Satellite Events: Raw Materials Week

As demand steadily grows for materials and metals -essential for the EUs clean energy and mobility transformation, leaders are taking increasing notice of the strategic importance of secure critical raw materials (CRM) supply.

Lesson from the EU's current dependency on fossil fuels has highlighted the importance for resilience of supply for key transitional materials like lithium and cobalt. Diversified supply chains, coupled with more effective circularity measures (re-design, reuse, reduce recycling) domestically can ensure these CRMs are available for rapid deployment to European manufacturing to power the 2050 decarbonisation pathway.

A high-level panel of leading stakeholders working on supply chain resilience and circularity in Europe will discuss the role critical raw materials play in the zero-carbon transformation. New research by Systemiq will provide fresh data on 8 essential materials/metals at the start of the EU's Raw Materials week.

Several EU funded projects are clustering together on the 14th of November 2022 at the Raw Materials Week in Brussels to present their objectives and activities related to the recovery and production of raw materials for battery applications from European resources. This clustering event is organized by the CROCODILE, RHINOCEROS and LICORNE EU-funded projects with the participation of the BATRAW, RESPECT, RELiEFFREE4LIB and ENICON. Participating projects altogether represent an emerging innovation ecosystem in Europe which encompasses nearly 100 organizations driving the recycling of batteries and the production of raw materials for battery applications from primary and secondary resources available in Europe..

Participation to the clustering event is free of charge. However, prior registration is mandatory.

In most of the maps that describe the different actions related to Critical Raw Materials in EU, a member state Estonia is usually shown with pure white color. Our side-event will meet the missing data challenge. We will share light on potential of Estonia's critical mineral resources and introduce the developments in recent years. We will focus on studies related to EU critical mineral resources and talk about the plans of only five years old Geological Survey of Estonia (EGT). Our dear co-operation partner Geological Survey of Finland will present the outlook on the mineral potential of the Fennoscandian Shield and Neo Performance Materials will present a factory in Estonia with a unique REE competence in Europe.

While our economies increasingly rely on the fast growing export and import of materials, the corona pandemic, Russia’s invasion and intensifying climate chaos are all contributing to an “onshoring” of raw material extraction back to Europe. Demand for critical raw materials is set to skyrocket but the supply is of such a growing concern that the EU is now working on a critical raw materials act. The H2020 project LOCOMOTION (Low-carbon society: an enhanced modeling tool for the transition to sustainability) develops scientific models to assess impacts on raw materials for different raw material future scenarios and in this event, we will be guided by their evidence to debate the future of raw materials in Europe. Speakers will come from the scientific community, the EU institutions, civil society and the pioneers in the business community.

Australia's activities and investments are helping create environmentally sustainable and reliable supply chains for critical minerals – the raw and processed materials needed to achieve priority EU agendas (green and digital transitions). This side event will highlight Australia’s significant reserves of critical minerals, and how Australia can be the supplier of choice for European nations and companies, building on the existing collaboration with key partners, including France and Germany. Participants include Andrew Hutchinson, the Head of the Australian Government’s Critical Minerals Office, Massimo Gasparon from ERMA, Dr. Peter Buchholz, Head of the German Mineral Resources Agency, Frederic Carencotte, CEO & Founder Carester, and Olivier Kleinhamel, Pure Batteries Technologies.

A Q&A portion following the panel will encourage audience participation. A short networking session will be a final opportunity to create links between areas of common interest.

Started in 2018 the SecREEts project, funded by the European Commission research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 (GA 776559), aims at establishing a secure and stable supply of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in Europe to create rare-earth-based magnets for application to areas such as electric vehicles, industrial motors, wind turbines, with replication potential in consumer products or medical equipment. During this 7th edition of the "European Raw Materials Week", the SecREEts project will:

• share lessons learnt from the SecREEts project in developing a European rare earth value

• discuss with experts and other EU-funded projects the place of a European rare earth value chain in the future of Europe, and associated challenges

The H2020 project FineFuture has been investigating in innovative technologies and concepts for fine particle flotation in order to unlock
fine-grained mineral and critical raw materials for the EU. FineFuture's scientists have been able to develop a number of relevant advances and innovative approaches. This great progress - both on fundamental level and pilot-scale - will potentially significantly improve the recovery of fine particles. The achievements can be grouped into four topics, which will be presented at the final conference, and will be put up for discussion with academia, authorities, politics and industry: 1. Advances in Developing Reagents - 2. Improved Flotation Technology - 3. Case Study: Manganese, iron and copper ores - 4. Critical Assessment of the Innovative Approaches

FutuRaM, a Horizon Europe funded project, will establish a methodology, reporting structure, and guidance to improve the raw materials knowledge base up to 2050. It will integrate secondary raw materials (SRM) and critical raw material (CRM) data to model their current stocks and flows, and further develop, demonstrate and align SRM recovery projects with the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) to enable the commercial exploitation of SRMs and CRMs by manufacturers, recyclers, and investors. FutuRaM will focus on six waste streams: batteries; electrical and electronic equipment; vehicles; mining; slags and ashes; and construction and demolition.
The involvement of key stakeholders is of great importance for the development of the UNFC methodology. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the project and ask key questions that form the basis of the work.

