RELiEF on the Road: Sharing Revolutionary Lithium Recycling Research Globally

Over the past few months, the RELiEF project partners have been presenting the project’s latest research and advances at international conferences, engaging with the scientific community and experts in environmental sustainability and circular economy.

2nd International Conference on Renewable Energy (REN2024) – Barcelona, Spain

This week at REN2024 the RELiEF project was represented by a poster on “Recovery of Li2CO3 from spent Li-ion batteries by using hydrometallurgical methods from nitrate system solution”. Mihai Tudor Olaru and Marina Burada, two members from our partner IMNR, contributed to the poster that was presented at the conference which brought together researchers, delegates, businessmen and company representatives to exchange information and ideas.

SETAC Europe’s 26th LCA Symposium - Gothenburg, Sweden

From October 21–23, partners from INEGI, who are leading the Sustainability Assessment Work Package, represented the RELiEF project at SETAC Europe's 26th Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Symposium in Gothenburg, Sweden. Joana Gouveia showcased a scientific poster detailing the first life cycle assessment results of the pre-treatment and leaching processes developed in RELiEF to extract lithium from the mine tailing samples provided by the Pegmatítica partners. By sharing the sustainability assessment and discussing these findings with the scientific community, RELiEF’s commitment to fostering circular lithium value chains was highlighted.

CIPOA 2024 - Florianópolis, Brazil

Earlier in October, Joana Almeida from NOVA University Lisbon attended the 6th Iberoamerican Conference on Advanced Oxidation Technologies (CIPOA 2024) held in Florianópolis, Brazil. Almeida’s presentation focused on NOVA’s work in the RELiEF project, research on the electrodialytic recovery of lithium from secondary resources, underscoring its role in promoting sustainable, carbon-neutral solutions. The conference provided valuable networking opportunities with experts across the environmental and energy sectors to discuss the fundamentals and applications of Advanced Oxidation Technologies in the environmental, chemical, energy, and climate sectors, towards a sustainable and carbon-neutral circular economy.

xEV Battery Recycling Summit - Stuttgart, Germany

On September 26, Marilena Mancini from Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) gave a talk on “Validation Of Anode And Cathode Active Materials From Direct Recycling: Electrochemical Performance In New Li-ion Cells” at the xEV Battery Recycling Summit held in Stuttgart, Germany. This event brought together leaders from battery production, recycling firms, raw material suppliers, electric vehicle manufacturers, and the broader automotive battery supply chain to tackle the key challenges to enhanced recycling and recyclability. The Summit allowed RELiEF to showcase its advancements in lithium recovery from secondary sources and discuss critical insights for sustainable battery life cycles.

1st International Circular Hydrometallurgy Symposium - Mechelen, Belgium

In September, ULB researcher Wing Ching Kwok participated in the 1st International Circular Hydrometallurgy Symposium in Mechelen, Belgium, and presented a poster on “Extraction of lithium from Pegmatite mine tailings via microwave-assisted leaching and chemical precipitation”. The Symposium emphasised innovative approaches to metal extraction, fostering knowledge exchange in hydrometallurgy.

By actively participating in these global events, RELiEF continues to drive forward its mission of advancing sustainable lithium extraction technologies and supporting a circular, low-carbon future.