Periodic Reporting for period 1 - METALLICO (Demonstration of battery metals recovery from primary and secondary resources through a sustainable processing methodology)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-01-01 bis 2024-06-30
The EU Green Deal’s climate-neutrality and digitalization goals for 2030 and 2050 necessitate substantial consumption of critical raw materials (CRMs). The COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict have heightened the urgency to secure these materials, which are vital due to their economic importance and the associated risks in the global market. The demand for lithium and cobalt, used in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage, is expected to surge by 60 and 15 times respectively by 2050. Similarly, the need for rare earth elements in permanent magnets is projected to increase tenfold by 2050. With many CRMs sourced from outside the EU, there is fierce competition for supply, driven by geopolitical and economic challenges. To mitigate this external dependency, the EU's Action Plan for CRMs and COVID-19 Recovery Plan emphasize the need for new, sustainable supply channels within Europe, focusing on both primary and secondary sources and circular economy strategies. However, challenges such as technical innovation, investment, and social awareness must be addressed, alongside fostering alliances across the value chain. There is also a critical lack of information on the availability of raw materials in existing mineral deposits, extractive wastes, and products, hindering new project development.
METALLICO aims to reduce dependency on volatile external markets for CRMs by tackling these cross-cutting barriers. The project will develop a digital platform that includes an inventory of primary and secondary sources and digital twins of novel metal production and recovery processes. These digital twins will be informed by operational data from innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable metal production and recovery trains, demonstrated at a relevant industrial scale (TRL6-7) and validated across diverse EU-based sources. This approach will facilitate market uptake and reduce Europe’s reliance on imports from third countries.
METALLICO aims to reduce dependency on volatile external markets for CRMs by tackling these cross-cutting barriers. The project will develop a digital platform that includes an inventory of primary and secondary sources and digital twins of novel metal production and recovery processes. These digital twins will be informed by operational data from innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable metal production and recovery trains, demonstrated at a relevant industrial scale (TRL6-7) and validated across diverse EU-based sources. This approach will facilitate market uptake and reduce Europe’s reliance on imports from third countries.
Work performed until M18 and main achievement are described below:
- T1.1: TUBAF optimized the COOL+ process to recover over 90% lithium from different spodumene samples at the lab scale, while IKTS conducted pilot-scale validation
- T1.2: Both TAILCO and PURGES processes have been successfully validated and optimized at the lab scale by CLC, CETAQUA, and UPC.
- T1.3: The intended goals for recovering Cu, Co, and Ni in the form of copper and cobalt-nickel concentrates with the required metal contents were successfully achieved at IMN facilities.
- T1.4: Ores’ characterizations of the different mineral deposits done: particle size distribution, chemical and phase composition – flotation, Leaching & bio-leaching tests performed.
- T1.5: LARCO nickel laterites and rotary kiln dust successfully characterized, demonstrating over 80% nickel and cobalt recovery using high-pressure acid leaching, while the COOL+ process proved effective in processing various primary and secondary lithium sources, achieving high lithium recovery (>90%).
- T2.1 and T2.2: Modelling and engineering activities of the five processes are ongoing. Process diagrams, equipment list, datasheets, and preliminary mass balances are already developed
- T5.1: Research related to methodological framework and guidelines to perform LCAs on metals. Research related to methodological lineguides to conduct LCAs on metals (system boundary, suggested co-products allocation, suggested co-producton methods, recycling allocation, impact assessment. Analysis related to existing published LCAs on cobalt and lithium. Preliminary LCAs are being set up to be updated and perfectioned iteratively as soon as new information is obtained.
- T5.4: UNEP/SETAC guidelines (2020) for conducting a Social Life Cycle Assessment (sLCA). Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) database acquired. Collection of data related to stakeholders, impact categories and risk levels from published papers on extraction/recovery of metals, across different countries
- T6.1: A social awareness report has been developed and submitted as D6.1.
- T6.2: List of mining strategies, Global word frequency, Code to document correlation analysis of Circular Economy, Strategies summary.
- T6.3: Stakeholder Profile Cards, Stakeholder database, Study case results, Study case stakeholder Network Graph
- T6.5: 1st Session of Andalusian Metallic Mining Forum performed at Seville, with a debate named "Metallic mining and value chain in Andalusia".
