Battery-grade materials recovery from primary and secondary sources through innovative technologies

The M-BAT project aims to enhance the European Union's strategic autonomy in the battery value chain by reducing its dependency on imported critical raw materials. The project will demonstrate four innovative, sustainable, and cost-efficient processes (GRANODE, RECO, RETAILCO, and GEOLI) for the production of battery-grade materials—specifically Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese, Lithium, and graphite. These technologies will be scaled up to an industrially relevant environment (TRL 6/7) by processing diverse European primary and secondary resources, including mine tailings (from CLC), industrial sludges (from KGHM), black mass from Li-ion batteries (from ENERIS), and geothermal brines (from COR). The final battery-grade products will be validated by end-users in the battery sector through their integration into NMC811 cathodes and anodes, ensuring market alignment.Another core pillar of M-BAT is the integration of a digitally-enabled Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, which combines mathematical modelling with comprehensive safety, environmental (LCA), and socio-economic (LCC, s-LCA) assessments to guide the innovation process. The project is supported by a strategic consortium covering the entire value chain and includes robust plans for exploitation, business development, and replication across Europe, alongside targeted activities to foster social acceptance and stakeholder engagement.