Production of raw materials for batteries from European resources

After Wednesday’s sessions on the EU political agenda, which outlined strategic measures to meet industry needs, attention shifted to the annual workshop of the Materials for batteries hub. Now in its 4^th edition, the event was co-organised by Horizon Europe projects RELiEF, FREE4LIB, RESPECT and LITHOS. The focus of the workshop, true to its eponymous theme, was tackling one of Europe’s most urgent challenges: securing sustainable raw materials for batteries.

Under the inauguration of Oliver Schenk, Member of the European Parliament, this edition unfolded under the auspices of urgency, regulatory clarity and cross-border collaboration. The MEP called for swift implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act and the Net Zero Industry Act, stressing the need for rapid permitting and the mobilisation of both public and private investment. “We cannot afford delays,” he warned. “This is about sovereignty.” His remarks were followed by strong appeals for cooperation among mining regions, manufacturing clusters, research centres and recycling hubs to build a resilient European value chain. He urged participants to contribute to upcoming legislative files, including the European Chips Act 2, the Circular Economy Act and the new EU budget, ensuring that the priorities of the battery materials community are embedded in future policies.

Nader Akil, founder of the Cluster Hub and moderator of the first technical session, emphasised on enhancing the dialogue between academia, industry and policy makers in order to ensure that these goals would be reached.

Following up with a presentation of his  most recent scientific publication – “Lindy Effect in Hydrometallurgy” [co-authored with Dr. Ir. Peter Tom Jones]  – Professor Koen Binnemans provided a frank look at the shortcomings in industrialising battery material innovations. Transferring hydrometallurgical advancements from lab to plant is slow, constrained by economics, regulation and what the authors call “the Lindy effect” – the tendency for established technologies to stand the test of time. Industry tends to favour incremental improvements to existing processes, such as reducing reagent consumption or increasing automation, rather than adopting entirely new chemistries, due to the high risks and costs associated with large-scale change. Launching a debating topic, audience questions shifted to technical and permitting challenges, concluding with the need for incremental innovation and pragmatic timelines.
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Various EU-funded R&I initiatives, members of the Cluster Hub, presented results and findings with the promise to reduce dependency on imports:

Technical session “Mining and recovery”

• Sabrina Hedrich from TU Bergakademie Freiberg detailed the XRACT project’s pilot sites and the integration of digital tools, remote sensing, and bioleaching for selective recovery of metals, with follow-up technical discussion on downstream processing and environmental permitting.
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• LiCORNE, led by Dr. Lourdes Yurramendi (TECNALIA), focuses on lithium recovery and battery-grade material production from European resources. After intensive techno-economic assessments, LiCORNE has established the flowsheets for lithium extraction and processing technologies for diverse streams, such as ores, brines and off-specification cathode material.
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• CRM-Geothermal, presented by Konstantinos Loupos (INLECOM), has developed an AI-based tool for lithium estimation in geothermal fluids, with features and validation at a UK demonstration site.
  Download CRM-geothermal presentation
• METALLICO and ENICON, represented by Sonia Matencio (CETAQUA) and Brecht Dewulf (KU Leuven), aim to demonstrate sustainable recovery of battery metals from primary and secondary sources, focusing on process integration, digital tools and circular hydrometallurgy. METALLICO demonstrates five processes for recovering metals such as lithium, copper, cobalt, and manganese from various sources, with a digital tool for simulating process outcomes and pilot-scale validation of key steps like sulphide precipitation, ion exchange, and diffusion dialysis.
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  ENICON targets responsible mining and refining of cobalt and nickel in Europe, developing improved flow sheets for laterites, sulfides, and intermediates, and validating circular hydrometallurgy concepts with high recovery rates and valorisation of mineral residues.
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• Thomas Abo Atia (KU Leuven) introduced the LITHOS project which focuses on domestic processing and refining of lithium from European hard rock deposits, integrating advanced mineral processing, digital twins and LCA to reduce environmental impact and support EU supply chain targets. Like many EU-funded initiatives at KU Leuven exploring primary resources, LITHOS introduced the “Lithium paradox” – the latest episode of the documentary co-produced by SIM² KU Leuven (Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals) and the Belgian film-maker company Storyrunner.
  Download LITHOS presentation
• Diego Morillo Martín (LEITAT) presented one of the most mature projects of the hub – RAWMINA, an EU-funded initiative aiming to transform mine waste into resources through scalable bioleaching, alkaline leaching and selective recovery of critical and valuable metals, with pilot-scale demonstrations developed at Cobre las Cruces. The project reported achieving high recovery rates for cobalt, antimony, germanium, tungsten, iron, gold and silver, and validating nanomaterial-based selective recovery and water reuse.
  Download RAWMINA presentation

Technical session “Recycling and circularity”

