IEC 63338:2024
(Main)General guidance on reuse and repurposing of secondary cells and batteries
General guidance on reuse and repurposing of secondary cells and batteries
IEC 63338:2024 applies to the reuse and repurposing of secondary lithium ion and nickel-metal hydride cells and batteries after extraction from the application for which they were first placed on the market (hereafter "relevant cells and batteries").
This document does not permit reuse or repurposing of single cells or cell assemblies if battery lifetime traceability data are not recorded. See Clause 4. Swappable batteries such as those used in e-scooters are removed and installed by the user (such as for charging) without conducting a safety assessment (such as battery lifetime traceability data assessment) as part of intended use, which is not considered reuse or repurposing. This document does not cover system component reuse and repurposing. The original manufacturer can be contacted to confirm suitability of components for reuse and repurposing.
The primary purpose of this document is to provide basic guidance on the environmental aspects of reuse and repurposing of relevant cells and batteries; basic guidance on safety risks for the reuse and repurposing of relevant cells and batteries; basic guidance on original manufacturer warning notice on the applicability of a product for reuse or repurposing; and useful information regarding reuse and repurposing and relevant cell and battery regulations and standards to interested parties.
Recommandations générales relatives à la réutilisation et à la réaffectation des accumulateurs et des batteries d’accumulateurs
L'IEC 63338:2024 s’applique à la réutilisation et à la réaffectation des accumulateurs et des batteries d’accumulateurs ion-lithium et au nickel-métal hydrure après leur extraction de l’application de leur première mise sur le marché (ci-après dénommés "éléments et batteries concernés"). Le présent document n’autorise pas la réutilisation ou la réaffectation d’éléments individuels ou d’ensembles d’éléments si les données de traçabilité de la durée de vie des batteries ne sont pas enregistrées. Voir Article 4. Les batteries interchangeables telles que celles utilisées dans les scooters électriques sont retirées et installées par l’utilisateur (par exemple pour être rechargées) sans qu’une évaluation de la sécurité (telle qu’une évaluation des données de traçabilité de la durée de vie des batteries) ne soit effectuée dans le cadre de l’utilisation prévue, ce qui n’est pas considéré comme une réutilisation ou une réaffectation.
L’objectif principal du présent document est de fournir des recommandations de base relatives aux aspects environnementaux de la réutilisation et de la réaffectation des accumulateurs et batteries d’accumulateurs concernés, des recommandations de base relatives aux risques de sécurité liés à la réutilisation et à la réaffectation des accumulateurs et batteries d’accumulateurs concernés, des recommandations de base relatives à l’avertissement du fabricant d’origine concernant l’applicabilité d’un produit à la réutilisation ou à la réaffectation, et des informations utiles concernant la réutilisation et la réaffectation, ainsi que les réglementations et les normes relatives aux accumulateurs et batteries d’accumulateurs concernés pour les parties intéressées.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
IEC 63338 ®
Edition 1.0 2024-08
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
General guidance on reuse and repurposing of secondary cells and batteries
Recommandations générales relatives à la réutilisation et à la réaffectation des
accumulateurs et des batteries d’accumulateurs
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IEC 63338 ®
Edition 1.0 2024-08
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
General guidance on reuse and repurposing of secondary cells and batteries
Recommandations générales relatives à la réutilisation et à la réaffectation des
accumulateurs et des batteries d’accumulateurs
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 29.220.20, 29.220.30, 29.220.99 ISBN 978-2-8322-9417-8
– 2 – IEC 63338:2024 © IEC 2024
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 9
2 Normative references . 9
3 Terms and definitions . 9
4 General considerations . 15
5 Consideration of safety risks associated with reuse and repurposing . 16
5.1 General . 16
5.2 Lithium ion systems . 17
5.2.1 Lithium ion cells . 17
5.2.2 Lithium ion battery systems . 17
5.3 Nickel systems . 18
5.3.1 Nickel-metal hydride cells . 18
5.3.2 Nickel-metal hydride cells and battery systems . 19
6 Considerations for reused or repurposed battery systems . 19
6.1 General . 19
6.2 Determining suitability for reuse or repurposing (based on battery lifetime
traceability data) . 20
6.2.1 General . 20
