Volvo Cars says it will become the first carmaker to implement global traceability of cobalt used in its batteries by applying blockchain technology.
The announcement follows the reveal last month of the company’s first fully electric car, the XC40 Recharge.
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Traceability of raw materials used in the production of lithium ion batteries, such as cobalt, is one of the main sustainability challenges facing car makers.
Blockchain technology boosts transparency of the raw material supply chain as the information about the material’s origin cannot be changed undetected.
Volvo Cars has now reached an agreement with its two global battery suppliers, CATL of China and LG Chem of South Korea, as well as global blockchain technology firms to implement traceability of cobalt starting this year.
Technology firms, Circulor and Oracle operate the blockchain technology across CATL’s supply chain following a successful pilot earlier this summer, while the Responsible Sourcing Blockchain Network (RSBN), together with responsible sourcing specialists, RCS Global and IBM, are rolling out the technology in LG Chem’s supply chain.
“We have always been committed to an ethical supply chain for our raw materials,” said head of Procurement, Martina Buchhauser.
“With blockchain technology we can take the next step towards ensuring full traceability of our supply chain and minimising any related risks, in close collaboration with our suppliers.”
A blockchain is a digital ledger containing a list of records linked to each other via cryptography. Within supply chains, the technology creates records of transactions which cannot be changed, while also enforcing a common set of rules for what data can be recorded. This allows participants to verify and audit transactions independently.
In this particular case, data in the blockchain include the cobalt’s origin, attributes such as weight and size, the chain of custody and information establishing that participants’ behaviour is consistent with OECD supply chain guidelines. This approach helps create trust between participants along a supply chain.
The agreements between Volvo Cars, CATL and LG Chem cover the supply of batteries during the coming decade for next generation Volvo and Polestar models, including the XC40 Recharge.
