On 8 October 2024, the 5th General Assembly of the RESPECT project took place at the MEET Battery Research Center in Münster, Germany.
The General Assembly, led by project coordinator, Justo Garcia (ORANO), and the technical coordinator, Antoine Driancourt (CEA), focused on reviewing progress across all the work packages and outlined the following developments:
Project Management
A new project officer, Eduard Antics, was introduced to the project consortium. Updates covered budget management, progress on milestones, and preparations for the second reporting period, set to conclude in February 2025.
Technical Progress
Significant strides were reported in battery recycling, with advancements in hydrometallurgy, physical separation of materials, and module deactivation processes. A major highlight was the upcoming pre-treatment pilot, scheduled for late 2024, which aims to process 500kg of battery modules.
Communication and Dissemination
The project team discussed a key upcoming event for showcasing project outcomes, which is going to take place in Brussels and online. This event will explore how the RESPECT project can contribute to closing the gap between the aspirations of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) and the practical realities of achieving a secure, sustainable, and circular European Li-ion battery manufacturing industry.
Additionally, RESPECT will participate in the Battery Innovation Days in Barcelona, Spain on 26-27 November.
Lab Tour Highlights
MEET has state-of-the-art laboratories dedicated to innovating key points in the lithium battery value chain, ranging from developing active anode, cathode, and electrolyte materials, through pilot-scale battery production, to battery recycling. The institute has multipurpose rooms and specialised labs for synthesising electrode materials, coating, electrolyte development, and spectroscopy. Equipment for physicochemical and structural characterisation of materials (XRD, XPS, AFM, HMNR, SIMS-TOF, TGA, DSC) as well as various analytical quantification techniques. An automated room with a robot for the production of a wide range of organic electrolyte formulations for their use in batteries. Two dry rooms, one dedicated to technical work where the pilot plant for battery production is located and the other for basic development work.
Dedicated rooms for cycling different types of batteries (button, pouch, prismatic, etc.) to study their performance under real environmental conditions, their safety, and their aging.
The meeting concluded with a strong call for ongoing communication and collaboration among project partners to ensure the successful achievement of project goals in the coming months.
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