On 12 December 2024, the third edition of the annual workshop of the Cluster Hub “Production of Raw Materials for Batteries from European Resources” took place in Brussels, being co-organised by EU-funded projects RHINOCEROS, CRM-geothermal and CICERO. This third edition, along with an increasing number membership, confirm the hub’s role as a dynamic ecosystem that continues to generate innovations in the European battery materials sector.

The hub’s annual workshop, held as a satellite event of the Raw Materials Week 2024, provided once again a platform for presenting the most promising results from participating projects. Two technical sessions covered the entire battery value chain, from raw materials mining to recycling, while the opening conveniently portrayed the policy, the regulatory and strategic frameworks that support and drive the EU R&I initiatives in the battery sector.

Policy perspectives and supporting mechanisms for the battery sector

Susana Xara, Project adviser on raw materials at European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), established the discussions tone, navigating through the insights of the Critical Raw Materials Act [CRMA] and the Net Zero Industry Act [NZIA] and focusing on their contribution to securing a sustainable supply of critical raw materials for the European battery industry.

Download the opening keynote

Wouter IJzermans, BEPA Executive Director, presented the long-term vision and potential revisions of their roadmap, emphasising the importance of policy frameworks and incentives in promoting battery innovation and deployment across Europe.

Download BEPA presentation

The presentation of Vasileios Rizos from the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) identified various barriers and challenges emerging from the EU policy framework on batteries, based on inputs from 20 companies across the entire battery value chain, including partners from the BATRAW project, member of the Cluster Hub since 2022. The representative of CEPS concluded with a set of policy messages referring to early dialogue channels established between policy-makers and various stakeholders. Before the legal requirements entry into force, this information exchange on availability of secondary data sets could enable stakeholders to assess the data quality, select suitable sets of information and identify potential data gaps.

Publicly available resources submitted by CEPS:

• Barriers and policy challenges in developing circularity approaches in the EU battery sector: an assessment – CEPS
• Implementing the EU digital battery passport – CEPS
• Compliance with the EU’s carbon footprint requirements for electric vehicle batteries – CEPS

Download CEPS presentation

Orchestrating the launch and on-going work of the Cluster Hub, PNO Innovation Belgium [part of PNO Group – leader in innovation and funding consultancy], represented by Dr. Nader Akil, concluded the first session with an overview of all EU funding programmes supporting research, innovation and investment in raw materials production for batteries. Additional to the upcoming funding opportunities and guidance on selecting the appropriate funding opportunities based on the status of technology, Dr. Nader Akil introduced another initiative launched by PNO Group – DIAMONDS4IF. This project supports the preparation of Innovation Fund applications, enabling the transfer of H2020 research results into successful ventures and securing investment funding.

Download Funding Schemes presentation

Sustainable sourcing practices for battery materials from primary sources

The session of technical presentations debuted with RAWMINA project, represented by Carmen Estepa, R&D Manager at AGQ Mining & Bioenergy, providing an overview of its final results on the demonstration activities of an integrated innovative pilot system for CRMs recovery from mine wastes. Up-to-date results indicate encouraging extraction rates of ~90 % Fe, ~95 % Co and ~60 % antimony (Sb) yielded by the bioleaching process. Additionally, the alkaline leaching applied after bioleaching extracted more than 90 % tungsten (W), while the following processing step – Fe precipitation, confirmed that Fe and Sb can be removed almost completely from the solution (>90 %). Finally, the processes engaged in the selective CRM recovery yielded promising recovery rates in the range of 99 % for Co, 65 % for W, 77 % for Sb.

Download RAWMINA presentation

Dr. Albert Genter, Deputy General Manager of ES Géothermie, presented the geochemical characterisation of geothermal reservoir rocks in the Upper Rhine Graben – results of their activities conducted within the LiCORNE EU-funded project. After a short incursion into the geological formation of the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) area, Dr. Albert Genter highlighted the feasibility of lithium (Li) extraction from the geothermal brines. The high Li concentrations in the geothermal brine at Soultz-sous-Forêts and Rittershoffen [in the range of 150-200 mg/L], combined with significant water flows exploited by the geothermal power plants, indicate a great potential for Li production in the URG. After establishing the fluid circulation within the fractures of the geological formation, the research team at ES-G will continue investigating the chemical composition of sedimentary rocks, which are also part of the reservoir Soultz-sous-Forêts, and conducting Li and strontium (Sr) isotope analyses to provide more detailed information about the origin of lithium in the brine.

