HiQ-LCA - High-Quality Life Cycle Assessment for Battery Industry - Year 1

The HiQ-LCA project, which stands for "High-Quality Life Cycle Assessment for the Battery Industry" (22039) plays a critical role in helping the EU achieve its target of zero emissions from cars. As the market for electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow, it's important to address the environmental impact of batteries, its raw materials and components, which make up a significant part of an EV battery carbon footprint.

In recent years, the EU has increasingly integrated Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into its policies, including the mandatory LCA requirement for new batteries in the Batteries Regulation1, which contains a mandatory LCA for each new battery entering the EU market. In addition, the industry is confronted with a strong societal drive towards responsible sourcing and sustainable production. However, the reliability and representativeness of current data in LCA databases often falls short in terms of reliability and representation.

The HiQ-LCA project aims to solve this problem by creating LCA datasets that are both reliable and transparent. These datasets will help differentiate between different technologies and their associated environmental impacts across their supply chains. This information is highly valuable to industry stakeholders, investors, and regulatory authorities. Based on the improved data, unique LCA services will be created and commercialized via the foundation of a new start-up. These services will include environmental footprint methods, quantification, benchmarking, verification and certification of products and guidance to improve environmental performance. Furthermore, related trainings for industries will be offered. Beginning with batteries, the new startup aspires to become a key partner for materials-based LCA in the future.

Minviro is uniquely positioned to make a key contribution. With our extensive industrial expertise in the battery raw materials supply chain, we are well-equipped to guide the rest of the partners and ensure that the data, services, and training provided by HiQ-LCA are not only reliable but also practical for industry stakeholders. Our insights and guidance will be instrumental in bridging the gap between environmental sustainability and real-world industrial practices.


1. European Parliament and European Council. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries. Official Journal of the European Union 117 (2023).