Within its efforts to strengthen collaboration across European research initiatives, the CICERO project has contributed to a joint publication developed together with coordinators of other EU-funded projects and key stakeholders working on circular economy, critical raw materials (CRM), and resource efficiency. In this context, CICERO collaborated with the Horizon Europe project HEPHAESTUS, which focuses on developing innovative approaches for the recovery and valorisation of critical raw materials. A valuable connection between the two projects is provided by Dr. Stylianos Tampouris from LARCO, who contributes his expertise on nickel laterites and their processing to both HEPHAESTUS and CICERO. His involvement in the two Horizon Europe initiatives supports knowledge exchange and strengthens synergies between the projects.
Abstract: Nickel and cobalt are at the heart of Europe’s green transition, powering the batteries that drive electric mobility and renewable energy storage. As demand for these critical metals is set to multiply by 2050, the European Union is pushing to secure sustainable supply chains through its Critical Raw Materials Act.
Within the EU, Greece is uniquely positioned. It holds significant lateritic nickel reserves, the only such deposits in Europe. For decades, these ores were processed through energy-intensive pyrometallurgical methods, but declining ore grades and rising sustainability concerns now point toward hydrometallurgical technologies. These modern methods can not only extract nickel more efficiently but also recover cobalt and potentially manganese, aligning perfectly with Europe’s battery material needs.
If implemented at scale, Greek laterite processing could deliver about 17,000 tons of nickel and 1,500 tons of cobalt each year, which is enough to cover around 10% of Europe’s demand for batteries. This potential illustrates how regional resources, combined with innovation, can strengthen Europe’s resilience and reduce dependence on imports from Asia.
For the CICERO Horizon Europe project, which focuses on creating circular and sustainable supply chains for critical raw materials, Greek laterites represent both a challenge and an opportunity. By advancing hydrometallurgical approaches and integrating them into Europe’s broader strategy, CICERO can help turn these local deposits into a strategic asset for the continent’s clean energy future. The HEPHAESTUS project, on the other hand, is investigating the potential of LARCO’s nickel-containing dust, which in project’s flowsheet is captured by the gas-cleaning systems of rotary kilns, as a secondary input for Cleantech’s furnace, allowing for further recovery of nickel. By integrating both primary and secondary material streams, the approach of these two projects combined contributes to the EU’s ambition to strengthen circularity in raw materials and enhance supply security, while decreasing reliance on imports from outside the Union.
Read more on this topic in the full article by Dr Stylianos Tampouris from the CICERO and HEPHAESTUS partner organization, LARCO.
