REVITALISE delivers a holistic solution for green, low-cost, and low environmental impact recycling of NMC (Hi-Ni), LFP and Na-Ion batteries, representing 85% of battery waste streams up to 2025. REVITALISE develops low-cost and green processes to recover a full range of battery materials, including NMC, LFP, Al, Cu, Li, graphite, fluorides, phosphates and plastics. Overall recycling rates of 91%+ will be proven at TRL4 for waste processed from post-production scrap and end-of-life battery black mass. REVITALISE will develop innovative pre-treatment technologies based on electrohydraulic fragmentation, ultrasonication and magnetic, and electrostatic separation that will achieve very high levels of material stream purity. This will enable commercially viable recycling of low-value parts. The approach will enable direct recycling of 40% of the cathode and anode active parts, with direct characterisation of the lithiation (or sodiation) being developed that will be used as a basis of a smart-reformation approach for reclaimed active materials. The remaining 60% being suitable for hydrometallurgical recycling based on leaching with green organic acids from food waste, such as vitamin C (ascorbates), vinegar (acetate) and citric acid (citrates) and inorganic acids produced from industrial wastes. A further innovation is the development of water remediation with Li recovery from all wastewater streams generated, through the implementation of polymeric nanocomposite membrane separation with direct Li recycling for Li in water concentrations down to 0.6mg/L. The recycled parts will be assessed for (closed-loop) battery and other secondary applications for precursors and semi-products by industrial partners Verkor and Hydro, through reformulation and upcycling of battery materials and validation of remanufactured batteries. An optimised process flow will be determined to achieve commercially viable recycling with maximised recovery rates and minimal environmental impact.

In the HDV market, the main considerations for battery packs are safety, durability and mass energy density. High-energy NMC cells are very appealing for achieving the target for future battery packs. However, further developments are needed for high-energy NMC battery packs to meet the stringent safety and durability standards of the HDV market. Additional factor to achieve high mass energy density is reducing the weight of the battery pack, but lightweight structures are less common in HDV due to safety and durability constraints. To respond to these challenges, SIERRA project will develop a safe, sustainable, lightweight and high-performance Ni-rich NMC battery pack with advanced cell-to-pack monitoring for decarbonising HDV. SIERRA project will propose several innovations: 1 - Multiscale modelling of the battery pack to propose compact pack design and to simulate its thermal and mechanical behaviour; 2 - One-shot manufacturing of lightweight multimaterials casings with low environment impact; 3 - Mutli-scale advanced monitoring (SHM, thermal mapping, SoC, SoH) and reduction of the complexity of BMS architecture; 4 - Full integrated cooling system and printed busbars to respond to fast charging requirements and increase performance over the complete operational conditions. The specific use case targeted by the project is the bus market, and SIERRA battery pack will be validated at TRL6 for this market. The integration into the vehicle will be simulated using a digital twin. All SIERRA activities will follow the methodology defined by the SSbD framework. SIERRA consortium is composed of 11 partners (+60% industrials), all with exceptional R&D platforms and proven track records. SIERRA battery pack sales are projected to generate a total cash flow of €87 million between 2030 and 2034, accompanied by the creation of 525 jobs, thereby contributing to the expansion of the EU clean mobility market. SIERRA project will also generate 13 KERs and 8 patents.

