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Opportunities & limits to recycle critical metals for clean energies

Opportunities & limits to recycle critical metals for clean energies. Trans-Atlantic Workshop on Rare Earth Elements and Other Critical Materials for a Clean Energy Future MIT Boston, 3. Dec. 2010. Christian Hagelüken, Mark Caffarey - Umicore. important for clean energy.

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Opportunities & limits to recycle critical metals for clean energies

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  1. Opportunities & limits to recycle critical metals for clean energies Trans-Atlantic Workshop on Rare Earth Elements and Other Critical Materials for a Clean Energy Future MIT Boston, 3. Dec. 2010 Christian Hagelüken, Mark Caffarey - Umicore

  2. important for clean energy Boom in demand for most ‘technology metals’ % mined in 1900-1980 % mined in 1980-2010 REE = Rare Earth Elements  Much more than Rare Earth Elements, but little significance of „mass metals“

  3. Clean energy developments will further boost demand for technology metals • Multiple examples: • Electric vehicles & batteries cobalt, lithium, rare earth elements, copper • Fuel cellsplatinum, (ruthenium, palladium, gold) • Photovoltaic (solar cells) silicon, silver, indium, gallium, selenium, tellurium, germanium, ruthenium • Thermo-electrics, opto-electronics, LEDs, … bismuth, tellurium, silicon, indium, gallium, arsenic, selenium, germanium, antimony, … • …

  4. Primary mining ~5 g/t Au in ore Similar for PGMs Urban mining 200-250 g/t Au in PC circuit boards 300-350 g/t Au in cell phones 2000 g/t PGM in automotive catalysts Urban mining “deposits”can be much richer than primary mining ores Example gold – principle is valid for many technology metals

  5. Tiny metal content per piece  Significant total demand Other electronic devices add even more to these figures Low loadings per unit, but volume countsExample: Metal use in electronics Global sales, 2009 a) Mobile phones 1300 million units/ year X 250 mg Ag ≈ 325 t Ag X 24 mg Au ≈ 31 t Au X 9 mg Pd ≈ 12 t Pd X 9 g Cu ≈ 12,000 t Cu 1300 million Li-Ion batteries X 3.8 g Co ≈ 4900 t Co b) PCs & laptops 300 Million units/year X 1000 mg Ag ≈ 300 t Ag X 220 mg Au ≈ 66 t Au X 80 mg Pd ≈ 24 t Pd X ~500 g Cu ≈ 150,000 t Cu ~140 million Li-ion batteries X 65 g Co ≈ 9100 t Co a+b) Urban mine Mine production / share Ag: 21,000 t/a ► 3% Au: 2,400 t/a ► 4% Pd: 220 t/a ► 16% Cu: 16 Mt/a ► <1% Co: 75,000 t/a ► 19%

  6. Mass recycling vs technology metals recycling Bottle glass Steel scrap Circuit boards Autocatalysts • “Mono-substance” materials without hazards • Trace elements remain part of alloys/glass • Recycling focus on mass and costs + Green glass White glass Brown glass Specialty metals PGMs • ”Poly-substance” materials, incl. hazardous elements • Complex components as part of complex products • Recycling focus on value recovery from trace elements

  7. Recycling chain - system approach is key • Consider the entire chain & its interdependences • Precious metals dominate economic & environmental value  minimise PM losses • Mass flows  flows of technology metals • Success factors  interface optimisation, specialisation, economies of scale •  The total recycling efficiency is determined by the weakest step in the chain Example: 50% X 70% X 95% = 33% End-of-lifeproducts Collection Dismantling &pre-processing Smelting & refining Recycledmetals Reuse Separated components& fractions Final waste

  8. Future… 85% X 90% X 95% = 73% Room for improvement in the recycling chain • Example of gold recycling Collection Dismantling & pre-processing Smelting & refining 80% X 50% X 50% = 20% 50% X 25% X 95% = 12% • Are we always doing much better in “the West” today? •  Doing it the right way offers a huge potential – so how to get there? Figures are illustrative