6.2.2 Battery lifetime traceability data . 21
6.3 Safety evaluation of reused or repurposed batteries . 21
6.4 Reused or repurposed cell and battery operating region . 21
7 Coordination of reuse or repurposing with the original manufacturer . 22
7.1 General . 22
7.2 Warning notice on reuse or repurposing applicability. 22
7.2.1 General . 22
7.2.2 Originally intended reuse or repurposing (according to the original
manufacturer) . 22
7.2.3 Warning notice requesting the original manufacturer's approval for
reuse or repurposing . 22
7.2.4 Absence of warning notice . 22
8 Recommendations for reuse or repurposed application manufacturers. 23
8.1 Removal of original cell or battery label and markings . 23
8.2 Affixation of label or marking specifying reuse or repurposing . 23
8.3 Prerequisites for reuse or repurposed application manufacturers . 23
9 Environmental options if reuse or repurposing is not possible . 23
Annex A (informative) Guidance checklist . 24
Annex B (informative) Reuse and repurposing: relevant reference information . 25
B.1 General . 25
B.2 IEC 63330-1 . 25
B.3 IEC 62933-4-4 . 25
B.4 IEC 62933-5-3 . 26
B.5 UL 1974 . 26
B.6 SAE J2997 (Under development) . 26
B.7 EN 45554 . 26
B.8 National Renewable Energy Laboratory (of the U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy) TP-5400-63332 . 26
B.9 European Commission JRC Technical Report 2018-08-28 . 27
B.10 Ecodesign preparatory Study for Batteries 2020-03-10 . 27
Annex C (informative) Examples of common terms for reuse and repurposing . 28
Bibliography . 29
Figure 1 – Scope of this document . 9
Figure 2 – Battery system configuration example . 18
Figure 3 – Example of protection device installation . 19
Table 1 – Standards on reuse and repurposing of batteries and battery energy storage
systems (BESS) . 7
Table A.1 – Checklist of recommendations before reuse or repurposing of relevant
secondary cells and batteries . 24
Table B.1 – Reuse and repurposing: relevant reference information. 25
Table C.1 – Examples of common terms for reuse and repurposing . 28
– 4 – IEC 63338:2024 © IEC 2024
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
GENERAL GUIDANCE ON REUSE AND REPURPOSING
OF SECONDARY CELLS AND BATTERIES
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
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Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
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3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
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6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
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9) IEC draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
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shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 63338 has been prepared by subcommittee 21A: Secondary cells and batteries containing
alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes, of IEC technical committee 21: Secondary cells and
batteries. It is an International Standard.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
21A/885/FDIS 21A/899/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn, or
• revised.
– 6 – IEC 63338:2024 © IEC 2024
INTRODUCTION
Based on the principles of life cycle thinking (LCT) and environmentally conscious design (ECD),
secondary battery reuse and repurposing are a means to reduce raw material consumption.
However, there are potential safety risks to consider before reusing or repurposing a battery.
These should be thoroughly addressed before considering any kind of reuse or repurposing
operations. Further, it is essential that all reused or repurposed batteries or sub-units of
batteries comply with all safety, transport and product testing at the same level as new battery
products (except tests requiring destructive sampling).
The primary purpose of this document is to provide basic guidance on the environmental
aspects of reuse and repurposing of relevant cells and batteries; basic guidance on safety risks
for the reuse and repurposing of relevant cells and batteries; basic guidance on original
manufacturer warning notice on the applicability of a product for reuse or repurposing; and
useful information regarding reuse and repurposing and relevant cell and battery regulations
and standards to interested parties.
Additionally, various regions and countries are currently developing requirements and
regulations for the reuse and repurposing of secondary cells and batteries, especially those
used for the propulsion of electric road vehicles, after being extracted at their end of life. These
differing requirements and regulations could lead to technical or safety issues in the use of
these batteries. Thus, this document can assist nations and regions in setting up secondary
battery reuse and repurposing regulations.
