Battery Manufacturing Sustainability Begins on the Factory Floor: Marc-Tran

HONG KONG, March 20, 2026 – As the global energy transition accelerates, battery technology has emerged as a cornerstone of decarbonisation efforts. Yet while attention often focuses on battery chemistry and electric vehicle adoption, the sustainability of battery manufacturing itself is becoming an increasingly important issue.

Speaking to CarbonWire at The Battery Show Asia in Hong Kong, Marc-Tran Heller, General Manager of Zeller + Gmelin (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., emphasised that improving the environmental performance of battery production begins with optimising industrial processes.

“Circularity and sustainability already start during production,” Heller said.

Zeller + Gmelin, a German family-owned company specialising in industrial lubricants, process chemicals and printing inks, has been supporting automotive manufacturing for decades. As the industry transitions toward electrification, the company is increasingly focusing on technologies that enable more efficient battery production and improved thermal management.

Managing Heat in High-Performance Batteries

As electric vehicle batteries become more powerful and charging speeds increase, thermal management has emerged as a key engineering challenge.

Higher energy density batteries generate more heat, making effective cooling systems essential to ensure safety, performance and longevity.

Recognising this trend, Zeller + Gmelin has been developing thermal management solutions tailored for next-generation batteries. “A few years ago we started to look more closely at battery manufacturing and realised how important thermal management would become,” Heller said.

The company has introduced thermal gap fillers designed to improve heat transfer within battery packs, as well as immersion cooling technologies and water-based coolants.

While these technologies have historically been used in niche applications, Heller believes they will play a much larger role in both electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage systems. “Cooling solutions will become increasingly important not only in vehicles but also in stationary energy storage applications,” he said.

Reducing Waste in Battery Production

Beyond battery performance, the environmental footprint of manufacturing processes is also gaining attention. One key challenge lies in minimising waste and inefficiencies during production.

“If production lines experience frequent stoppages or if a large number of components are rejected during quality control, that represents wasted materials and energy,” Heller explained.

Specialised machining fluids and lubricants can help maintain process stability and reduce scrap rates during high-precision manufacturing. Extending the operational life of industrial fluids also contributes to lower environmental impact.

“With proper monitoring and maintenance, lubricants can remain in use for very long periods, sometimes tens of thousands of hours,” he said.

Recycling Industrial Oils

Zeller + Gmelin has also introduced circular economy practices in its own operations. Through its German subsidiary Südöl, the company collects used industrial oils, removes impurities and reprocesses the material for reuse in new products.

“We track used oil, clean it and recycle it so it can be used again in production,” Heller said. Such approaches could become increasingly relevant as battery manufacturing expands globally and the industry seeks to reduce its overall environmental footprint.

Asia at the Centre of the Battery Ecosystem

Asia continues to dominate the global battery supply chain, with China playing a particularly influential role in technological innovation and manufacturing scale. “China has set the pace for battery technology and engineering over the past decade,” Heller said.

At the same time, Southeast Asia is emerging as a new frontier for electric vehicle manufacturing and battery supply chains. Countries such as Thailand and Vietnam are attracting growing investments from both regional and global automakers, while India is also positioning itself as a major EV market.

For companies like Zeller + Gmelin, this shift is creating opportunities to support the expansion of battery manufacturing across the region. “We want to be close to our customers wherever they produce,” Heller said.

Manufacturing Stability Will Define the Next Phase

As more battery manufacturers move from pilot projects to gigafactory-scale operations, the ability to maintain stable production processes will become increasingly critical. “Many companies are scaling up from small production lines into mass manufacturing,” Heller said. “They need to learn how to operate sustainably and maintain stable processes.”

For suppliers supporting the battery ecosystem, the challenge lies not only in enabling technological innovation but also in ensuring that production systems operate efficiently and responsibly.