Elemental Strategic Metals Sp. z o.o. is implementing the project; "Research, development and first industrial deployment of innovative technologies of Li-Ion batteries and spent autocatalysts recycling with recovery of strategic metals”, relating to the development of technologies for the safe, environmentally friendly and cost-effective transport, storage and recycling of Li-Ion batteries and used car catalysts in the so-called project portfolio, presented to the European Commission under the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) on Batteries program and approved by the EC decision C (2019) 8823 of December 9, 2019. Then as a result of the evaluation carried out under competition No. 8 / 1.1.1/2020 - Fast track - IPCEI, organized by the National Center for Research and Development, on December 23, 2020, an agreement was concluded for co-financing the project on the following terms:
The aim of the project is to increase the recycling volume of Li-Ion batteries and catalysts and the recovery of metals of strategic importance for the European battery industry and electromobility, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, platinum, palladium and rhodium.
As part of the Project, the Applicant will develop innovative processes for the recovery of metals essential for electromobility in the newly created and equipped Research and Development Department, and then build the first plant of this type, making a pilot, first industrial implementation of the developed technologies. The project covers the industrial research and experimental development (RDI) phase and the first industrial implementation - investment (FID) phase. In the RDI phase, research related to the development and development of recycling technologies for Li-Ion batteries and catalysts will be carried out, as well as tests of the technology on a laboratory scale. In the FID phase, a pilot installation will be built, in which further research will be carried out to validate and optimize technological processes (previously developed in the RDI phase) on a scale similar to the scale of industrial production.
In the period falling in the years 2024-2027, the Applicant envisages a number of activities related to the validation of all research and technological processes carried out in the pilot installation, optimization of technological processes and effectiveness of the conducted activity, as well as the implementation of external effects of the Project (the so-called spillover effects) related to the dissemination of effects project and the overall impact of the Project implementation on society, economy and the level of its innovativeness.
On June 17, 2021, after a comprehensive analysis and consultation with environmental protection authorities, the Mayor of the City of Zawiercie issued for the project implemented by Elemental Strategic Metals Sp. z o.o. decision on the environmental conditions of the consent for the implementation of the project.
On October 25 and November 29, 2021 Elemental Strategic Metals Sp. z o.o. acquired real estate located in the Economic Activity Zone in Zawiercie, where the first industrial and investment implementation (FID) phase of innovative technologies developed under this Project will be carried out.