Imagine arriving at a busy international airport. Every passenger enters through the same terminal, but not everyone can access every area. Travellers can move through departure halls and boarding gates, while airline employees, security teams and air traffic controllers have access to different areas depending on their responsibilities.
The airport itself does not change. What changes is the level of access each person receives based on their role and legitimate need.
A similar principle applies to the Digital Battery Passport (DBP). A battery has one Digital Battery Passport that accompanies it throughout its lifecycle, but the information available through that passport can vary depending on who is accessing it and why they need that information.
A battery manufacturer, vehicle owner, repair organisation, second-life operator, recycler and regulatory authority may all interact with the same battery, but their information requirements are different. A Digital Battery Passport is therefore not designed to make all battery data publicly visible. Instead, it enables trusted and controlled information sharing, ensuring that relevant data reaches the stakeholders who need it while protecting sensitive information.
Why Does Digital Battery Passport Access Need to Be Managed?
As Digital Battery Passports become an important part of the European battery ecosystem, one of the most common questions organisations ask is:
"If battery information becomes digital, will everyone be able to see everything?"
The answer is no.
The purpose of a Digital Battery Passport is to improve transparency, traceability and sustainability across the battery lifecycle while ensuring that information is shared responsibly. The objective is to make the right information available to the right stakeholder at the right time.
This principle is reflected in Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries, which introduces requirements for Digital Battery Passports, and Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 establishing the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which creates a wider framework for Digital Product Passports.
Together, these regulations support greater transparency and circularity while recognising that different actors require different levels of information to fulfil their responsibilities.
A battery manufacturer may need detailed technical information to manage production and quality control. A recycler may need information about battery chemistry and dismantling requirements. A vehicle owner may only need basic information about the battery's identity, sustainability characteristics and safe use.
Providing all stakeholders with identical access would not only be unnecessary but could also create commercial, legal and security risks.
Does the Digital Battery Passport Reveal Company Secrets?
Data sharing naturally raises concerns about confidentiality.
Battery manufacturers invest significant resources into developing battery technologies, improving production methods and building efficient supply chains. Much of this knowledge represents valuable intellectual property and contributes to their competitive advantage.
The Digital Battery Passport is not intended to make confidential business information publicly available. Instead, it supports controlled access, where organisations can share relevant information with authorised participants without losing ownership or control of their data.
For example, a repair organisation may require technical information to safely diagnose and repair a battery, but it does not necessarily need access to confidential manufacturing processes. Similarly, a recycler may need information about battery composition and safe handling procedures without requiring access to sensitive commercial data.
This balance between transparency and confidentiality is essential for building trust. Battery ecosystems can only become more circular if organisations feel confident participating in data-sharing networks.
One Battery, Different Users, Different Information Needs
A battery passes through many stages during its lifetime. It may move from manufacturing and transport to vehicle operation, maintenance, second-life applications, and eventually recycling. At every stage, different organisations contribute information and require access to specific parts of the battery's history.
Consider an electric vehicle battery that has been operating for several years.
The vehicle owner may need access to general information about the battery, such as its manufacturer, model, sustainability information and guidance for proper use or disposal. This information helps users understand the battery they own and make informed decisions throughout its lifecycle.
A repair organisation working on the same battery would require more detailed information. Maintenance records, previous repairs, software versions and technical specifications may be necessary to diagnose issues and carry out safe interventions.
If the battery reaches the end of its first vehicle life, a second-life operator assessing whether it can be reused for stationary energy storage would need information about its condition and previous usage. Data such as State of Health, operating history and maintenance events can help determine whether the battery remains suitable for another application.
Eventually, when the battery reaches the recycling stage, the recycler requires different information again. Details about battery chemistry, hazardous materials, dismantling requirements and recovery processes help ensure that valuable materials can be recovered safely and efficiently.
Throughout this process, the physical battery remains the same. The Digital Battery Passport does not create multiple versions of the battery. Instead, it provides controlled access to relevant information based on the stakeholder's role and legitimate purpose.
Public Information and Restricted Information
A common misunderstanding is that Battery Passport data will either be completely public or completely private. In reality, information exists across different levels of accessibility.
Some information needs to support transparency across the value chain. For example, sustainability information, regulatory data and certain lifecycle details can help organisations make better decisions about repair, reuse and recycling.
Other information may require restricted access because it relates to technical expertise, operational processes or commercially sensitive activities.
Effective Digital Battery Passport systems therefore require clear governance. Stakeholders need to understand who can access information, what information they can access, why they need it and how that access is managed.
This governance layer is what transforms data collection into trusted information sharing.
The Role of Digital Twins and Dataspaces in Trusted Data Sharing
Maintaining trust in a Digital Battery Passport requires more than simply collecting information. Organisations need confidence that data is accurate, traceable and connected to the correct battery throughout its lifecycle.
This is where Digital Twins become important. A Digital Twin provides a digital representation of a physical battery. It evolves as new information becomes available, combining data from different lifecycle events such as manufacturing, operation, inspection, maintenance, repair and recycling.
However, sharing this information requires a secure and trusted environment. This is where Dataspaces play an important role. A Dataspace enables organisations to exchange information while maintaining control over their own data. Rather than requiring every participant to transfer all information into a single central system, a Dataspace supports controlled sharing between trusted participants.
This approach supports data sovereignty, meaning organisations can decide how their information is shared, who can access it and under what conditions.
How BASE Supports Trusted Digital Battery Passport Data Sharing
Within the BASE project, Digital Battery Passports are supported through a secure Dataspace approach designed to enable trusted information exchange across the battery lifecycle.
BASE focuses on connecting Digital Twins with controlled data-sharing mechanisms, allowing authorised participants to discover and access relevant battery information according to their role and legitimate needs. This supports collaboration between different actors across the battery value chain, including manufacturers, operators, service providers, second-life organisations and recyclers.
By combining Digital Twins, secure data exchange and controlled access principles, BASE contributes to a future where battery information can move safely between organisations while maintaining data ownership and trust.
This approach addresses one of the biggest challenges facing Digital Battery Passport adoption: creating transparency without compromising confidentiality.
Looking Ahead: Building Trust Through Responsible Data Access
As Digital Battery Passports become more widely adopted, organisations will need to consider not only what information is collected, but also how that information is managed throughout the battery lifecycle.
Access management will become a key factor in successful implementation. Companies need confidence that their sensitive information is protected, while stakeholders across the value chain need reliable access to the data required for safe operation, repair, reuse and recycling.
The future of circular batteries depends on collaboration. That collaboration requires information to move between organisations securely and responsibly.
A successful Digital Battery Passport ecosystem will not be defined by making all information available to everyone. It will be defined by making valuable information available to the right people, at the right moment, with the right level of trust.
The BASE project has received funding from the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON) Research and Innovation Actions under grant agreement No. 101157200.
References
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 concerning batteries and waste batteries, European Union, 2023: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 establishing a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for sustainable products (ESPR), European Union, 2024: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1781/oj
The EU Digital Product Passport - Implications and Practical Guidance for the Battery Industry: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/events/digital-product-passport-batteries-2026-05-27_en
European Commission: Batteries and waste batteries: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/waste-and-recycling/batteries_en
International Data Spaces Association: Trusted Data Exchange and Dataspace Concepts: https://internationaldataspaces.org/