Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MaDiTraCe (Material and digital traceability for the certification of critical raw materials)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
The recent upheavals in global commodity flows and the rapid evolution of regulatory frameworks, particularly at EU level, keep critical raw materials (CRMs) high on the economic and political agenda. Due diligence on the sustainable sourcing, production and processing of minerals is pushed by societal and regulatory drivers that put increasing pressure on the manufacturing industry in terms of chain of custody control. Industry expects efficient, standardized certification schemes, including transparent and secured traceability on the one hand and decentralized confidential handling of the underlying information on the other.
The main ambition of MaDiTraCe is to develop and test new methodology for geoscientific and digital traceability of raw materials integrated into auditable certification schemes for upstream and downstream companies to meet regulatory compliancy requirements. These tools will be digitally (blockchain) embedded in Digital Product Passport (DPP) schemes which not only merges the variable interests of relevant stakeholders in the raw materials sector, but also enables easy digital proof and exchange and widespread acceptance in the corporate world. Such a system is currently unique in the raw material sector and constitutes a decisive step towards standardisation and reliability of due diligence in supply chains and chain of custody (CoC), permitting downstream companies to provide digitally verifiable credentials (VCs) as to the mineral provenance and production methods for the materials in their final products and to achieve regulatory compliance. Notably, it will facilitate the implementation of the coming EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and of the future DPPs. Innovation within the MaDiTraCe system stems from:
• Complete coverage of mineral supply chains from pre-mining (exploration), over mining, post-mining (processing) to labelling of final products and recycling by a coherent overarching certification scheme.
• Full digitalisation of the document-based traceability, built around the DPP architecture with decentrally managed and digitally verifiable raw material information.
• Integration of independent forensic tools for risk-assessment and auditing based on the material properties (fingerprints) contained in the raw material itself, inherited from the genesis and geological history of the mineral deposits, linked to the digital trail through quantifiable and queryable digital data sheets (i.e. certificates).
The main ambition of MaDiTraCe is to develop and test new methodology for geoscientific and digital traceability of raw materials integrated into auditable certification schemes for upstream and downstream companies to meet regulatory compliancy requirements. These tools will be digitally (blockchain) embedded in Digital Product Passport (DPP) schemes which not only merges the variable interests of relevant stakeholders in the raw materials sector, but also enables easy digital proof and exchange and widespread acceptance in the corporate world. Such a system is currently unique in the raw material sector and constitutes a decisive step towards standardisation and reliability of due diligence in supply chains and chain of custody (CoC), permitting downstream companies to provide digitally verifiable credentials (VCs) as to the mineral provenance and production methods for the materials in their final products and to achieve regulatory compliance. Notably, it will facilitate the implementation of the coming EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence and of the future DPPs. Innovation within the MaDiTraCe system stems from:
• Complete coverage of mineral supply chains from pre-mining (exploration), over mining, post-mining (processing) to labelling of final products and recycling by a coherent overarching certification scheme.
• Full digitalisation of the document-based traceability, built around the DPP architecture with decentrally managed and digitally verifiable raw material information.
• Integration of independent forensic tools for risk-assessment and auditing based on the material properties (fingerprints) contained in the raw material itself, inherited from the genesis and geological history of the mineral deposits, linked to the digital trail through quantifiable and queryable digital data sheets (i.e. certificates).
During the first 18 months of the project, the following main results have been achieved.
A mapping of stakeholders in the field of raw materials, digital passport and due diligence for raw materials was established. A gap and needs analysis was conducted, together with a literature review and SWOT analysis of the current standards and certification methods in the field of raw materials/mining sector. This work identifies the place for a material traceability system in Europe.
In the field of material fingerprint, several main results were obtained. First, existing artificial taggers and 3D printing technologies and current requirements of the Mining & Mineral industry were reviewed. Material fingerprint methodology for lithium, cobalt, natural graphite and neodymium are being developed. The 4 commodities of the projet are being assessed with samples coming across the world. The work, in progress, is developing at same time a fingerprint database and analytical method.
In the field of digital traceability, the benchmark of different battery passport systems was conducted and the required fields in battery passport by Maditrace were identified. Criteria were selected and preliminary requirements defined for decentralised traceability, including supply chain mapping. The process of data modelling also started.
To develop the components of the certification system CERA4in1, a review of current literature and standards was conducted together with a gap analysis. The checklist of criteria for a Readiness Standard for Exploration was performed and achieved during this period.
The project also participated in workshops, scientific conferences, and seminars and a first scientific article was published. Several large public videos have been produced and a webinar was held. Finally, the integration of a traceability system as a new industrial sector and its integration in regional industrial strategies was assessed.
A mapping of stakeholders in the field of raw materials, digital passport and due diligence for raw materials was established. A gap and needs analysis was conducted, together with a literature review and SWOT analysis of the current standards and certification methods in the field of raw materials/mining sector. This work identifies the place for a material traceability system in Europe.
In the field of material fingerprint, several main results were obtained. First, existing artificial taggers and 3D printing technologies and current requirements of the Mining & Mineral industry were reviewed. Material fingerprint methodology for lithium, cobalt, natural graphite and neodymium are being developed. The 4 commodities of the projet are being assessed with samples coming across the world. The work, in progress, is developing at same time a fingerprint database and analytical method.
In the field of digital traceability, the benchmark of different battery passport systems was conducted and the required fields in battery passport by Maditrace were identified. Criteria were selected and preliminary requirements defined for decentralised traceability, including supply chain mapping. The process of data modelling also started.
To develop the components of the certification system CERA4in1, a review of current literature and standards was conducted together with a gap analysis. The checklist of criteria for a Readiness Standard for Exploration was performed and achieved during this period.
The project also participated in workshops, scientific conferences, and seminars and a first scientific article was published. Several large public videos have been produced and a webinar was held. Finally, the integration of a traceability system as a new industrial sector and its integration in regional industrial strategies was assessed.
The main expected results of MaDiTraCe project are the following ones
• Development and tests of independent digital and analytical (geo-based) methodologies for Critical Raw Materials traceability along the supply chain
• Integration of these methodologies into a generic certification scheme and Digital Product Passport
• Creation of databases of fingerprints for key commodities (Li, Co, C, REE/Nd)
• Development and test of new tailored artificial tracers
• AI-enabled data analysis
• Cloud Identity Wallet to issue, hold and verify digital certificates
• Development and tests of independent digital and analytical (geo-based) methodologies for Critical Raw Materials traceability along the supply chain
• Integration of these methodologies into a generic certification scheme and Digital Product Passport
• Creation of databases of fingerprints for key commodities (Li, Co, C, REE/Nd)
• Development and test of new tailored artificial tracers
• AI-enabled data analysis
• Cloud Identity Wallet to issue, hold and verify digital certificates