The ENICON project held its last in-person meeting on 3rd February in Leuven, Belgium. Partners cale together to discuss the latest technical progress and convene on the last steps until its end in May 2026.

Europe’s transition to clean energy and electric mobility depends on sustainable supplies of nickel and cobalt. The work conducted under the ENICON project, has made progress in improving how these metals are recovered, refined and reused, while lowering their environmental footprint.

The next and final phase will integrate life cycle and economic assessments to determine which processing routes offer the best balance between cost and environmental performance.

Progress has been made under several routes, and also in upgrading intermediate products to battery-grade nickel and cobalt. Several materials can already be refined to meet market purity requirements, confirming their commercial potential, although further optimisation is ongoing to manage impurities and improve efficiency.

Beyond metal recovery, mineral residues are being transformed into useful construction materials. Economic studies suggest that some of these materials could reduce costs compared to traditional alternatives.

Overall, the results mark an important step toward a more sustainable and competitive European nickel and cobalt value chain, combining technical innovation with environmental and economic evaluation.

The ENICON partners continue to focus efforts also during the remain months of the project.