The expected users of this document are the following: original manufacturers (including cell
and battery or application), qualified reuse and repurposed application manufacturers (e.g. with
approval in writing from the original manufacturer to reuse or repurpose); national, regional,
and local authorities that establish secondary battery reuse and repurposing regulations; and
national, regional, and local authorities that revise secondary battery reuse and repurposing
regulations.
However, other stakeholders are not precluded from using this document.
National and regional standards and voluntary stewardship programs are given priority over the
matters covered in this document.
Table 1 contains an overview of different standards on reuse and repurposing of batteries and
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) developed by IEC/TC 21 Secondary cells and
batteries and IEC/TC 120 Electrical Energy Storage (EES) systems. The purpose of Table 1 is
to inform users of these standards about the existence of the other standards listed in the table
and give a concise overview of the outline of those standards. It also identifies areas of possible
overlap and informs users in these cases which of the standards takes precedence.
Table 1 – Standards on reuse and repurposing of batteries
and battery energy storage systems (BESS)
IEC 63338 IEC 63330-1 IEC 62933-4-4 IEC 62933-5-3
General guidance Repurposing of Electrical energy Electrical energy
on reuse and secondary batteries storage (EES) storage (EES)
repurposing of – Part 1: General systems – Part 4-4: systems – Part 5-3:
secondary cells requirements Environmental Safety requirements
and batteries requirements for for grid-integrated
Title battery-based EES systems –
energy storage Performing
systems (BESS) with unplanned
reused batteries modification of
electrochemical
based system
Repurposing of
secondary
Secondary
batteries and
BESS using reused Energy storage
lithium ion
systems
batteries systems
Scope (excluding redox
and Ni-MH
flow/Ni-MH/Pb
batteries)
Battery System Battery System Battery System Battery System
Requirements General No
overlap:
Clause 4
Clause 5
Clause 6
Environment Support: No
Annex A overlap:
(info) Clause 4
Clause 5
Clause 6
Clause 7
Annex B
(info)
Safety Priority: Support: Support: No
Clause 4 Annex A overlap:
Clause 6
Clause 5 (Info)
(ESS) Clause 5
Clause 6
Clause 6
No
Clause 7
overlap:
Clause 8
Clause 6
(other) Priority:
Clause 9
Assessment Priority:
Clause 5
Support:
Clause 6
(ESS)
No
overlap:
Clause 6
(other)
– 8 – IEC 63338:2024 © IEC 2024
IEC 63338 IEC 63330-1 IEC 62933-4-4 IEC 62933-5-3
Guidance General No
overlap:
Clause 4
Environment No
overlap:
Clause 9
Safety
Priority:
Clause 5
Clause 6
No
overlap:
Clause 7
Clause 8
GENERAL GUIDANCE ON REUSE AND REPURPOSING
OF SECONDARY CELLS AND BATTERIES
1 Scope
This document applies to the reuse and repurposing of secondary lithium ion and nickel-metal
hydride cells and batteries after extraction from the application for which they were first placed
on the market (hereafter "relevant cells and batteries").
This document does not permit reuse or repurposing of single cells or cell assemblies if battery
lifetime traceability data are not recorded. See Clause 4. Swappable batteries such as those
used in e-scooters are removed and installed by the user (such as for charging) without
conducting a safety assessment (such as battery lifetime traceability data assessment) as part
of intended use, which is not considered reuse or repurposing. This document does not cover
system component reuse and repurposing. The original manufacturer can be contacted to
confirm suitability of components for reuse and repurposing.
Figure 1 illustrates the scope of this document in the product life stage.
Figure 1 – Scope of this document
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
– 10 – IEC 63338:2024 © IEC 2024
3.1
product
goods or service
[SOURCE: IEC 63218:2021, 3.1, modified – "any" has been deleted from the definition.]
