((https://spot.ul.com/)

Task 1: Developing industrial environmental declaration standards

A new version of the Lithium-ion Secondary Battery Pack EPD- PCR was completed and announced on the website of the Industrial Development Bureau for environmental footprints.

Task 2: Conducting product life cycle assessment according to PCR

The quantification of the BBU environmental impact was completed with the third-party UL verification passed (ISO 14025)