Download LiCORNE presentation

Dr. Nivea Magalhães [Univ. of Exeter, UK] presented the conclusions of the forensic geometallurgy protocol established within the ENICON project. Often, information not directly related to processing leads to limited insights into ore processing behaviour. ENICON investigates the impact of mineral textures and grain size on liberation, sometimes interfering with automated mineralogy results. Additionally, the project presented the findings of the ore characterisation of the Kevitsa mine, containing nickel (Ni)- and cobalt (Co)-bearing minerals.

The CRM-geothermal presentation, delivered by Saskia Bindschedler, Professor at Univ. de Neuchatel, Faculty of science, Institute of biology, Laboratory of microbiology, focused on the use of microbial activity for Li recovery from geothermal brines. Geothermal brines are characterised by high temperatures, increased pressure and salinity, conditions favourable for bioextraction processes using microbes. Key findings confirmed the feasibility of microbial-driven processes for Li recovery, enabling effective filtering of elements using oxalate compounds, followed by precipitation via oxalothropic bacteria, such as Pandoraea sp.. While the researchers will continue working on oxalotrophy and initial pH optimisation, focusing on improving the scalability, they will additionally investigate Li concentration in fluid samples.

Download CRM-geothermal presentation

An insight into the results of the METALLICO project, with focus on their COOL+ technology, was delivered by Sandra Pavon from Fraunhofer IKTS. COOL+ is one of the five technologies investigated within the framework of METALLICO, that involves a leaching step using supercritical CO₂, that enables the extraction of Li in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner. After explaining the five phases of the process and comparing the results at the main conclusions reported high selectivity and efficiency in Li recovery, achieving Li₂CO₃ which meets battery-grade specifications with a purity of 99.7 %. The solid silicate residue that remains after the CO₂ leaching step is not wasted. Instead, it is repurposed to produce geopolymers which are further used in the construction sector, aligning with the principles of circular economy and zero-waste.

Download METALLICO presentation

Advanced recycling solutions for battery recovery and reuse

The third session of presentations commenced with an outline of the main findings of the LIFE DRONE project, which concluded in June 2024. Presented by Lorenzo Toro, process engineer at Eco Recycling, the project demonstrated the feasibility of producing high-quality NMC oxide and graphite from recycled batteries. The innovative process confirmed significant environmental benefits, with a reduction of 59 % in terms of kg CO₂ eq. Additionally, one plant is estimated to treat 500 tonnes of batteries/year. The technical-economic evaluation of this industrial plant, with a potential capacity of 500 tons/year, showed a return on investment (ROI) of 31.64 % and a payback time (PBT) of 3.16 years. The analysis indicated that attractive payback times could be obtained even with varying prices for NMC and graphite.

Download LIFE DRONE presentation

The electrochemical Li recovery from Li-ion battery black mass, investigated in the RHINOCEROS project and presented by Prof. Pier Giorgio Schiavi from Univ. of Sapienza reported Li extraction yields from end-of-life (EoL) LIBs in the range of 82 %, and faradaic efficiency compared to commercial cathode materials (close to 100 %). Researchers have investigated potential causes that could explain the relatively low selectivity ranges of Li and other metals available in black mass. The simultaneous oxidation of impurities found in the black mass can be a justified explanation for the preliminary results obtained. Experimental results show that the extraction percentages for Co, Ni, and Mn remain in very low ranges. When contemplating upscaling scenarios, Prof. Schiavi mentioned the researchers are evaluating an alternative approach that enables the treatment of larger quantities of powder without replicating the manufacturing process of LIB electrodes.