• Thomas Opsomer (ABEE) presented the final results of RELiEF, a project that achieved a reduction in hazardous elements, developed a microwave leaching process with over 95% yield, and produced high-purity lithium carbonate (98.28%); while not yet battery grade materials, recovered lithium carbonate showed promising results in relithiation tests. The lithium carbonate produced was successfully tested in coin and pouch cell formats, demonstrating high reproducibility and performance close to commercial LFP materials. Opsomer emphasised the growing importance of LFP batteries in Europe and the lack of recycling capacity, noting that extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations now require battery integrators to address recycling, registration, and reporting. This creates both administrative burdens and incentives for recyclers, with recycling fees sometimes reaching 30% of battery unit costs.
  Moreover, RELiEF’s “balance sheet” listed its unsolved challenges which include insufficient black mass refining capacity and the upscaling of innovative technologies. On the other hand, opportunities include standardising black mass quality, implementing direct recycling methods and the development of regional ecosystems that connect recyclers, OEMs and policymakers to promote sustainable business models.
  Download RELiEF presentation
• Alvaro Manjon (TECNALIA) detailed the RHINOCEROS project’s progress in automating battery disassembly, optimising recycling routes and upscaling processes for high recovery rates of battery materials, with a focus on sustainability and safety. The project is transitioning from R&D to construction and commissioning of pilot plants, with detailed engineering completed. Upscaling activities focus on refining, pre-treatment, and qualification of recovered materials for use in new batteries, aiming for TRL 6 and production of tens of kilograms of electrode materials per day. RHINOCEROS integrates circularity and zero-waste strategies, with ongoing validation of recovered materials in prototype batteries.
  Download RHINOCEROS presentation
• FREE4LIB, presented by Juan Castro Bustamante (CARTIF), combines robotic dismantling, material recovery with a digital battery passport for traceability. The project achieved pilot-scale robotic dismantling, developed advanced state-of-health estimation tools for second-life batteries and implemented multiple pre-treatment and recycling technologies, including pyrolysis, ultrasonic delamination and hydrothermal routes for cathode material recovery. Recovered metals and polymers were reused in new battery packs, including e-bike prototypes, with successful demonstration of material quality and performance. The project also established a pilot line for metal powder atomization and 3D printing of recovered plastics.
  Project partners developed a digital passport featuring role-based access, blockchain integration, and QR labelling to enhance traceability and regulatory compliance. The platform will be made available for public access by the end of the project.
  Download FREE4LIB presentation
• RESPECT, represented by Andrea Locati (Chalmers University), presented the project’s developed flowsheet for solvent extraction and recovery of manganese, cobalt and nickel from black mass, achieving high purity and minimal cross-contamination. The recovered salts were used by CEA to produce cathode active materials, with up to 20% recycled content in electrodes, showing how the targets proposed by the Critical Raw Materials Act and the Battery Regulation are achievable. The approach allows for flexibility in product output, enabling adaptation to different NMC chemistries or other applications. Challenges include the complexity of operations, need for recirculation to minimise losses and adjusting process parameters to variable feed compositions.
  The conclusions of the RESPECT presentation emphasised the need to propose clear definitions of battery-grade materials and the importance of aligning process outputs with regulatory requirements.
  Download RESPECT presentation

Debating industrial integration, collaboration and European competitiveness

Two panels framed the bigger picture. The first one, chaired by Nader Akil (PNO Innovation Belgium), addressed scaling up technologies and reducing mining’s environmental footprint, with strong emphasis on AI and data-driven processes.

• Panellists -Sabrina Hedrich, Kostas Loupos and Diego Morillo Martin – listed the integration of digital tools, remote sensing and bioleaching as core to reducing mining’s environmental footprint, with validation across multiple pilot sites.
• The value of AI in resource estimation depends on the availability and integration of diverse data sources, with more data enabling better predictions and process optimisation.
• Scalability was discussed in terms of achieving higher TRL levels, with bioleaching and selective recovery identified as critical steps, and the need for further work on final product purity and process integration for marketable outputs.
• Audience questions addressed the impact of strict regulations on competitiveness, the need for closer industry-research collaboration, and the lack of dedicated funding mechanisms for critical raw material projects, with suggestions for policy recommendations and strategic investment.

The second panel discussion, moderated by Olga Henkele (Kellen) and inviting Joana Gouveia (INEGI), Sam Hoefman (EURICE) and Dr. Florian Anderhuber (Euromines) as guests, reflected on how Europe can progress from promising battery recycling innovations toward a more operational and industrial circular economy. Speakers agreed that while European research projects are generating strong technical evidence, several barriers still remain before a fully closed loop can be achieved. It addressed policy and market dynamics:

• Barriers to circularity: panelists emphasised the need for economically viable recycling in Europe and reducing regulatory burdens on recyclers. Other recommendations placed the time gap between research and industrial implementation, as well as cross-collaboration communication channels between academia, industry and policy makers as drivers of European industrial competitiveness.
• Florian Anderhuber highlighted lengthy permitting processes for new technologies and the lack of demand-side measures such as recycled content requirements. He stressed the need for financial support and market incentives to stimulate recycling and primary sourcing within Europe.
• Panellists discussed the importance of feeding clear evidence from EU-funded projects into policy making, setting clear project objectives, and considering the life cycle of projects from inception to exploitation. Joanna Gouveia, while emphasising on the LCA approaches in project, provided a direct example from the RELiEF project, where policy definitions limited the classification of secondary lithium, suggesting the need for broader definitions.

Attendance reflected growing interest across Europe’s battery materials value chain. Out of 151 registered participants, 70 joined the workshop online, while approximately 50 attended the workshop in person. The audience was diverse: academia and research institutes accounted for the largest share, followed by industry players, consultancies, and policy representatives. This mix underlined the workshop’s role as a bridge between research and innovation on one hand and industry and policymaking on the other. By bringing together stakeholders from these different sectors, the workshop enhanced dialogue, knowledge exchange, and potential collaboration opportunities across the European battery materials ecosystem.