INERRANT aims to drive genuine advancements for safe-and-sustainable-by-design materials, and eco-friendly processes, to ensure the economical and widespread utilization of safer LIBs tailored for the expanding electromobility applications in our modern society. To realize this, INERRANT is formulating a holistic approach to enhance safety performance, extend cyclability and operational lifespan, and improve fast charging, all while maintaining cost-effectiveness, energy, and power density, and avoiding dependence on Critical Raw Materials. The pivotal S&T challenges encompass: development of functional materials, design sustainable recycling processes and understanding of pertinent interfacial phenomena and degradation mechanisms. The project addresses current challenges for LIBs components related to (i) novel (nano)materials combinations for anodes and cathodes; (ii) smart-functioning separators; (iii) stimuli responsive electrolyte formulations; (iv) novel sustainable recycling processes to improve the purity of recovered materials. Novel electrochemical characterization methods and operando spectroscopies, both at the materials and component level, will be utilized. This includes the establishment of a metrological framework for traceable calibrations and the integration of machine learning methodologies for swift and early LIB cell aging predictions. Adopting fabrication methods that are inherently scalable, built upon existing pilot lines and proven safety testing, will facilitate a swift progression to Gigafactory-relevant scales. INERRANT will present a compelling business case and clear exploitation strategy, rooted in the consortium’s strategic insight, guaranteeing effective technology commercialization. This approach will support the economical and eco-friendly production of LIB cells and systems, tailored for e-mobility applications. INERRANT comprises a consortium of 11 partners from the European Commission and one associated partner from the USA.

AID4SME will facilitate SMEs in developing combined AI and data solutions for large scale resource optimisation challenges for industries that have significant impact on the objectives of the Green Deal. Minimum 20 SMEs, selected through 2 open calls, will receive FSTP to develop these solutions with the support of a Community of Practice (COP). The ambition is to create a COP that will continue after the project lifetime. AID4SME brings together 9 technology blocks and low-TRL playgrounds from 4 scientific partners, to educate and support the SMEs. Additionally, 4 large industry partners (from automotive, whitegoods, battery and energy sector) provide real-life large scale resource optimization challenges that require combined AI and data solutions, and high-TRL playgrounds to integrate and demonstrate the solutions.AID4SME offers an open platform that is flexible to bring in challenges from outside the consortium. AID4SME provides the infrastructure and learning environment that enable the SMEs to solve the challenges, demonstrate solutions and grow into impactful enterprises. The technology blocks cover a wide area of AI & data technologies for the full cycle of data collection, creation of insights, decision support and automation. These technologies have the potential to have significant impact on the Green Transition and boost EU competitiveness for industries. AID4SME will collaborate with the AI-on-Demand platform to enrich its repository with the AID4SME tools and framework, while it is open to deploy the tools/frameworks already available on the AI-on-Demand platform for new use cases. AID4SME will assess the impact of the developed technologies on Green Deal objectives and on social and human aspects. AID4SME brings along partners who are experienced in re-skilling and up-skilling of SMEs and applying standardization as enabler for exploitation. The wide geographical coverage, with partners and DIHs from all across Europe, ensures maximum impact.

Europe needs to consolidate efficiently its battery manufacturing value chain for large-scale cell production to enable a sustainable and ecological transition, minimizing the associated emissions, optimizing the battery performance and cost, and ensuring circularity. Emerging Gigafactories will enable increasing EU cell battery production capacity from the current 60 GWh to 900 GWh to meet the EU’s 2030 targets and ensure EU prosperity. For this purpose it is essential to promote EU-based machinery and providers to gain technological and industrial independence. It is also needed to integrate the local energy and materials supply chains to build a seamless, efficient and dynamic local ecosystem. GIGABAT aims at strengthening the EU cell manufacturing industry and its value chain, by engaging its key players, for the development of GEN3b (Li-ion) batteries. This will require the development of new, energy-efficient, cell manufacturing machinery adapted to Gigafactory needs, as well as the validation in pilot plants to ensure correct functioning in real environments. Optimization of Gigafactories via sector coupling is also targeted, promoting sustainability, improving carbon footprint and energy management, and digitalizing made-in-Europe machinery. New Gigafactory design also including logistic and recyclability targets the whole digitalization of the production plant. GIGABAT brings together existing suppliers ofthe battery value chain and will incorporate new companies to the market. It also contributes to integrate actors delivering cost competitive and optimized production machinery. The consortium involves academia, technology centres, equipment manufacturers, experts in LCA/LCC, recycling, logistics and digitalization, and two cell manufacturers: Volkswagen via its affiliated company PowerCo and Verkor. The EU battery ecosystem will also be reinforced with cooperation activities between the consortium and a stakeholder group comprising several Gigafactories.