Producing battery-grade materials for electrodes through sustainable processing and refining of raw materials or developing bio-based materials (BATT4EU Partnership)

This Destination contributes directly to the Strategic Plan’s Key Strategic Orientations ‘Green transition’, ‘Digital transition’ and ‘A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe’.

In line with the Strategic Plan, the overall expected impact of this Destination is to contribute to the “Facilitating a clean and sustainable transition of the energy and transport sectors towards climate neutrality through cross-cutting solutions”.

The main impacts to be generated by topics under this Destination are:

Batteries

1. Increased competitiveness and strategic autonomy of a complete EU value chain while maximizing sustainability.
2. Reducing dependency on raw materials and upscaling processing capacity, also for recycled materials.
3. Creating an integrated European battery sector for next generation batteries, from design to manufacturing and all the way to end of life, reducing environmental impact.
4. Improving energy storage technologies to enhance the resilience of EU’s energy system, facilitating integration of renewable energy sources.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.

Expected Outcome:

Proposals are expected to contribute to all following points:

• Significantly reduced EU dependency on imported battery-grade raw materials, specifically emerging technologies and carbon-based electrode materials.
• Established European value chains for next-generation battery materials, enhancing the EU's technological leadership and strategic autonomy.

Scope:

Proposals under this topic are expected to address all aspects for one of the following categories:

1. Sustainable Processing and Refining of next generation batteries-grade Material, delivering all of the following:

• Development and validation of innovative, environmentally friendly refining technologies for producing battery-grade metals and materials suitable for next-generation battery chemistries. This covers raw and advanced electrode materials for the components of sodium-ion batteries or beyond generation 3^[1] lithium-ion batteries
• Development of processes achieving significant reductions in carbon and ecological footprint, emissions of pollutants, energy usage, and chemical inputs. The selected processes should not negatively impact any of the aspects above or cause significant harm.
• Validation of economic viability, environmental sustainability, and technological robustness of the proposed refining and processing solutions.

OR:

2. Utilising Bio-based Raw Materials for Battery Electrode Materials delivering on all of the following:

• Development of synthetic graphite and/or alternative carbonous materials for battery components derived from bio-based European feedstocks (e.g., biomass, agricultural and forestry residues, lignocellulosic materials). Inactive components such as binders may also be included.
• Comprehensive characterization and validation of developed electrode materials in sodium-ion and lithium-ion battery cells, demonstrating comparable or superior performance to conventional graphite electrodes, specifically targeting cycle stability, energy density, and charge/discharge rates.
• Demonstration of credible pathways for pilot-scale production pathways for bio-based electrode materials including a clear techno-economic analysis and LCA/LCC impact assessment.

The Commission initiative for Safe and Sustainable by Design^[2] (SSbD) sets a framework for assessing the safety and sustainability of chemicals and materials which should be considered as a reference for project proposals.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU). As such, projects resulting from this topic will be expected to report on the results to the European Partnership on Batteries (Batt4EU) in support of the monitoring of its KPIs.

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[1] https://bepassociation.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/BATT4EU_reportA4_SRIA_V15_September.pdf

[2] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/key-enabling-technologies/chemicals-and-advanced-materials_en