The SIM² KU Leuven / CROCODILE teams are delighted to share the new CROCODILE video on cobalt recovery through the recycling of spent Li-ion batteries. The topic of the new video is 100% in line with the official EC position as regards Europe’s three-pronged critical raw material strategy. This strategy, as also conveyed by Maria Nyberg (EC, DG GROW) in her recent vodcast, should consist of three main solutions: (1) more and better recycling, (2) responsible sourcing from outside the EU, and (3) more domestic mining in Europe. This is not like a menu card in a restaurant where one can just choose one option; here we need all three solutions seamlessly working together.
This is no different for Co. As shown in this new video, to counter climate change we will need a major transition of both our energy and mobility systems. Electrification of mobility is one essential part of the solution. And that means more lithium-ion batteries, for which we need to develop robust recycling solutions.
In this new video it is explained how this can be done for NMC-type of batteries. Key CROCODILE players demonstrate the various steps in the recycling value chain: from sorting, to pre-treatment to create a black mass fraction, to the subsequent metallurgical processing to produce battery-grade Co sulphate.
Co recovery value chain
The CROCODILE video, which is presented by SIM² KU Leuven’s Nand Peeters, comprises footage from the battery recycling company Accurec (Zhangqi Wang) and Eco Recycling’s unique mobile metal recovery/refining pilot plant in Italy (Flavia Forte). It showcases the successful resource recovery strategies that were developed during the last 4 years in the Innovation Action project entitled CROCODILE, professionally managed by the colleagues from Tecnalia. You can now watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/771089943
Storyrunner
The video was produced by the same film director (Stijn Van Baarle, Storyrunner) as was the case for the successful documentary on “Responsible mining in Europe”, which focussed more on the reprocessing of mine tailings and the need for opening new Li, Ni, Co, rare earth mines in Europe.
Related links
- Vodcast with Maria Nyberg (EC, DG GROW): https://vimeo.com/763732432
- Documentary “Responsible mining in Europe”: https://vimeo.com/762229908 (Spanish and Portuguese versions of this documentary are also available)
Acknowledgements
The Crocodile project [First of a kind commercial Compact system for the efficient Recovery Of CObalt Designed with novel Integrated LEading technologies – Recovering Cobalt (h2020-crocodile.eu)] has received funding from the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under Grant Agreement No 776473. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority van be held responsible for them.
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