Project goal:
Develop more efficient magnets used in electric vehicles. In addition, the project will explore the availability of REE for permanent magnets in Southeast Europe.
Holder of the project:
Partners in the project:
RGNF, Geological Survey of Slovenia, Faculty of Mining and Geology from Belgrade, Magneti d.d. from Slovenia, Valeo Group from France and the Swedish Institute for Environmental Research. The project’s kick-off meeting was held Feb. 1 online.
Upscaling of the magnet recycling steps from dismantling to partial dissolution will be performed from 2022 until 2024. The raw materials will be End-of-Life magnets, but also swarf, scrabs and sludges from recycling steps performed at magnet producer sites. MONOLITHOS (Greece), MEAB (Germany), KTH (Sweden) and TU-Freiberg (Germany) will demonstrate at preindustrial scale all steps, including innovative hydrometallurgical solutions and molten salt electrolysis, to reach magnet quality (> 95% purity) recycled metals at >90 % recovery rates. MONOLITHOS Catalysts and Recycling Ltd. (Greece) will increase its portfolio and construct a new pilot recycling plant (Athens, Greece) for intermediate and refined products with a recycling capacity of 630 tons per year of end-of-life (EoL) material. Thus, DyScovery will enhance the EU recycling capacity by minimum 23%, to produce magnet-specification metals (300 tons per year). NdFeB and SmCo magnets from recycled materials will be manufactured at Magneti (Slovenia), while CRF (Italy) will test the performance of the green magnets for potential application in electromobility.
DyScovery: Sustainable REE, Co supply from magnet recycling: closing the loop
Co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the Cohesion Fund. The operation is implemented under the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the European Cohesion Policy 2014-2020, priority axis Sustainable use and production of energy and smart grids, priority investment Promoting the production and distribution of energy from renewable sources, specific objective Increasing the share of renewable energy sources in final energy consumption.
Beneficiary:
Magneti Ljubljana, d.d., Stegne 37, 1000 Ljubljana.
Intermediary body:
Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Infrastructure, Langusova ulica 4, 1535 Ljubljana.
European Cohesion Policy co-financing of 20 % of the eligible costs of the operation. The funds earmarked for the cohesion policy are provided in the budget of the Republic of Slovenia, under the Ministry’s budget line: PP 160327 PN4.2-Renewable energy sources-14-20-KS-EU. The balance of the funds needed to finance the operation is provided by the beneficiary.
Purpose of operation:
Purchase and installation of a solar electricity generation installation up to 10 MW, additional installed capacity for electricity generation [MW]: 0,825.
Main objectives of the operation:
– To increase the share of renewable energy sources,
– reduce CO2 emissions.
Link to the EU Funds website:
On June 1, 2019, the company Magneti Ljubljana, d.d. started working on SUSMAGPRO project that is co-financed by the European Commission under Horizon 2020. The project is being implemented by 19 partners and 1 associate partner from nine European countries. The leading partner in the project is Pforzheim University (Germany), Prof. Carlo Burkhardt of the Institute for Precious Metals and Technology. The SUSMAGPRO project (TRL 6-7) is a continuation of the EU REMANENCE project (TRL 5). A pilot recycling line for around 20 tons of NdFeB magnets per year will be constructed at Magneti Ljubljana, d.d.
Reasons for project implementation:
The new generation of bonded magnets is characterized by better magnetic, mechanical and rheological properties and a higher level of recyclability, which will result in greater competitiveness of the company in the bonded magnets market. At the same time, it will contribute to a reduced environmental load due to less wear of injection molding tools and devices and more efficient use of input raw materials and energy sources.
Project goals:
The main goal of the project is to implement the technology of a new generation of injection-molded bonded magnets in a real industrial environment. The new technological approach presented within this project additionally solves the problem of manufacturing small series of plastic magnets and prototypes of new magnets in the phase of their development using the technology of 3d printing of bonded magnets according to the principle of fused deposition modeling (FDM).
Financial support:
The research and development project “New Generation of Injection Molded Bonded Magnets” is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund within the public tender “Incentives for research and development projects 2”
Project goals:
The main goal of LowReeMotors is to look for alternatives to the neodymium magnets currently used in electric vehicle engines. The implementation of alternatives in the composition of the magnet, such as alloys containing cerium (Ce), could alleviate the need for raw materials of Nd by up to 6-10%. The LowReeMotors project will design, manufacture and test two different electric machines that will replace existing equivalent Nd-based motors. It is expected that the results would be of significant importance to the industry and academia, therefore a dissemination plan is needed. Project started 1.1.2020 and continue until 31.12.2022.
Financial support:
This activity has received funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This body of the European Union receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.