The Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) are among the least abundant of the Earth's elements and are classified by the European Commission (EC) as critical raw materials (CRM). They combine a high economic importance to the EU with a high risk associated with their supply. Europe, in fact, is the first consumer of Platinum in industrial products and the second biggest consumer of Platinum in the world. Autocatalyst is the major application in Europe.
The recycling of critical raw materials such as PGMs from waste is recognised by the European Innovation Partnership on raw materials as an essential pillar to mitigate the supply risk. It is therefore of uttermost importance for Europe’s competitiveness, as well as resource efficiency, to secure the supply of PGM materials and to reduce dependency from global supply chains.
In this context the PLATIRUS project was launched as from 1st November 2016 for 4 years.
The PLATIRUS project, funded by the EU in the frame of Horizon 2020 TOPIC SC5-13-2016 grant agreement number 730224, aims at reducing the European deficit of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), by upscaling to industrial relevant levels a novel cost-efficient and miniaturised PGMs recovery and raw material production process.
The targeted secondary raw materials will be autocatalysts, electronic waste (WEEE) and tailings and slags from nickel and copper smelters, opening-up an important range of alternative sources of these critical raw materials, with the potential to substitute a large amount of primary raw materials which are becoming more and more scarce in Europe.
The PLATIRUS technology will represent a step forward with respect to the state-of-the-art, allowing a cost and energy reduction as well as miniaturization of the recovery process that will enable the wider proliferation of new PGMs recovery facilities, also to smaller scale decentralised locations.
PLATIRUS is comprised of 12 recognised and experienced key actors across the value chain representing industry, research, and academic organisations. PLATIRUS is coordinated by Dr. Amal Siriwardana from Tecnalia . The kick-off meeting of PLATIRUS was held at Tecnalia’s facilities at San Sebastian-Spain on 3-4 November 2016. All partners discussed the technical content, tasks to be done during the next six months and administrative and financial issues.
PNO Innovation
PNO Innovation, part of the PNO Group, is specialised in Innovation Management and funding, providing support services to private and public organizations in Innovation processes, Technology Transfer, IT solutions and funding for research, development and innovation.
PNO’s task in the PLATIRUS project is to ensure and maximise its impact, paving the way for the market uptake of the proposed technology. A relevant audience of stakeholders, policy makers, researchers and investors will be identified thanks to the robust and consolidated stakeholder analysis methodology developed by PNO. These activities allow to build a targeted set of communication and dissemination actions. PNO will also support the coordinator in the market analysis and business planning. For further information about PLATIRUS or PNO Innovation’s services, please contact:
Nader Akil Nader.Akil@pnoconsultants.com
Emanuele Festa Emanuele.Festa@pnoconsultants.com