3.2
electric road vehicle
electric vehicle with only a traction battery as power source for vehicle propulsion (battery
electric vehicle) or vehicle with both a rechargeable energy storage system and a fuelled power
source for propulsion (hybrid electric vehicle)
[SOURCE: IEC 62660-1:2018, 3.1 and IEC 62660-1:2018, 3.2, modified – The terminological
entries have been merged and the terms have been replaced with "electric road vehicle".]
3.3
waste battery
cells or batteries which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard
Note 1 to entry: Assessment of used batteries for possibility to repurpose is included in IEC 63330 ED1
[SOURCE: IEC 63218:2021, 3.2 modified – "cells or" added to the definition.]
3.4
environment
surroundings in which an organization operates, including air, water, land, natural resources,
flora, fauna, humans and their interrelationships
Note 1 to entry: Surroundings in this context extend from within an organization to the global system.
[SOURCE: IEC 63218:2021, 3.3]
3.5
environmental aspect
element of an organization's activities or products that interacts or can interact with the
environment
Note 1 to entry: An environmental aspect can cause (an) environmental impact(s). A significant environmental
aspect is one that has or can have one or more significant environmental impact(s).
Note 2 to entry: Significant environmental aspects are determined by the organization applying one or more criteria.
Note 3 to entry: Activities of the organization are those related to the design and development.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-901:2013, 901-07-02, modified – "interacts or" added to the definition,
and note to entry replaced with three new notes to entry.]
3.6
environmental impact
change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partly resulting from a
product environmental aspect
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-904:2014, 904-01-03, modified – "environmental aspects" replaced with
"a product environmental aspect".]
3.7
environmentally conscious design
ECD
systematic approach which takes into account environmental aspects in the design and
development process with the aim to reduce adverse environmental impacts
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-904:2014, 904-01-13]
3.8
life cycle
consecutive and interlinked stages of a product system, from raw material acquisition or
generation from natural resources to the final disposal
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-901:2013, 901-07-12]
3.9
life cycle thinking
LCT
consideration of all relevant environmental aspects during the entire life cycle of products
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-901:2013, 901-07-14]
3.10
life cycle assessment
LCA
compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the potential environment impacts of a
product system throughout its life-cycle
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-901:2013, 901-07-13]
3.11
end of life
EOL
life cycle stage of a product starting when it is finally removed from its intended use-phase
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-901:2013, 901-07-15]
3.12
recycling
processing of waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes, excluding energy
recovery
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-901:2013, 901-07-10, modified – note to entry omitted.]
3.13
reuse
operations by which secondary batteries are used again in the same application as when first
placed on the market
Note 1 to entry: See Annex C for alternative common terms.
Note 2 to entry: When reuse of secondary batteries is as originally intended from the design stage, this is considered
"originally intended reuse". When reuse of secondary batteries is not originally intended from the design stage, this
is considered "originally unintended reuse".
Note 3 to entry: An example of reuse is when a battery is extracted from an electric vehicle (EV), its battery lifetime
traceability data is assessed, its battery management system (BMS) operating region is narrowed, and it is used
again in another less demanding EV.
– 12 – IEC 63338:2024 © IEC 2024
3.14
repurposing
operation by which secondary batteries are used again in a different application to when first
placed on the market
Note 1 to entry: See Annex C for alternative common terms.
Note 2 to entry: When repurposing of secondary batteries is as originally intended from the design stage, this is
considered "originally intended repurposing". When repurposing of secondary batteries is not originally intended from
the design stage, this is considered "originally unintended repurposing".
Note 3 to entry: An example of repurposing is when a battery is extracted from an EV, its battery lifetime traceability
data is assessed, its BMS operating region is narrowed, and it is used again in another less demanding application
such as an energy backup system for telecom equipment.
3.15
reuse or repurposed application
application in which a cell or battery or battery system is used after undergoing reuse or
repurposing operations
3.16
secondary cell
basic manufactured unit providing a source of electrical energy by direct conversion of chemical
energy, that consists of electrodes, separators, electrolyte, container and terminals, and that is
designed to be charged electrically
[SOURCE: IEC 62133-1:2017, 3.7]
3.17
secondary battery
assembly of secondary cell(s) which may include associated safety and control circuits and
case, ready for use as a source of electrical energy characterized by its voltage, size, terminal
arrangement, capacity and rate capability
Note 1 to entry: The term "secondary battery" includes single cell batteries.
