Europe's ambitious energy and climate goals are heavily dependent on critical and strategic raw materials such as those used in the manufacture of NMC cathodes in lithium-ion batteries, i.e., nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), and cobalt (Co), as this cathode type of chemistry is likely to prevail for a long time due to their high energy density and charging speeds. Hence, there is already a strong demand for high-purity Ni, Co and Mn, and these are expected to increase by 21, 19 and 8 times, respectively, over the next 20 years. Given the shift towards more Ni-rich NMC chemistries, the demand for Ni is of particular concern.
To face this challenge, the CICERO project will focus on the domestic refining of Ni, Co and Mn, by developing sustainable and cost-effective processing and refining processes based on a unique and innovative approach which integrates the Twelve Principles of Circular Hydrometallurgy established by the Coordinator KU Leuven, with the smart use of methanesulphonic acid (MSA).
SINTEF will contribute with the establishment of suitable electrowinning processes to recover Ni, Mn and Co from MSA-based electrolytes. Moreover, SINTEF is leading the activities focused on the reagent regeneration and iron recovery by electrowinning from the MSA electrolyte.
Partners
11 partners from 8 different EU-countries, large (5), research and technology organizations (3), and universities (3):
- KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN (KU Leuven), Belgium, coordinator
- TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY (VTT), Finland
- BUREAU DE RECHERCHES GEOLOGIQUES ET MINIERES (BRGM), France
- KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN (KTH), Sweden
- SINTEF AS (SINTEF), Norway
- POLYTECHNEIO KRITIS (TUC), Greece
- BOLIDEN MINERAL AB (BOMIN), Sweden
- GENIKI METALLEUTIKI KAI METALLOURGIKI ANONIMI ETAIRIA - (GENERAL MINING AND METALLURGICAL COMPANY S.A. ) (LARCO), Greece
- AURUBIS BEERSE (AURUBIS BEERSE), Belgium
- BASF SE (BASF SE), Germany
- ITALMATCH CHEMICALS SPA (ITALMATCH), Italy
Project Duration: November 2023 - October 2027
Total Budget: 6 998 828.75 Euro
SINTEFs Budget: 595 398.75 Euro
This project has received funding from the European Union’s HORIZON EUROPE under grant agreement No 101137560.
