KWS Seuren and the new EU battery rules: “Safety and transparency are no longer an afterthought”

KWS Seuren is ISO 9001:2015 certified. We set up the quality system with guidance from KAM Consultants. It gives us standardised processes, a fixed way of improving them and transparency towards customers, dealers and insurers.

“We don’t just want to re-cell batteries, we want to do it the right way,” Seuren stresses. “ISO 9001 is a stamp of quality, but it is also proof that we are ready for the new European requirements.”

What the certification means for your battery is explained in our article about ISO 9001.

Lithium-ion batteries need safe storage, and the requirements for it are strict. KWS Seuren stores batteries in line with PGS 37-2, the Dutch guideline for the safe storage of lithium-ion batteries. For this we use shipping containers as fire-resistant compartments, placed within sturdy Legioblock concrete blocks.

“By compartmentalising the containers, we can effectively limit the risks in the event of fire or overheating,” Seuren explains. “PGS 37-2 sets clear requirements for fire resistance, ventilation, detection and the separation of storage areas. We want to lead the way on that, not be overtaken by regulation.”

How we work with the guideline today, from intake and registration to charging, testing, storage and disposal, is set out on our page about PGS 37-2 and working safely with lithium-ion batteries.

At KWS Seuren, discarded batteries are collected responsibly through Stichting OPEN (formerly STIBAT), known in the Netherlands for its Wecycle programme. The batteries are kept in ADR-certified ASP containers, designed for the safe storage and transport of lithium batteries.

These containers are emptied regularly by ADR-certified carriers, so that the entire route, from collection to recycling, meets the legal requirements. “Everything we do is aimed at minimising risks,” says Seuren. “In doing so we follow Stichting OPEN’s procedures to the letter. Safety starts at collection, not only at recycling.”

An important part of the EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542) is the digital battery passport. From 18 February 2027, batteries for light means of transport, such as e-bike batteries, need one when they are placed on the market. A QR code on the battery gives access to a digital file with technical information, origin, composition, safety instructions and recycling instructions.

KWS Seuren is preparing for it: we are building internal registration systems that link cell replacements, cell types and serial numbers to unique battery IDs.

“The battery passport is a big step forward,” says Seuren. “It makes the whole chain more transparent, from producer to recycler. We want our customers to know exactly what is in their battery, how it is built and how it can be processed safely.”

Seuren sees that many companies still underestimate the impact of the new rules. The ILT (Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport, the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate) and bicycle businesses have warned about this as well. “The time for improvising is over,” he says. “The EU regulation prescribes exactly how batteries must be designed, dismantled, stored and registered. Companies that do not get ready for that will run into trouble.”

KWS Seuren sees the stricter rules as an opportunity. Because we invested early in safety, certification and traceability, consumers and business customers, including ENRA Verzekeringen, know they can rely on us for cell replacement.

The developments at KWS Seuren fit a wider trend in the industry: more emphasis on safety, circularity and transparency in the supply chain. “It is not just about complying with rules,” Seuren concludes. “It is about taking responsibility. As a company that re-cells batteries we work with products that are potentially dangerous. Then you have to do everything you can to handle them safely. And in the end that is exactly what customers value: reliability.”