[SOURCE: IEC 63218:2021, 3.20]
3.18
battery system
battery
system which comprises one or more cells, modules or battery packs
Note 1 to entry: The battery system has a battery management system to cut off in case of overcharge, overcurrent,
overdischarge, and overheating.
Note 2 to entry: Overdischarge cut-off is not mandatory if there is an agreement between the battery manufacturer
and the customer.
Note 3 to entry: The battery system may have cooling or heating units. More than one battery system may constitute
a larger battery system. The battery system is sometimes also referred to as a battery.
[SOURCE: IEC 62619:2022, 3.11, modified – The wording "and has a battery management
system capable of controlling current in case of overcharge, overcurrent, overdischarge, and
overheating" omitted from the definition and Note 1 to entry added (existing notes renumbered).]
3.19
battery pack
energy storage device, which comprises one or more cells or modules electrically connected
and has monitoring circuitry which provides information (e.g. cell voltage) to a battery system
to influence the battery's safety, performance and/or service life
Note 1 to entry: The battery pack may incorporate a protective housing and be provided with terminals or other
interconnection arrangements.
[SOURCE: IEC 62619:2022, 3.10]
3.20
lithium ion cell
Li-ion cell
secondary cell with an organic solvent electrolyte and positive and negative electrodes which
utilize an intercalation or insertion compound in which lithium is stored
Note 1 to entry: Lithium ion cells do not include lithium metal.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-482:2004, 482-05-07, modified – The term "lithium ion battery" has been
replaced with the "lithium ion cell" and the term "Li-ion cell" has been added; "or insertion"
added to the definition and "battery" replaced with "cell" in the definition and note to entry.]
3.21
lithium ion battery
Li-ion battery
secondary battery with assembly of secondary lithium ion cells
3.22
nickel-metal hydride cell
Ni-MH cell
cell containing a nickel hydroxide compound for the positive electrode, a hydrogen absorbing
alloy for the negative electrode, and potassium hydroxide or other alkaline solution as
electrolyte, and not releasing either gas or liquid when operated within the limits specified by
the manufacturer
Note 1 to entry: A sealed cell may be equipped with a safety device to prevent a dangerously high internal pressure
and is designed to operate during its life in its original sealed state.
[SOURCE; IEC 63115-1:2020, 3.1, modified – The word "sealed" deleted from the term and the
term "Ni-MH cell" added; "See IEC 60050-482:2004, 482-05-17" omitted from the note to entry.]
3.23
nickel-metal hydride battery
Ni-MH battery
secondary battery with assembly of nickel-metal hydride cells
3.24
state of health
SOH
secondary battery's state of degradation calculated as a percentage of its original specifications
Note 1 to entry: Considers factors such as permanent capacity loss, resistance, cycle life, etc.
– 14 – IEC 63338:2024 © IEC 2024
3.25
module
group of cells connected together either in a series and/or parallel configuration with or without
protective devices (e.g. fuse or positive temperature coefficient device (PTC)) and monitoring
circuitry
[SOURCE: IEC 62619:2022, 3.9]
3.26
battery management system
BMS
electronic system associated with a battery which has functions to cut off in case of overcharge,
overcurrent, overdischarge, and overheating and which monitors and/or manages its battery
state, calculates secondary battery data, reports that data and/or controls its battery
environment to influence the battery's safety, performance and/or service life
Note 1 to entry: Overdischarge cut-off is not mandatory if there is an agreement between the battery manufacturer
and the customer.
Note 2 to entry: The function of the BMS can be assigned to the battery pack or to the application that uses the
battery. (See IEC 62619:2022, 8.2.1 for Li-ion and IEC 63115-2:2021, 7.1 for Ni-MH).
