Milos Island in Greece, holding one of the biggest geothermal fields in the world and famous for its rich deposits of perlite and bentonite, offers a unique convergence of investment opportunities. As both a historical mining hub and a leading touristic destination, the island of Milos is an ideal setting for a dissemination event focused on sustainable development within the framework of the LiCORNE project.

We welcome participation both in person and online.

Registration

Objective

The LiCORNE project aims to establish the first ever Li supply chain in Europe, increasing the European Li processing and refining capacity for producing battery-grade chemicals from ores, geothermal and continental brines, tailings and off-specification cathode materials (waste). Therefore, the event aims to bring together experts and stakeholders to discuss innovative approaches for the sustainable extraction of critical raw materials (CRMs) and how geothermal fields, such as those in Milos, can play a role in this process.

This dynamic environment makes Milos the perfect backdrop for fostering collaboration between the energy, mining, and environmental sectors.

Agenda

9:30-9:40	10’	Introduction and greetings
9:40-10:10	30’	LiCORNE overview	TEC
10:10-10:40	30’	Li Market overview	ADM
10:40-11:10	30’	EU policies and supporting mechanisms	PNO
11:10-11:30	20’	EMILI Project	IMERYS
11:30-11:50	20’	Pyrometallurgical transformation of primary mineral resources for the production of upgraded lithium solutions	NTUA
11:50-12:10	20’	Direct lithium extraction from spodumene concentrate via an ion-exchange process	VITO
12:10-12:30	20’	Electrochemical Desalination and its Potential in the Selective Extraction of Lithium from Geothermal Brines	KIT
12:30-12:50	20’	Recovery of Li from off spec cathode waste by molten salt chlorination	SINTEF
12:50-13:10	20’	Advanced electrodialysis approach for lithium recovery from geothermal resources	FRA
13:10-14:00	50’	Lunch break
14:00-14:30	30’	Europe’s priorities	EIT
14:30-15:00	30’	Exploratory works for Li in Greece	EAGME
15:00-15:30	30’	Valorization of Milos geothermal fields: prospects and challenges	PPC Renewables
15:30-16:00	30’	Greek State, Geothermal Energy, and CRMs: A Support of Innovation and European CRM Independence	Ministry of Environment and Energy
16:00-16:30	30’	Miners and Local communities. A tug of war or a win-win situation	SME
16:30-17:00	30’	Social Responsibility	IMERYS
17:00-17:30	30’	Discussion – Closing – Coffee	ALL

 

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

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.

Immediately after its M24 Consortium meeting, the LiCORNE project will co-organise the first edition of the Symposium on Direct Lithium Extraction (SDLE). The event is hosted between 17 and 18 October 2024 by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

This symposium will delve into the latest advancements and innovative technologies in the field of direct lithium extraction (DLE), fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange to drive forward this critical sector.

Topical Overview:­

• Liquid / solid Li extraction technologies
• Membrane & precipitation technologies
• Conversion to battery
• Electrochem. Li extraction & Desalination Technologies
• Concentration & Purification of Li-brines

The symposium will feature additional

• industry sessions
• poster sessions, where interested parties can submit abstracts

More information