Recycling, eco-design and Industry 4.0 technologies to recover high-value metals present in the electric vehicle chain
RELOAD, circular economy in Electric and Connected Vehicles
The overall objective of the RELOAD project is to efficiently and safely contribute to the supply of high-value metals in the electric and connected vehicles (ECV) industrial value chain. This will reduce dependence on imports and promote a more sustainable, circular industrial model with a smaller environmental footprint.
Period: July 2022 – June 2025
Total project budget: €7,284,256.10
Balidea budget: 512.864,10€
It is part of the Future: Fast Forward (F3) flagship project within the PERTE-VEC framework.
Support received
This project has been funded by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, which is part of the NextGenerationEU programme — the EU's economic recovery package for Member States affected by the pandemic.
Project
Specific objective
Research into different recycling technologies, eco-design and Industry 4.0 is needed to recover high-value metals from electronic components, lithium-ion batteries and electric motors at the end of an electric vehicle's (EV) useful life. This allows them to be reincorporated into the value chain, thus establishing a circular model.
Consortium
Partners and collaborators
RELOAD is part of the Future: Fast Forward (F3) flagship project within the PERTE Electric and Connected Vehicle (VEC) programme. It is led by ENSO and includes Balidea, SEAT, S.A., Técnicas Reunidas, Asai Industrial, CETIM, the University of Zaragoza and CENIM (CSIC). The consortium also includes the companies SEAT, S.A., Técnicas Reunidas and Asai Industrial, as well as the research organisations CETIM (Multisectoral Research Technology Centre), the University of Zaragoza and CENIM (National Centre for Metallurgical Research) of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).
Future: Fast Forward
The role of Balidea
Ensuring the traceability of metals
As part of the RELOAD project, Balidea is integrating digital technologies to facilitate the promotion of recycling processes. To this end, we are researching recycling technologies to ensure the traceability of metals and promote the circular economy.
Blockchain-based digital prototype
Balidea will carry out the design of a digital prototype based on BlockChain technology, which guarantees the traceability of metals throughout the value chain: from the manufacture and use of these components to the recovery and reuse of metals to ensure their sustainability and efficient use of resources.
AI-based predictive model
Balidea will conduct research to create an artificial intelligence-based model that can predict the availability and demand for recovered products and metals of interest to the Spanish automotive sector, thereby helping to optimise their use.
Digitising the metal recovery process within the electric vehicle manufacturing chain also involves data analysis, location tracking, and digital certification.
Definition of KPIs
Definition of new circularity metrics and indicators, based on an in-depth review of European and Spanish regulations on electronic components and batteries.
Digital metal map
Research to design a dynamic digital model or map of metal circulation, with the aim of facilitating its use, recovery and reuse in three use cases: batteries, electric motors and electronic components.
Digital battery passport
A European digital passport for electric vehicle batteries will be designed in collaboration with SEAT.