Download RHINOCEROS presentation

Benjamin P. Wilson, Senior Scientist, Hydrometallurgy and Corrosion at Aalto University, presented the hydrometallurgical recycling process explored in the RESPECT project aiming to achieve efficient, sustainable, innovative, and safe battery recycling processes. The preliminary results on the black mass leaching revealed that increasing temperatures of the leaching process results in higher yields for all the target metals available in the black mass [Li, Mn, Co, Ni]. Looking at process optimisation towards lower CO₂ emissions, researchers explored a range of reductants already inherited in the black mass – Cu, Fe, Al, into an attempt to reduce the processing temperatures. Preliminary results have already shown that the presence of Fe and Cu have a catalysing role for the metals dissolution. Further exploration of results via the statistical tool “Design of experiments” [DoE] focused on the interaction effects between various parameters, such as temperature, Fe concentration and additions of Cu, Al and hydrogen peroxide [H₂O₂]. Finally, the conclusions of the experimental work shows that temperature remains one of the most impactful factors. However, increasing Fe and Cu concentration yields better Li recovery than conventional leaching processes using H₂O₂  as reductant.

Download RESPECT presentation

The BATRAW project, represented by Miguel Aguilar, researcher at LEITAT Technological Centre, presented a promising technology they have been honing recently as an alternative separation technique to conventional solvent extraction: Polymer Inclusion Membranes [PIMs]. Since the launch of the project, over 150 PIMs with various compositions have already been developed, with the continuous quest to optimise the membranes composition and thus to improve the extraction efficiency, while reducing the precipitation of metal-extractant complexes. Experimental work using various compositions of PIMs, with acetate as buffer reported an increased recovery of Co from 74 % to 82 %. Replicating these experiments using real streams rich in Li, Na, Mn and Ni yielded 24 % Co recovery after 24h. The recovery rates on real streams have considerably reduced, mainly due milder acidifying conditions selected to enable eventual upscaling of the process. In a nutshell, a membrane with a surface barely reaching 24 cm² can recover 1,74 g Co and 2,8 g of Ni in only 24 h.

Download BATRAW presentation

The final presentation featured an interactive presentation of the ReLiEF project, delivered by Joana Gouveia [Researcher at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management (INEGI) and America Quinteros [Researcher at LUT Univ.]. The presentation debuted with a survey scrutinising the important elements that are validating the sustainable aspects of a business model.

The ReLiEF presentation continued with an overview of all the leaching technologies developed within the project’s framework, including: water leaching, deep eutectic solvents (DES), pressurised leaching, microwave and acid-based leachings. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of these technologies focused on various environmental impact categories, portraying the environmental, costs and social impacts for each process. The results of the LCA analysis incentivised the researchers from ReLiEF to propose the multi-industry business model as a sustainable approach, balancing socio, economic and environmental aspects of the battery value chain. In practice, the multi-industry model works by integrating the efforts of various industries to create a cohesive and sustainable approach to lithium recovery. Looking at the results of the leaching processes applied to mining waste/tailings and alloy dusts, the conclusions show that energy consumption remains the major element having an impact on the final results.

Download ReLiEF presentation

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The 7th Circular Materials Conference in 2025 in Copenhagen is a major gathering of researchers, policy makers and industry representatives dedicated to driving sustainability implementing circular economy solutions, novel business models and optimizing resource efficiency, scheduled for October 15-16 2025, at the Technical University of Denmark.

The conference is organised by the Competence Centre of Recycling (CCR) at Chalmers University of Technology in collaboration with the Technical University of Denmark and other Nordic research institutes, academia, and organizations from various industries. The conference offers a platform to rethink materials through the lens of emerging technologies and innovative partnerships, paving the way for a circular future.

Conference highlights for 2025

* EU Policies and their Role in Circular Transition
* Policy Implementation and Compliance
* Circular Materials Business Applications
* Collaboration for Circular Materials: Industry and Government Partnerships
* Nordic Partnerships for Circular Materials Collaboration
* Research and Innovation for Circular Materials

More information

Call for abstracts. Abstract submission deadline: 15 April 2025

Key topics for abstract submission:

• Circular economy strategies
• Circular packaging
• EV battery recycling
• How to increase circularity of plastics?
• Material circularity and recycling of PV modules
• Metals & CRM from secondary resources
• Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
• Municipal solid waste incineration and fly ash
• Quantifying circular economy with LCA

Call for contributions

© Circular Materials Conference official website

On 15th of January 2025, Horizon Europe initiatives LITHOS and CICERO bring together experts from both projects to share knowledge and discuss breakthroughs along the value chain – mineral processing of CRMs.

