The ENICON project has reached its 40th month, and the results so far show impressive progress. The consortium met with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environmental Agency (CINEA) for the for the second Review Meeting, on 16 September in Leuven, Belgium.

Strong Collaboration and Smooth Management

Led by KU Leuven, the project is running on schedule with the project objectives being achieved on time. The CINEA Project Officer praised the smooth and proactive collaboration among partners, which has been key to the project’s steady progress.

Key Achievements So Far

Researchers at the University of Exeter have made significant progress in smarter use of raw materials. They have developed methods to better understand how nickel and cobalt appear in different ores and waste streams.

At Boliden Minerals efforts have focused on creating cleaner recovery methods.

The work led by Aalto University is centred on purifying metals to the very high standards needed for batteries. Researchers have already demonstrated promising results.

VITO has taken the lead on giving mining waste a second life. These breakthroughs are not only innovative but also industrially relevant.

Meanwhile, the Technical University of Crete has been responsible for assessing the environmental and economic impacts of ENICON’s technologies. Their studies show that the new processes significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, water consumption, and land use compared to conventional methods.

ENICON has also been active in building partnerships across Europe. As a founding member of the Cluster Hub for Raw Materials for Batteries, which now brings together 23 projects, the consortium is working closely with others to exchange knowledge and strengthen Europe’s capacity for sustainable raw materials production.

Equally important is ENICON’s commitment to communication and outreach. The project website has attracted more than 42,000 visits, while the LinkedIn page is gathering over 8 000 impressions per year. Documentaries produced by the consortium have reached nearly half a million viewers, bringing the project’s story to a wide audience. In addition, ENICON partners have shared their results at high-profile conferences, in scientific journals, and in major newspapers, ensuring their work is visible both within the research community and beyond.

Looking Ahead

With strong results in research, industry collaboration, and public engagement, ENICON is showing how Europe can recover nickel and cobalt in a sustainable and innovative way.