Projects

FREE4LIB

Feasible REcovery of critical raw materials through a new circular Ecosystem FOR a Li-Ion Battery cross-value chain in Europe
Making it easier to recycle and remanufacture end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. The transport sector is responsible for around one quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles can contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of future road transport, but lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) remain an obstacle: they are not green enough to sufficiently reduce mobility footprints.
Horizon Europe
SEPT 2022 – AUG 2026

FREE4LIB aims to develop at TRL 5-6 technologies to achieve 6 new sustainable and efficient processes to recycle EOL LIBs (dismantling, pre-treatment and 4 materials recovery processes) delivering innovative recycling solutions to reach highly efficient materials recovery (metal oxides, metals and polymers) improving the supply of secondary resources at EU level. FREE4LIB also will deliver 3 processes aiming at metals and polymers re-using and electrode synthesis for re-manufacturing new LIBs, and it will study options to harness non-reusable elements. 

It will also deliver a Battery Passport (BP) methodology to improve processes traceability. Besides, 2 Open Platforms will be deployed: BP and Data-driven models for the process’s optimisation. At end, to validate and spread FREE4LIB: new LIBs will be assembled on battery packs and engagement activities with citizens, policymakers and battery stakeholder will be carried out, respectively.

 

THE ROLE OF FBK

FBK leads the package of activities “End-of-life LIBs Collection and Characterisation, Digital Tools and Battery Passports deployment” and is involved in the following technical tasks: 

  • Analysis of LIBs EOL value chain and data collection  
  • LIBs and material characterization
  • Electrochemical characterization
  • Material characterization
  • Recycling-oriented data analysis and modelling platform
  • Cloud battery recycling platform: framework and deployment
  • Physics-based and data-driven models for cells and recycling process

LINKS

Project website:
https://www.freeforlib.eu/

Social media:
LinkedIn |  Twitter 

MORE INFORMATION

Project Acronym

FREE4LIB

Project Name

Feasible REcovery of critical raw materials through a new circular Ecosystem FOR a Li-Ion Battery cross-value chain in Europe 

Funding programme

Horizon Europe

Project Coordinator

FUNDACION CARTIF (Spain)

Starting date

September, 2022

Ending date

August 2026

Duration

48 months

Project ID

101069890

EU grant

9.283.175 EUR

This project has received funding from the Horizon Europe programme, under the Grant n°101069890. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.