Exhibitor Spotlight – Interview with Circulor

Tuesday, 5 July 2022

What Battery Technology do you specialise in?

We specialize in supply chain traceability. Circulor tracks the provenance, the production flow, and attributable Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of raw materials used in complex supply chains like electric vehicle (EV) batteries, solar panels, and construction materials.

Please explain the benefits of your speciality:

Unlike other traceability solutions, we track the actual material as it flows through the supply chain, not just the transactions between participants. Rather than following paperwork as a proxy, tagging and tracking the material itself allows us to provide far greater accuracy in proving a supply chain and detecting anomalies. We do this by working with each supply chain participant to gather relevant data of the material and its journey through the production process, collecting information such as weight, mass balance, location, and elapsed time.

What do you believe to be the most important trend in Battery Technology and what is your company doing to contributing towards this?

Currently, the most important trend in battery technology is the need for visible and resilient battery supply chains in order to increase the number of EVs on the road, overtaking internal-combustion-engine vehicles (ICE). In parallel to building reliable supply chains, companies must increasingly prove that their entire supply chains are sustainable, responsible, and contributing to a circular economy, meeting the growing requirements that will come with the EU Battery Regulation.  When it comes to helping to meet and prove sustainable and responsible battery production, Circulor was recently named the lead technology implementor for the German Federal Ministry for Economic and Climate Affairs’ “Battery Pass” consortium. Through this partnership, Circulor will build capabilities to standardize data and manage the technical content and digital identities of batteries that will be manufactured or placed into service in the EU. This will inform the German government, as well as other governments and the industry at large, as to how batteries can be produced responsibly and managed transparently.  Battery passes make it easier to create new economies in reuse and recycling, cutting dependence on raw material supplies that may come from other countries around the world. Companies that manage to demonstrate verified sustainable and ethical practices today will have a competitive advantage soon. This is especially important as corporations face insecurity caused by supply and material shortages, commodity and energy inflation, freight disruptions and labor constraints—all of which are exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic and war in Ukraine.

If attendees should know one thing about your company and experience, what would it be?

Circulor has the most mature, proven, and complete technology solution available to track high-risk and high-human impact materials used within manufacturing and recycling supply chains. Circulor customers, such as Volvo Cars, Polestar, BHP, and Jaguar Land Rover, are all gaining data-driven proof to help achieve their ESG goals and GHG emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3 by tracking their supply chains through Circulor. By working closely with our customers, Circulor sees first-hand how data and continuous, dynamic visibility into supply chains can improve performance, minimize risks, ensure responsible sourcing, and reduce emissions from carbon-intensive industries.

What has been your organisation’s biggest achievement in date?

We strongly believe that responsible sourcing and sustainability are a competitive advantage. That’s why we partnered up with Polestar to support their creation of a carbon neutral car by 2030, Polestar 0. On its journey to its ambitious goal, the brand recently announced that in being precise in its tracking of emissions and being deliberate in its power sources, it reduced production emissions per car by six percent. Polestar’s latest partnership with Circulor includes blockchain traceability of mica, in addition to cobalt that is already traced in Polestar 2 batteries from material source to finished product.

Who are you hoping to meet at The Battery Cells & Systems Expo?

We would be thrilled to meet people who are excited about supply chain visibility and are keen to learn how it can add value to all aspects of a business. As companies in the battery supply chain are working to put metrics and proof behind their work in sourcing and supplying more cleanly and responsibly, we can help them in this endeavour, strengthening their brand proposition to current and future customers. We are also happy to get in touch with people who want to understand the battery regulations and want to learn how to prepare for it.