Note 3 to entry: The BMS can be divided and it can be found partially in the battery pack and partially on the
application that uses the battery. (See IEC 62619:2022, 8.2.1 for Li-ion and IEC 63115-2:2021, 7.1 for Ni-MH).
Note 4 to entry: The BMS is sometimes also referred to as a BMU (battery management unit).
[SOURCE: IEC 62619:2022, 3.12, modified – In the definition, "control current" is replaced with
"cut-off" and "environment" is replaced with "battery environment. In Note 1 to entry, "battery
manufacturer" is replaced with "cell manufacturer", and the second sentence is added. In Note 2
to entry "equipment" is replaced with "application" and the second sentence is replaced. In
Note 3 to entry, "equipment" is replaced with "application", and the second sentence is
replaced.]
3.27
original manufacturer
manufacturer(s) of cells, batteries, battery systems (original battery manufacturer), battery
packs and/or the application for which they are first placed on the market (original application
manufacturer), who determines whether reuse or repurposing is intended from the design stage
Note 1 to entry: Intention to reuse or repurpose is determined by approval in writing from the original battery
manufacturer and/or original application manufacturer. Even if the original battery and application manufacturers are
the same, the intention to reuse or repurpose is clarified via the label (see 7.2).
3.28
battery provider
party that is responsible for relevant cells and batteries, but is not the original manufacturer or
reuse or repurposed application manufacturer
Note 1 to entry: The battery provider can be a distributor, trader, or similar and engages with the original
manufacturer and reuse or repurposed application manufacturer with approval in writing.
3.29
operating region
conditions during charging and discharging in which the cell operates within its voltage, current
and temperature range as specified by the cell manufacturer
3.30
portable battery
battery for use in an end-use product or in an appliance which is conveniently hand-carried
Note 1 to entry: Applications which use portable batteries typically do not record battery lifetime traceability data.
[SOURCE: IEC 63218:2021, 3.22, modified – Note to entry added.]
4 General considerations
In order to reduce adverse environmental impacts, the opportunity to use materials again should
be considered as part of environmentally conscious design (ECD). Examples include the
recovery and reuse or repurposing of products (e.g., electronic subassemblies, semiconductor
devices, and safety devices), which are physically combined with batteries. However, it is not
always possible and can sometimes be extremely difficult to effectively and safely reuse or
repurpose batteries that are collected, because there is a possibility of having received
damaged batteries which can affect safety. The size and original application of a secondary cell
or battery will have a large impact on whether reuse or repurposing can be considered.
Examples of types of batteries that shall not be reused or repurposed are single cells or cell
assemblies if battery lifetime traceability data is not recorded (see 6.2). Originally unintended
reuse or repurposing can have a much higher safety risk than originally intended reuse or
repurposing.
The base for starting reuse or repurposing operations is an approval in writing between the
reuse or repurposed application manufacturers and the original manufacturers (and battery
provider if applicable). This is needed to improve safety and performance in reused or
repurposed batteries based on Clause 5, Clause 6, Clause 7, and Clause 8 of this document as
well as based on the original manufacturers' safety information for both batteries and battery
components.
The original manufacturer should be responsible for the original use of relevant cells and
batteries and should not be responsible for the reuse or repurposing of relevant cells and
batteries.
NOTE 1 Approval in writing can be contractual agreement, a memorandum of understanding, approval to reuse or
repurpose via the original battery label, etc.
This document outlines and provides guidance on the safety risks associated with reuse and
repurposing. Additionally, this document provides guidance on coordination between the
original and reuse or repurposed application and battery manufacturers regarding the
applicability of a product for reuse or repurposing. Refer to Annex A for the guidance checklist
of recommendations before reuse or repurposing of relevant secondary cells and batteries.
If this document is observed, the risk of occurrence of the following hazards is reduced:
a) fire,
b) explosion,
c) leakage of cell electrolyte,
d) venting,
e) rupture of the casing of cell, module, battery pack, and battery system with exposure of
internal components,
f) electrical hazards,
g) impaired functional safety.