SAVE THE DATE for our EU H2020 NEMO closing event “(Re)mining Extractive Waste – Perspectives for the EU?” during the EU Raw Materials Week 2022.

The event will pitch technological developments, business opportunities and bottlenecks for the production of critical metals, minerals and construction raw materials from mining waste. Results from demonstration activities using materials from different mines in the EU will be presented (Boliden Kylylahti/Luikonlahti & Tara mines and Terrafame’s Sotkamo mine).

Take the opportunity to witness the end products of the project and to meet the NEMO partners VTT, Boliden, BRGM, IDENER, Jakobs Beton, KU Leuven, ResourceFull, Thyssenkrupp, VITO, CATAPA, Skyscape, DMT, University of Exeter at the NEMO demonstration hall.
More info

The NEMO project has received funding from the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under Grant Agreement No 776846.

This session presents and discusses solutions for EU-legislation compliant, sustainable and traceable raw materials. Sustainable raw material supply chains are key to succeed in the EU transition to a climate-neutral and green economy in line with the Green Deal and in delivering on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including on its human rights- and environmental-related objectives.
The TÜV NORD solution includes a comprehensive certification scheme CERA 4in1 with linkages to digital certification for sustainable and traceable raw materials covering the full raw materials supply chain for all commodities. CERA 4in1 was independently compared with the EU Principles for Sustainable Raw Materials and their consideration in the CERA 4in1 scheme assessed. CERA 4in1 will incorporate criteria by the Germany Supply Chain Act, the EU Emissions Directive, the EU Battery Regulation and the EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence.
Presentations in this session will illustrate key elements of sustainability and traceability in raw material value chains and respective solutions through the CERA 4in1 certification scheme, a comparative overview of standards, successful implementation of CERA 4in1 standard, digital certificates as well as links to important initiatives such as the digital Battery Pass.

The Business Roundtable on Raw Material will gather representatives from the private sector, partner countries in Africa and the European Union. It will create a space of dialogue to identify practical ways of building sustainable partnerships together. This public-private dialogue will take into account the need for resilient critical raw materials value chains, with a focus on sustainability and responsible business conduct. Topics of discussion will include sustainable practices along the raw material value chain, local value addition and stronger cooperation between the private sector, partner countries in Africa and the European Union.

More specifically, a High-Level Panel Discussion will examine the role of partnerships in ensuring local value addition and sustainable supply of (critical) raw materials. The business roundtable will also create networking opportunities and closed-door meetings to bring relevant actors together and create linkages between the European private sector and partner countries in Africa.

The UNEXUP project, funded by EIT RawMaterials, is going to hold its final conference in Brussels – Belgium, on 18th November 2022. In this event we intend to present the project outcomes, robotic development, field missions, commercialization and more. In addition, the participants will have the opportunity to presence the UX-1Neo robot in action, at the Nemo33 diving pool!

The UNEXUP Final Conference expects the participation of project members, companies in the raw materials sector, cave exploration companies, SMEs focusing on geological consultancy, experts on robotics, and academic stakeholders."

Join us for the European launch of the Iberian Mining Observatory (www.minob.org), an environmental citizenship initiative launched with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda by the Centro de Saberes para a Sustentabilidade, a Regional Centre for Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development officially recognised by the United Nations University. MINOB is a tool available to social actors with an interest in extractive industries and the documentation and future prevention of its impacts. It establishes a monitoring and early warning system to detect, map and report misconduct and bad practices of the mining sector in Portugal and Spain. MINOB presents geo-referenced observations of infringements of social and environmental rights.

We invite you to attend a conference and panel discussion on critical materials management and transboundary waste transport.
The program:
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. : doors opening – soft drinks, coffee and snacks
9:30 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. : introduction by Mr. Jean Jouet, CTO John Cockerill
9:40 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. : Speech by Mr. Bernd Schäfer, CEO EIT RawMaterials
9:50 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. panel 1 – Regional Innovation Communities in support of the Circular Economy
10:50 a.m. – 11 a.m. : Closing remarks panel 1
11:00 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. : coffee break
11:20 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. : Speech by Professor dr. Bruno Colmant
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. panel 2 - Circular economy and the challenge of sustainable resource management
12:30 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.: Closing remarks panel 2
12:40 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. : walking lunch & Matchmaking

Overconsumption and the paradigm of infinite economic growth require vast amounts of metals and minerals, driving one of the world’s most polluting industries and a main contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss: mining. Using a science and fact-based approach, Seas At Risk will be presenting a blueprint for breaking free from resource extraction and shaping a world without mining. This event has two parts. It will start out with a report presentation and panel discussing existing and emerging alternatives to shift towards a society based on needs rather than growth, on wellbeing, and on the use of resources within the limits of our planet. This will be followed by a half-a-day imagining workshop in which participants will generate shared visions of preferred post-extractive futures.

Contact for registration: Tpiresdacruz@seas-at-risk.org Website for information: https://seas-at-risk.org/publications/breaking-free-from-mining-a-2050-blueprint/