- T6.6: METALLICO project has become a member of the Cluster Hub Production of Raw Materials for batteries from European Resources. Networking sessions with European project Sea4Value. Preliminary contacts with Ecoloop Foundation (Poland)
- Develop a plan for exploitation and dissemination of results (T7.1). Website launched in April 2023. Social Media (LinkedIn, X). Several Materials have been published (Flyer, Poster, Roll-up). Communication toolbox (T7.2) and communication measures (T7.3).
- T7.5: revisit the topic of Knowledge Objects (KOs), Key Exploitable Results (KERs), Key assessments of KERs.
- T7.6: the first deliverable of the DMP has been submited.
- T1.1: TUBAF optimized the COOL+ process to recover over 90% lithium from different spodumene samples at the lab scale, while IKTS conducted pilot-scale validation
- T1.2: Both TAILCO and PURGES processes have been successfully validated and optimized at the lab scale by CLC, CETAQUA, and UPC.
- T1.3: The intended goals for recovering Cu, Co, and Ni in the form of copper and cobalt-nickel concentrates with the required metal contents were successfully achieved at IMN facilities.
- T1.4: Ores’ characterizations of the different mineral deposits done: particle size distribution, chemical and phase composition – flotation, Leaching & bio-leaching tests performed.
- T1.5: LARCO nickel laterites and rotary kiln dust successfully characterized, demonstrating over 80% nickel and cobalt recovery using high-pressure acid leaching, while the COOL+ process proved effective in processing various primary and secondary lithium sources, achieving high lithium recovery (>90%).
- T2.1 and T2.2: Modelling and engineering activities of the five processes are ongoing. Process diagrams, equipment list, datasheets, and preliminary mass balances are already developed
- T5.1: Research related to methodological framework and guidelines to perform LCAs on metals. Research related to methodological lineguides to conduct LCAs on metals (system boundary, suggested co-products allocation, suggested co-producton methods, recycling allocation, impact assessment. Analysis related to existing published LCAs on cobalt and lithium. Preliminary LCAs are being set up to be updated and perfectioned iteratively as soon as new information is obtained.
- T5.4: UNEP/SETAC guidelines (2020) for conducting a Social Life Cycle Assessment (sLCA). Product Social Impact Life Cycle Assessment (PSILCA) database acquired. Collection of data related to stakeholders, impact categories and risk levels from published papers on extraction/recovery of metals, across different countries
- T6.1: A social awareness report has been developed and submitted as D6.1.
- T6.2: List of mining strategies, Global word frequency, Code to document correlation analysis of Circular Economy, Strategies summary.
- T6.3: Stakeholder Profile Cards, Stakeholder database, Study case results, Study case stakeholder Network Graph
- T6.5: 1st Session of Andalusian Metallic Mining Forum performed at Seville, with a debate named "Metallic mining and value chain in Andalusia".
- T6.6: METALLICO project has become a member of the Cluster Hub Production of Raw Materials for batteries from European Resources. Networking sessions with European project Sea4Value. Preliminary contacts with Ecoloop Foundation (Poland)
- Develop a plan for exploitation and dissemination of results (T7.1). Website launched in April 2023. Social Media (LinkedIn, X). Several Materials have been published (Flyer, Poster, Roll-up). Communication toolbox (T7.2) and communication measures (T7.3).
- T7.5: revisit the topic of Knowledge Objects (KOs), Key Exploitable Results (KERs), Key assessments of KERs.
- T7.6: the first deliverable of the DMP has been submited.
Validation of the 3 treatment trains of the CONI, PURGES and TAILCO processes, expected recovery achieved and reported in deliverables.
The technical partners are still working on the laboraroty fine tunning of tow of five processes (COOL+ and COMAN); thus, more time and more research resources are needed before achieve any important result or conclusion.
There is other significant result to comment at the moment (M18 of the project).
The technical partners are still working on the laboraroty fine tunning of tow of five processes (COOL+ and COMAN); thus, more time and more research resources are needed before achieve any important result or conclusion.
There is other significant result to comment at the moment (M18 of the project).