NOTE 2 Potential risks are described in IEC 62619:2022, and IEC 63115-2:2021.
– 16 – IEC 63338:2024 © IEC 2024
5 Consideration of safety risks associated with reuse and repurposing
5.1 General
Secondary batteries including secondary lithium ion and nickel-metal hydride are generally
available on the market for use in applications such as electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage
systems, PCs and mobile phones.
Among them, secondary lithium ion batteries are widely used in portable devices to EVs and
large-scale systems such as energy storage systems because of their high energy density and
charge/discharge efficiency. In addition, nickel-metal hydride batteries are widely used in
portable applications that accept alkaline batteries, in energy storage systems, and in vehicles
as part of hybrid electric systems.
Secondary lithium ion batteries are widely available on the market due to their excellent
characteristics as energy storage devices, but compared to other battery chemistries, there are
high risks of safety incidents from secondary lithium ion batteries, and even more care has to
be taken when designing, producing and using (including reuse and repurposing) secondary
lithium ion battery systems and packs. These are strictly regulated in transport, safety and
product design standards to improve safety in cells, battery packs or systems, and under all
operating conditions as specified by the cell or battery manufacturer. Nickel-metal hydride
batteries are safer from a chemistry point of view, however deviation from the use conditions
intended by the original battery manufacturer can still result in safety issues.
Therefore, in actual use, safety is improved by using battery systems that are designed with
functional safety methods so as not to deviate from the specified usage and handling methods.
If components (or modules) are removed or exchanged from a safely designed battery system,
or the battery system is modified (hardware, software) without checking battery lifetime
traceability data or considering appropriate design to improve safety, safety related incidents
are more likely to occur (or happen).
The reuse or repurposed application manufacturer shall confirm whether reuse or repurposing
is permissible and assess battery lifetime traceability data using the methods described in 6.2.1
and 6.2.2.
The following relevant cells and battery safety standards and regulations should be referred to.
For example, automotive / vehicle:
– IEC 62660-3
– IEC 61982-4
– ISO 6469-1
NOTE The original manufacturer can consider UN ECE R100, UN ECE R136, and UN GTR No. 20.
Stationary:
– IEC 62619
– IEC 63056
– IEC 62933-5-2:2020
– IEC 63115-2
5.2 Lithium ion systems
5.2.1 Lithium ion cells
Lithium ion cells are energy storage devices that utilise the movement of lithium ions to perform
mutual conversion between chemical energy and electrical energy, and realize mutual energy
conversion by causing a specific electrochemical reaction during charging and discharging. In
order to maintain safety and performance, and achieve smooth energy conversion, it is essential
to ensure the intended electrochemical reactions occur without side reactions. For those
reasons, cell manufacturers should specify how to use and handle each cell. If this method of
use or handling is deviated from, the chemical energy stored in the cell will not be properly
controlled, abnormal reactions will progress rapidly, and the energy cannot be contained in the
cell. This can result in safety incidents such as fire, explosion, leakage, venting and rupture.
5.2.2 Lithium ion battery systems
The usage and handling methods specified in 5.2.1 include many outside factors that are
controlled at the battery level, such as charge and discharge voltage, current range, and
temperature range. Battery systems shall be configured to prevent abnormal events, and to
improve safety by electrically and mechanically controlling and protecting the battery.
NOTE 1 Further details can be found in IEC 62619:2022, Annex A.
Lithium ion battery systems are designed with consideration of safety and battery
characteristics based on the requirements and conditions of the application while complying
with the cell usage and handling methods specified by the battery manufacturer. In a safely
designed battery system, it is necessary to configure each functional element via methods such
as functional safety and to secure a sufficient level of safety against foreseeable events. A
battery system configuration example is shown in Figure 2 (source: ISO 12405-4:2018,
Annex A). Although not shown in the figure, a dedicated charger and external cooling device, if
necessary, are included in a safely designed battery system.
Figure 2 shows one example of a battery system. It includes a BMS, which in some cases can
also be outside the battery system. As an example, a vehicle battery
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