Nader Akil (PNO) and Lourdes Yurramendi (Tecnalia) presented the CROCODILE project, and its latest achievement and innovation potential in the EASME session H2020- Innovations and innovators along the raw materials Value chain.
The session was opened with an introduction by EU representatives about the role and impact of raw materials, particularly critical raw materials, in supporting the European green deal objective to become CO2 neutral by 2050. Also they addressed the role of innovation in EU research funding, in H2020 and in the future Horizon Europe, and presented the funding that was mobilised in H2020 for the different topics related to the raw materials sectors. They have also addressed the funding that will be mobilised in Horizon Europe under cluster 4 – Digital Industry and Space, and the EASME support to maximise the impact of R&I public investment. Then this introductory part were followed by two other parts. The 1st part was the occasion to engage with beneficiaries of H2020 projects with a high innovation potential and capacity, who described their projects and the innovation potential. 5 projects were presented in the first part followed by Q&A session:
X-MINE: Real-Time Mineral X-Ray Analysis for Efficient and Sustainable Mining
IMPaCT: Integrated Modular Plant and Containerised Tools for Selective, Low-impact Mining of Small High-grade Deposits
ITERAMS: Integrated mineral technologies for more sustainable raw material supply
CROCODILE: First of a kind commercial Compact system for the efficient Recovery Of Cobalt Designed with novel Integrated Leading technologies
SecREEts: Innovations in Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Phosphate Fertiliser Production
In the 2nd part, H2020 and EIT RawMaterials projects were presented as examples of synergies to boost and scale-up innovative results along the raw materials value chain. 11 synergetic projects were presented in the second part:
UNEXMIN & UNEXUP: Autonomous Underwater Explorer for Flooded Mines & upscaling
Blue Nodules & Blue Harvesting: Blue Nodules: Breakthrough Solutions for the Sustainable Harvesting and Processing of Deep Sea Polymetallic Nodules, Blue Harvesting: Hydraulic Collector for Polymetallic Nodules from the Deepsea
Real-Time-Mining & VAMOS & INSite: Real-Time Mining: Real-time optimization of extraction and the logistic process in highly complex geological and selective mining settings, VAMOS: Viable and Alternative Mine Operating System!, INSite: Insitu ore grading system using LIBS in harsh environments
LOCO2Fe & ReclaMet: LOCO2Fe: Development of a Low CO2 Iron and Steelmaking Integrated Process Route for a Sustainable European Steel Industry, ReclaMet: Reclaiming valuable metals from process residues with the HIsarna process
PLATIRUS & CEBRA: PLATIRUS: PLATInum group metals Recovery Using Secondary raw materials, CEBRA: Integrated Circular Economy Business model for decoupling Europe from PGM supply.
Here is the full presentation: