On 24 and 25 September, the CeNTI – Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials, in Vila Nova de Famalicão, hosted the kick-off meeting of the European project CarMine – Recovery of Critical and Strategic Raw Materials from End-of-Life Electric Vehicles, officially marking the start of four years of collaboration among the consortium partners.
Coordinated by CeNTI and funded by the Horizon Europe programme, CarMine brings together 11 European organisations and has an overall budget of approximately €8.6 million. Battery Cluster Portugal is part of the consortium, contributing to a project that seeks to address one of the key challenges associated with the growth of electric mobility: the increasing number of electric vehicles reaching the end of their useful life.
From end-of-life vehicles to new resources for industry
CarMine’s main objective is to develop an integrated strategy for the recovery, recycling and valorisation of critical and strategic raw materials from end-of-life electric vehicles. These include materials found in batteries, such as lithium, nickel and cobalt, as well as rare earth elements found in permanent magnets used in electric motors.
Four years of European collaboration
The kick-off meeting provided an opportunity for the partners to present and align the different areas of work, define the next steps and lay the foundations for the implementation of the activities planned throughout the project.
Through this approach, CarMine aims to contribute to the development of a more circular and resilient European value chain, turning end-of-life electric vehicles into a source of critical raw materials while helping to strengthen the European Union’s security of supply and industrial autonomy.
Battery Cluster Portugal’s participation in CarMine further strengthens its involvement in European initiatives focused on circularity, sustainability and the development of a more competitive and resilient battery value chain in Europe.
