On July 6, the “Landespreis Energy Globe STYRIA AWARD 2022” was awarded in the auditorium of the Old University in Graz. With the renowned energy, environment and climate prize, Styrian lighthouse projects are brought before the curtain every year by the Province of Styria and Energie Steiermark. The Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy at the University of Leoben convinced the jury in the research category with the development of a new, innovative process for the sustainable recovery of critical elements from lithium-ion batteries.
This year, a total of 52 projects were submitted, which impressed the expert jury with their diversity of ideas and regional know-how. The coveted prizes were presented by Ursula Lackner, Provincial Minister for the Environment, and Christian Purrer, Spokesman of the Board of Energie Steiermark AG.
The team of the Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy around Univ.-Prof. Dr. Helmut Antrekowitsch, Dr. Eva Gerold and Matthias Honner were successful. They developed an innovative process for the sustainable recovery of critical elements from lithium-ion batteries.
Due to the steadily increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries, there is also growing interest in the raw material recycling of these valuable resources. With the help of the so-called “SeLiReco” process, qualitatively high, selective recovery rates of the critical elements lithium, cobalt and nickel can be achieved. This realizes the closest possible closure of the material cycle and further strengthens the idea of a circular economy.
Further information
Dr. Eva Gerold
Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy
E-Mail:eva.gerold(at)unileoben.ac.at
Source: https://www.unileoben.ac.at/en/newsdetail/energy-globe-styria-award-2022/
