Project duration: 1 January 2019 – 31 December 2020

Objective

Driven by the European energy transition and electric mobility the demand for lithium is rapidly growing and current European resources are limited or just in the exploration phase. To reduce Europe’s dependency on lithium and related critical energy materials, novel approaches are necessarily based on a circular economy and international networks as well as new recycling, processing and exploration solutions.

The solution (technology)

ELI will gather partners active in the complete value chain of Li-based technologies (including working on the limits of cobalt, nickel and other battery materials) to generate focused cooperation and innovative research projects aiming to solve existing issues concerning lithium, as well as the problems that can arise in the future. The consequently no longer missing comprehensive information should enable a bit of more focused advice to decision makers in politics and industry.

Partnership

  • Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. (Fraunhofer), Germany (Lead Partner)
  • Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, BRGM (The French geological survey), France
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-2 (CNRS-UB), France
  • Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), France
  • Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V. (HZDR), Germany
  • Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium
  • Université de Bordeaux, France
  • Université de Lorraine (UL), France