Key topics:

• the production of lithium hydroxide from alkaline leaching process of spodumene concentrate
• the role of MSA and its use  for the crystallization of battery metals
• the importance of LCA in mining and metallurgical projects

The target group of the webinar is graduate and postgraduate students as well as early-stage researchers.

Registrations are open by 14 January 2025.

Register here

Mark your calendars for 12 December 2024, when the third edition of the annual workshop of the Cluster Hub “Production of raw materials for batteries from European resources”.

The event will be hybrid. It will take place in Brussels, at Thon Hotel EU, Rue de la Loi 75, 1040. The number of seats is limited, and will be assigned on a first come first served policy. However, interested participants can attend online, upon registration with the LINK.

Batteries have been around for centuries, with successive technological advancements leading to major electrical leaps: from the early rise of telegraphs and telephones to the modern life ‘commodities’ such as consumer electronics, electric vehicles and healthcare.

Despite a policy context incentivising European stakeholders to build a climate-neutral society, this ambitious plan hinges on the electrification of two key industrial sectors – transport and energy – accounting together for 76 % of the EU’s GHG emissions. To meet the rising demand of batteries, Europe is looking for alternatives to reduce its dependency on battery imports and enhance its competitiveness in the global battery market. This push to re-industrialise Europe’s battery manufacturing is supported by technological advancements.

The Cluster Hub ‘Production of raw materials for batteries from European resources’ is organising the third edition of its annual workshop on 12 December 2024. With each edition, the hub plans to provide a comprehensive overview of the most promising technologies engaged in the production of raw materials for batteries, from raw materials mining to recycling.

Additional to the technical sessions which will present the most recent results from the member projects included in the EU-funded hub, the workshop will set off with an incursion across the European policy environment, introduced by representatives of the European Commission and BEPA.

Download the agenda

Who is the event dedicated to?

Any stakeholder interested in the R&I context in the battery sector, whether a representative of industry, cross-sector activities, research community or a policy-maker, is welcome to participate. Each session presenting results will be concluded with a dedicated Q&A slot, where participating attendees are invited to address questions.

Beyond presenting the latest results accomplished by our member projects, the event plans to open the stage to challenging discussions, ultimately aiming to identify opportunities for value creation within the European battery sector.

Disclaimer

The event will be recorded (audio & video) and pictures will be taken. Should participants have any objections, these should be addressed to the organisers.

Registration

The event is hybrid. On site participation is limited to the conference room capacity. Seats are limited and allocated to the first 40 participants expressing interest.

Register for on site participation

The event can also be attended online, using Teams platform. Registration is mandatory.

Register here for online participation

How can the RESPECT project help bridge the gap between the ambitions of the Critical Raw Materials Act [CRMA] and the practical realities of creating a secure, sustainable, and circular European Li-ion battery manufacturing industry?

The event aims to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the Circular Economy Regulation on Materials for the Li-ion battery sector and to discuss the innovative solutions developed by the RESPECT project for sustainable and efficient Li-ion battery recycling, with a focus on translating findings into policy recommendations and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.

 

The RAWMINA Final Conference is an event focusing on the recovery of Critical Raw Materials (CRM) from mine waste within a circular economy framework. This two-day conference, held between 22 and 23 October, at the Casa de la Convalescència, Hospital Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain, brings together leading researchers, industry experts, policymakers, and innovators to explore cutting-edge advancements in CRM recovery.

What to expect

• Tech Deep-dive Sessions
• Round Table Discussions
• Early Researchers’ Symposium
• Matchmaking Sessions & Funding Opportunities Workshops
• Clustering Sessions

This conference is a must-attend for anyone interested in groundbreaking CRM-recovery technologies, sustainable mining practices, or networking with key industry players.

Registrations are open until 8 October. Secure your spot now!

Register now

Date: 9 September 2024
Format: Online [via Microsoft Teams, access link]
Time: 9:00 am to 13:00 pm (CEST)
Special feature: A virtual tour of the LIFE DRONE plant
Participation is free of charge

The application of batteries has been steadily increasing over the past two decades driven by the growing market of consumer electronics. Electrodes materials including strategic or critical raw materials such as graphite, cobalt, nickel and manganese, which account for more than 50% of the battery cost, need to be recovered from EU resources and recycled into the batteries manufacturing chain to reduce the environmental impact and prevent the dispersion of hazardous elements into the environment. A major bottleneck hindering the recovery of batteries materials at large scale today is the elevated cost of implemented recycling processes, such as pyro and hydrometallurgical recycling.

