Why Antwerp matters
Umicore refining catchment and battery chemicals cluster. Active names in and around the city include Umicore, Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Port gateways handle consolidated consignments: packs and modules gathered from inland sites for export to refining capacity, black mass moving between plants, and occasionally imported used vehicles whose packs need assessment.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Serving site | Stuttgart — Baden-Wurttemberg Grading Works (Cell Grading & Diagnostics) |
| Pickup SLA | 24 hours |
| Coverage radius | 66 km |
| Collection cadence | Per consignment, aligned to sailing schedules |
| Regulatory framework | EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and regional waste law |
How collection works here
We manage consolidation, packaging checks and the documentation needed for cross-border movement, including waste-shipment notifications where they apply, and coordinate with carriers approved for Class 9 dangerous goods by sea.
Loads move in Class 9 compliant transport with pre-filled dangerous goods paperwork to Stuttgart, Germany, where they are weighed, logged and graded.
- Freight forwarders and consolidators
- Export traders
- Shipping lines and terminal operators
- Importers of used vehicles
What the rules require in Belgium
The EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 applies directly, replacing the old Batteries Directive with extended producer responsibility, collection and material recovery targets, recycled-content rules and, from February 2027, a digital battery passport for EV and larger industrial batteries. Waste policy in Belgium is regional, so permits and reporting run through the Flemish, Brussels or Walloon authorities, while producers typically meet take-back duties through Bebat, the national battery collection scheme.
Road transport follows ADR, and cross-border shipments of waste batteries fall under the EU Waste Shipment Regulation.
- Register as a producer and join a compliance scheme or run an approved individual system
- Hand retired packs only to permitted collectors and treatment facilities
- Report quantities placed on the market and collected to the regional authority
- Prepare battery passport data for EV batteries placed on the market from February 2027
Field note
What you get paid and what you file
Settlement is quoted per pack after measured state of health, not by guesswork on age. Modules holding 75% or more of rated capacity settle at second-life rates; the remainder settle against black mass metal content.
Certificates carry achieved recovery percentages and downstream vendor disclosure for reporting under EU Battery Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and regional waste law.