Batteries are an important part of an electric vehicle. This component acts as the main source of energy, without having to rely on fuel oil, aka BBM.
However, waste electric vehicle batteries actually have a negative impact on the environment.
Director of Waste Reduction, Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), Vinda Damayanti Ansjar said that handling electric vehicle battery waste must be handled seriously. This aims to avoid environmental pollution, especially ground water.
“This battery contains heavy metal components, if not managed properly it will of course have the potential to cause pollution, especially groundwater,” said Vinda, quoted Friday (24/11/2023).
Vinda added that the management of electric car battery waste is included in the Hazardous and Toxic Materials (B3) category.
This requires a special permit or environmental permit issued by the relevant agency.
If electric car batteries can still be reused, managers are asked to use them into something useful.
“So if the B3 waste category can be used for that long, it must be used first,” he said.
To anticipate undesirable things, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has regulated all this through PP 22/2021. This regulation further tightens or regulates the implementation and authority of environmental licensing procedures according to the authority of the Provincial/Regency/City Government.
When producers or managers of car battery waste are found to have committed negligence and problems in handling, of course there will be penalties related to environmental pollution from the B3 waste they manage.
“These waste managers must have environmental permits and approvals and also technical approvals so that they can properly utilize battery waste. “Later there will also be supervision of the permits they have from the relevant agencies,” he stressed.
Indonesia Wants to Become the King of Electric Vehicle Batteries
As is known, the government continues to strive to realize the construction of a battery factory for electric vehicles (Electric Vehicle/ EV Battery) in the country. A number of integrated electric vehicle battery projects from upstream to downstream have begun to be worked on.
Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said that the first production of the first electric vehicle battery in Indonesia is targeted to start no later than the third quarter of 2024.
This plan is slightly behind the initial target, where at that time the government said that the first production of electric vehicle batteries would begin in the second quarter of 2024.