We are excited to announce that our research group is an active partner in the newly funded Horizon EU REMHub project. See the official announcement here.
This ambitious initiative aims to establish a digital innovation hub focused on advancing Europe's capabilities in the exploration, production, and recycling of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) and rare magnets. These materials are critical for the green energy transition, playing a key role in technologies such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, and electrolysers for clean hydrogen production.
Currently, the European Union relies on imports for approximately 90% of its REEs, primarily from a limited number of countries. This dependency presents both a challenge and an opportunity. REMHub seeks to reduce this reliance by developing novel technologies that will enhance the EU's capacity to source and process REEs domestically. The project will also focus on improving the sustainability of REE extraction and recycling processes, addressing the current recycling rates of less than 5%.
Our consortium, coordinated by CLIC Innovation from Finland, comprises 24 partners from six countries: Finland, Estonia, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Italy. Together, we will work on Re-X technologies (Recycle, Reuse, Refurbishment, and Repurposing) to recover valuable materials from end-of-life products and design electric machines for easier permanent magnet recycling. Additionally, the project will incorporate innovations in traceability, digital twinning, and digital passports, ensuring that the new technologies developed are more easily accessible and commercialized.
The REMHub project is supported by €16 million in EU funding, with a total project budget of €18 million. Over the next four years, our research group, along with our partners, will work to secure a sustainable and resilient supply of REEs within the EU, contributing to the goals of the European Green Deal.