Between June 16 and 19, the Technological Exchange on Second Life and Recycling of Electromobility Batteries took place, an initiative promoted by the REIF program with the support of the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining and UTE, to promote technical dialogue and advance in the development of capacities for battery management in line with the country's second energy transition.

With the presence of experts from the companies Idiada and GDV (Spain) and Fortech (Costa Rica), four workshops were held for technicians from the public and private sectors, importers, waste managers and representatives from the academic world. The international specialists shared their experience in the implementation of solutions for the management, reuse and recycling of batteries in their respective countries, providing key inputs for the Uruguayan context.

Workshops: exchange of experiences and construction of proposals

The activities began with a series of technical workshops held at ANTEL's Telecommunications Tower. During the first two days, fundamental aspects such as policies and regulations for management companies, existing support instruments, and the standards and technologies needed to guarantee the security and viability of the projects were addressed.

The challenges associated with the extended responsibility of importers, the traceability of batteries throughout their useful life and the business models that can be developed to promote second life and recycling were also analyzed. The third day of workshops focused on the link with academia, highlighting the importance of research and technological development as a driver for innovation and continuous improvement of management systems.

Strategic meetings and technical visits

The mission continued with strategic meetings at Casa ONU with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining, UTE, the Automotive Trade Association of Uruguay (ACAU) and the Uruguayan Association of Renewable Energies (AUDER). These spaces allowed the exchange of perspectives and lessons learned, as well as recommendations to advance in the regulatory framework for an efficient, safe and sustainable management of batteries. 

In addition, the experts visited plants and workshops of local companies such as Werba, NewLife, Sadar and Fiancar. The visits provided the opportunity to learn in detail about the processes, available capabilities and challenges faced by these organizations in advancing sustainable battery management.

The mission concluded with a closing meeting at the UNIDO offices at LATU, where the main findings were systematized and work proposals for the next stages were outlined.

Articulated actions with a vision

This initiative is part of REIF's effort to generate capacities, articulate actors and facilitate access to knowledge and technologies that enhance projects with an impact on decarbonization and sustainable development of the national economy.

The activity was well attended, reflecting the high level of interest in the subject in the country and the need to advance in concrete solutions in this area. The active participation of technicians, companies, institutions and academic referents confirmed the commitment of the different actors with the challenge of moving forward with determination towards electric mobility in an integral and sustainable way.

Access the presentations of the experts in this link.