The LIFE DRONE project aims to demonstrate a novel recycling route for different end-of-life (EoL) lithium-ion battery (LIB) types showing significantly lower processing cost and better environmental impact as compared to the alternative state of the art (SoA) processes.

Having reached the final stages of the project, LIFE DRONE is inviting interested stakeholders to participate at the final conference, providing the results and the outcomes of the actions carried out by the project during almost four years of research:

• Design and construction of a mobile plant to perform the synthesis of the Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt (NMC) oxide
• Process demonstration
• Validation of produced materials by preparation of 10 Li-ion cells (capacity 10-20 Ah)
• Evaluation of the process economic feasibility
• Life cycle assessment of the proposed recycling route
• Elaboration of a replicability plan in a different EU member state
• Elaboration of a business plan large scale industrial application

The conference will feature presentations on the project outcomes, discussions on the impact of drone technology on environmental monitoring, and opportunities for Q&A with the team of experts. The conference will also include a virtual tour of the LIFE DRONE plant.

“Essential, Responsible, Made in Eu: Industrial Minerals at the Heart of the New Industrial Deal“

IMA-Europe – the European Industrial Minerals Association – invites you to its 2024 Conference!

• November 7^th, 2024
• Sofitel Hotel in Brussels, Belgium

This one-day event will be a deep dive into the essential role of industrial minerals in providing sustainable solutions to enable green and digital transition and highlighting the benefits of domestic supply of industrial minerals for a resilient and competitive EU industry.

Join industry leaders, policymakers, and experts for a day of engaging discussions, insightful presentations, and valuable networking opportunities.

Participation to these events is free of charge but require registration.

Register here

© visual: IMA-Europe

Back in 2022, the clustering workshop “Production of Raw Material for Batteries from European Sources” led to what we hope will be long-lasting synergies and collaborations between research and industry – the Cluster Hub.

There is no better day than today, the International Day of Friendship, to show the world our collaborative community with the same mission – to foster the knowledge necessary to drive a more sustainable and circular production of raw materials for the European battery industry.

The projects’ association aims not only to provide general information on technological progress, but also to address new challenges, such as:

• The high cost of resources exploration activities.
• The geological uncertainty.
• The optimisation of the processing and refining technologies for the upgrading of minerals and metals from side streams and industrial waste streams.

On the occasion of the International Day of Friendship, Nader Akil, EU Business Operations Manager at PNO Innovation N.V., and the initiator of the Cluster HUB concept, said: “In the spirit of International Day of Friendship, I am proud to celebrate the commitment to collaboration fostered by the Cluster HUB. Our collective efforts within the EU context exemplify the power of partnership in driving innovation and sustainability in the battery sector. And we strongly believe that this dynamic research and industry exchange can provide support to the current policy context. Together, we are not only addressing critical challenges but also paving the way for a sustainable and economically vibrant future for Europe through reinforced partnership and mutual growth.”

The Cluster HUB currently encompasses approximately 100 organisations driving the production and recycling of raw materials for battery applications from primary and secondary resources and covering the entire value chain of the battery production.

Download the press release

Monday, 09 September 2024, members of the Cluster Hub “Production of raw materials for batteries from European resources”, namely ENICON, EXCEED, AVANTIS, LITHOS and CICERO will organise one session in conjunction with International Circular Hydrometallurgy Symposium (ICHS 2024). The event is titled: “Towards responsible mining and processing of energy-transition metals in Europe: A mere pipedream or a realistic opportunity?” and will be held as satellite event of the main event ICHS 2024.

Download the Cluster tentative agenda 

During this event, which is organised before the start of the ICHS 2024, a round-table discussion with representatives from different entities (EU, academia, research institutions, industry, SMEs, NGOs etc.) will be held to shed light on social license to operate (SLO) issues (in particular with respect to the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) target to endorse and fast-track “Strategic Projects”), inform society about the requirements of the green energy transition, the responsibility of the mining industry to manage its impacts and identify the most critical aspects to fundamentally transform society’s trust in mining.