The extraordinary properties of refractory metals, the unlikeliness of their future substitution and their use in booming industries will sustain a high EU demand for tungsten (W), niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta). Despite all three being classified as Critical Raw Materials (CRM) by the European Commission (EC), fractions of these indispensable metals are dissipated as by-products in mining waste streams as well as process scrap. To stimulate their recovery from such complex, low-grade resources, TARANTULA will develop a suite of cost-effective, scalable and eco-friendly – bio-, hydro-, iono-, solvo-, pyro- and electro-metallurgical – processes with high selectivity and recovery rates. These novel technologies, each representing an alternative for one or more process steps of state-of-the-art (SoA) processing lines, will form new routes towards market-ready metals, metal oxides and metal carbides. Flexibility will be the cornerstone of the overall process flowsheet to enable recovery of all three elements (W, Nb, Ta), thereby minimising the CAPEX required for future processing installations. Following systematic research and innovation activities at lab scale, the envisioned technologies will be brought to TRL3-5 and, based on performance, validated at prototype level by experienced industrial partners. In parallel, future by-product recovery will be supported by carrying out a comprehensive identification and assessment of existing un/underexploited secondary sources of W, Nb and Ta. The generated information – in compliance with all pertinent laws and regulations - will feed into the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS) which will boost the impact of the project far beyond the current consortium. Finally, TARANTULA will blueprint tailored Communication, Dissemination and Civil Society Engagement strategies with respect to obtaining and maintaining the “Social License to Operate” for future heavy-duty metallurgical processing.

The goal of 24_7 ZEN is to design and build a high performing 33/100kW scale rSOC power balancing plant and demonstrate its compatibility with the electricity and gas grids. The multidisciplinary consortium behind this project has been spearheading innovations in the energy management and are pioneers on the rSOC systems development. Together, they cover every step of the value chain from enhanced materials on the cell level (POLITO, FORTH, IREC), fully operational rSOC system (SP_CH, SP_IT, OST) fully integrated, plug and play ecosystem for grid interconnection (INER, BOS, CERTH), renewable energy generation (EUNICE), transmission system operator (DESFA) and international quality assurance (KIWA). The ecosystems’ ability to optimize efficient routes of Power to Gas to Power, using H2 or NG as fuel and inject H2 into the grid, transition in <30 minutes and round trip efficiency of 45% will be demonstrated while ensuring compliance with standards and safety regulations. Finally, the consortium count on well-connected organizations in the European hydrogen, electricity and grid services sector (HSLU, CLUBE) that ensures the dissemination of the developed new business models and practices for renewable energy storage, including new concepts for the delivery of green hydrogen. This consortium will develop and validate an ecosystem that can be efficiently scaled and replicated to multi-MW scale installations. Further knowledge on how to improve the performance of rSOC (degradation rates of 0.4%/kh for 1000h, current densities of 1.5A/cm2 in both modes) and make them more cost competitive (by reducing CAPEX from 6000€/kW to 3500€/kW) will be generated. At the end of the project, new and viable scenarios to provide grid balancing and supply green hydrogen will be presented by means of a deep techno-economic analysis. By advancing rSOC towards commercial exploitation, the renewable hydrogen deployment required for a climate neutral Europe will be one step closer.

FlashPhos is a demand-driven industrial innovation action following a circular economy approach aiming to design, construct, test and optimise an industrial test facility at an average TRL of 6-7 to recover the CRM white phosphorus, a climate-friendly alternative cement and other valuable materials from sewage sludge and other problematic wastes. The FlashPhos consortium is a multi-disciplinary European team of renowned partners from 3 large industrial companies, 9 SMEs, 2 NGOs and 2 universities, with all necessary know-how to fulfil the afore-mentioned tasks. The consortium has contact with relevant EU industries (e.g. phosphorus, metal, chemical, waste management and technique) and authorities. FlashPhos will contribute to all six EIP on raw materials objectives by developing an innovative process in a pilot action to recycle industrial wastes, producing a CRM and alternative raw materials, reducing CO2 emissions and turning even contaminants into useful products. Thus the process will foster circular economy and reduce the burden on the environment and society. Assuming growing sludge amounts in Europe and the EU’s commitment to P-recovery, FlashPhos will be able to recycle 1.5 Mt/a of sewage sludge dry matter by 2050, corresponding to 15% of the current sludge amount. Subsequently FlashPhos will generate enough white phosphorus to cover 50% of the European demand. The production of alternative cement and the use of renewable energy in cement production will save the emission of 1.8 Mt CO2 per year. Additional CO2-savings are achieved by rerouting sewage sludge from land use, landfill or inefficient incineration to FlashPhos. All FlashPhos partners will use their knowledge gained in the project to participate in the exploitation of FlashPhos by marked launch, planning, consulting, providing plant technology and hardware as well as product sales, thus strengthening their own position on the market and Europe's independence from external suppliers.