Battery plants will be obliged to prepare an environmental impact assessment in the future, the Energy Ministry said late on Thursday. The government’s aim is to make the economy greener and strengthen its circular operation, with a special emphasis on protecting people’s health and environmental values, the statement said. All industrial establishments are expected to meet strict environmental and safety standards, including companies and plants involved in the production and storage of green energy, it added. In line with new regulations coming into force, the preparation of an environmental impact assessment will be obligatory for plants manufacturing any type of battery or battery parts, or involved in the handling of battery waste, the ministry said. The amendment of the government decree published today applies to the production of all types of batteries and battery parts, and the preliminary treatment and utilisation of battery waste, it added. When the original regulations for the environmental licensing of battery plants were introduced, only “traditional” lead-acid batteries existed, the ministry said. With the introduction and increasing popularity of lithium-ion batteries, it has become necessary to standardise the environmental licensing that applies to the manufacturing and other activities connected to such batteries, too, it added.