RAWMINA – a multi-year, EU-funded project – has concluded with a successful pilot plant capable of extracting up to 95% of cobalt, 75% of antimony, more than 90% for tungsten, and up to 100% iron recovery from mine waste.
With cobalt being a key component in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and electronics, and in alloys for aerospace and industrial applications, tungsten a major component in heavy metal alloys, and antimony a crucial element in semiconductors and emerging energy technologies such as liquid metal batteries, this level of valorisation is capable of transforming previously discarded extractive waste into vital resources.
Europe faces a pressing challenge with the unreliable and costly supply of critical raw materials. To address this concern, the EU-funded RAWMINA project was established to revolutionise the production of raw materials within the EU by harnessing the potential of mine waste resources.
This successful pilot points the way to establishing a sustainable and efficient process for extracting critical materials required for Europe’s technological development and green economy.
The pilot was demonstrated at the facilities of RAWMINA project partner Cobre Las Cruces in Spain. Francisco Sánchez, Project Manager at Cobre Las Cruces, notes that RAWMINA uses a combination of approaches to transform mining waste into valuable resources:
“The RAWMINA pilot plant benefits from cutting-edge bioleaching, iron precipitation and copper precipitation, to maximise metal recovery and minimise environmental impact.”
Sanchez notes that the pilot plant also produced an iron cake with promising applications for environmental remediation:
“The iron cake produced is in the form of the Schwertmannite specie and has proved to be excellent for arsenic removal and as a precursor of nanomagnetite.”
Diego Morillo, RAWMINA project coordinator from Leitat Technological Centre notes that after 51 months of dedicated research, development, and collaboration:
“The project has achieved significant milestones in the recovery of Critical Raw Materials from mine waste, with a strong focus on sustainability and circular economy principles.
“Our successful pilot plant has been a key outcome, demonstrating the real-world impact and innovation driven by the RAWMINA consortium.”
Marco Lopes, Impact Acceleration Manager at project-partner Crowdhelix and manager of the Raw Minerals Helix, has been involved with RAWMINA since the project launched in 2021:
“Successful projects like RAWMINA contribute to the EU’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness, positioning Europe at the forefront of sustainable raw material production and circular industrial transformation.
“The project directly strengthens EU resource security by reducing import dependency and supporting resilient supply chains for technology and green transition.
“RAWMINA has been the flagship project within our Raw Minerals Helix – a collaborative hub focusing on mine waste use and valorisation, and critical raw materials recovery that has grown to include 300 expert members from 165 organisations across 45 countries.”
RAWMINA is not only enhancing Europe’s raw material self-sufficiency, but also contributing to a circular economy where mine waste becomes a source of value rather than environmental burden. This paradigm shift paves the way for a future where material production is cleaner, smarter, and aligned with the EU’s climate and digital ambitions.