Development of radical innovations to recover minerals and metals from seawater desalination brines

Project Information

SEA4VALUE

Grant agreement ID: 869703

DOI

10.3030/869703

Project closed

EC signature date 20 April 2020

Start date 1 June 2020

End date 30 November 2024

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials

Total cost

€ 6 995 736,25

EU contribution

€ 6 995 736,25

Coordinated by

FUNDACIO EURECAT
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - SEA4VALUE (Development of radical innovations to recover minerals and metals from seawater desalination brines)

Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The SEA4VALUE project addresses the EU's dependency on imported metal ores, particularly critical raw materials (CRM). By exploring seawater desalination brine as an alternative source, the project aims to reduce this dependency. The primary objective is to deliver a Multi-mineral Modular Brine Mining Process (MMBMP) to recover valuable metals and minerals like Mg, B, Sc, In, V, Ga, Li, Rb, and Mo from desalination plant brines. The project also aims to generate comprehensive data on brine composition for the EC Raw Materials Information System (RMIS).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In RP3, SEA4VALUE focused on finalizing technology development, integrating models, and validating processes in real environments:
• WP2 (Brine Composition Knowledge): Completed characterization of 123 brine samples and updated the brine composition catalogue.
• WP3-6 (Technology Development): Advanced technologies, including novel nanofiltration membranes, innovative evaporators, and 3D-printed adsorbents, were developed and tested.
• WP7 (Model Development): Created mathematical models and integrated them into a Process Simulation Platform (PSP) for simulating recovery processes.
• WP8 (Moving Lab): Deployed and operated a mobile laboratory in Tenerife, testing technologies with real brines from multiple regions.
• WP9 (Sustainability and Market Analysis): Conducted Life Cycle Assessments, defined KPIs, and initiated market analyses for various recovered materials. Moreover it initiated and successfully concluded the CEN-WS Agreement procress.
• WP10 (Dissemination): Produced outreach materials, conducted stakeholder workshops, and formed the Sea4Value Young Professionals Network.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

SEA4VALUE's innovations advance next-generation separation technologies, enabling efficient recovery of metals from desalination brines. The project contributes to the EU's circular economy by transforming waste brine into valuable raw materials, supporting Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) goals, and minimizing environmental impacts. The validated technologies and models pave the way for future industrial adoption, enhancing EU leadership in sustainable raw material access.
4. Conclusions of the action
SEA4VALUE successfully demonstrated the technical feasibility of recovering valuable metals from seawater brines using innovative, scalable technologies. The project delivered key insights into process optimization, sustainability, and market potential, laying the foundation for broader industrial implementation. The comprehensive data generated will support future research, policy-making, and educational initiatives related to sustainable raw material recovery.

S4V at AQUATECH

Stakeholder WS

Apearance of the DSTU laboratory when performing measurements

Twitter

S4V at ACHEMA