Projects

A circular and chemistry-neutral approach for recycling and recovery of battery waste feeds

Coordinator

INSTM Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali

Description

RENOVATE is a three-year project aimed at developing and demonstrating new circular economy solutions for the European battery value-chain by recycling and re-using 95+% of End-of-life batteries, battery components (e.g., metallic foil, graphite) and industrial side streams (e.g., waste chemicals, solvents, and scraps). This will reduce the demand for virgin materials, the dependence on suppliers and the generation of residues going to landfill while preserving health and the environment.

To achieve this goal, holistic, flexible, and closed-loop processes for End-of-Life batteries based on both low (LFP) and high (e.g. NMC) energy density chemistries will be validated and designed to allow a real and easily implementable “net zero carbon” process, while ensuring a low impact and low energy use.

RENOVATE is a participative project that builds upon the expertise of INSTM, the biggest centre in Italy on Materials Science and Technology, coordinator of the project, the University of Pavia and Milano Bicocca, Polytechnic University of Milan , experts in battery materials and green chemistry solutions, the Iberian Centre for Research in Energy Storage (CIIAE), specialist in hydrogen, Power2X, electricity and thermal storage, and Karlsruhe institute of technology, a cluster of Excellence for “Post Lithium Storage”. The consortium also involves 1 battery manufacturer, FAAM, 2 large chemical companies, SYENSQO and Organik Kimya, a Producer Responsibility Organisation and expert in the optimisation of collection, recovery and recycling of batteries, ERP, and 2 SMEs: LOMARTOV, expert in circular and environmental engineering, and BALance Technology Consulting, expert in software and digital platform development.

The RENOVATE project is funded by Horizon Europe, the European Union’s key programme for Research and Innovation, under the Climate, Energy, and Mobility cluster, which aims to making the energy and transport sectors more climate and environment-friendly, more efficient and competitive.

Objectives

RENOVATE is committed to maximising recycling as an enabler of circular economy by achieving the following main objectives:

• Higher recycling efficiency through selective separation of the components and higher profitability by recovering non-CAM materials;
• Direct re-use of LFP from EoL batteries and manufacturing scraps
• Green solvo/hydromet with a closed loop vision to extract CRMs from black mass streams, adaptable to SIBs;
• Valorization of the process side streams;
• Full LCA and LCC analysis of the processes and digital architecture acting as a cross-cutting Digital Design Support System (DDSS)

Discover the RENOVATE project