  9. 10,000s 1000’s100’s 3 Large number of players in the recycling chainLimited number of technology metals refiners • Sufficient capacity for recovery of many technology metals available • Make sure that critical fractions reach these plants without major losses during the way • Ensure that critical fractions with technology metals are treated at BAT processes • High yields, minimal emissions • Recovery of multiple metals Example e-scrap: Number of actors in Europe Collection Dismantling &Pre-processing Smelting &Refining

  10. Example Umicore: High Tech & Economies of Scale are crucial success factors Umicore‘s integrated Hoboken smelter/refinery ISO 14001 & 9001, OHSAS 18001 • Focus PM-containing secondary material, input > 300 000 t/a, global customer basis • Recovery of 7 PM & 11 other metals with high yields: Recycled metal value: 3 Bn US-$ Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Cu, Pb, Ni, Sn, Bi, Se, Te, Sb, As, In, Ga. • Investments since 1997: 400 M €; Invest. for comparable green field plant: >> 1 Bn €! • Value of precious metals enables co-recovery of specialty metals (‘paying metals’)

  11. Technology metals recyclingis more complex than in the movies • Technical accessibility of relevant components • E.g. electronics in modern cars, REE-magnetsin electric motors, … • Need for “Design for disassembly”, sorting & “pre-shredder” separation technologies • Thermodynamic challenges & difficult metal combinations for “trace elements” • Laws of Nature cannot be broken • E.g. rare earth elements, tantalum, gallium, beryllium in electronics, lithium in batteries • Need for recyclability consideration in development of new material combinations • Quality/composition of feed streams need to match with capability of recycling process From: Disney/Pixar www.wall-e.com

  12. Economic recycling challenges • Most precious metals containing waste materials have a positive net value • Value of metals contained outweighs cost of recycling • Technology metals containing waste materials may have negative net valuein the absence of certain “paying metals” (e.g. Au) in the same metal feed • Value/price of metal not sufficient to compensate for cost of recycling • Negative net value due to low critical metal concentrations in products • E.g. lithium in batteries, indium in LCDs & PV-modules  Create economic recycling incentives (subsidies) & improve technology (costs & efficiency) • Dispersed use inhibits economic recycling (regardless of price level) • E.g. silver in textiles or RFID chips  Avoid dispersed use or look for non-critical substitutes •  Legislative initiatives required in certain cases

  13. ► Main flaws in EU WEEE recycling Poor collection Deviation of collected materials  dubious exports backyard treatment :

  14. To what extent does current (EU-) legislation help? • Legislation helps • Awareness raising, supportive legal framework • Development of take-back infrastructure, collection targets, EU wide reporting • Resource aspect of recycling is on the radar screen now,beyond the traditional waste/environmental aspects • Legislation can be improved • Weak enforcement of legislation • Poor monitoring of end-of-life flows • Illegal exports • Collection targets not ambitious enough, collection remains well below potential • Mass based targets do not help for technology metals (“trace elements”) • Neither clear definitions nor reliable supervision of recycling standards exist

  15. Legislation needed for certain recycling drivers Criticality, a new driver for recycling? Current recycling-drivers • Value: • Taken care of by the market, pays for itself • Set EHS frame conditions! • EHS & volume • Society driven • Negative net value Future recycling drivers: • “Critical metals” • Macro economic significance • Enhanced recycling worthwhile also without volume or EHS risks Value Economic incentive e.g. : autocat, Al-wheel rim, Cu-scrap, precious metals, … Recycling Sustainable accessto critical metals Driven by legislation Environment Volume Too much to dump e.g. : household waste, debris, packaging, … Risk for EHS (Environment, health & safety)e.g..: asbestos, Hg, airbags, waste oil, …

  16. Next steps: Time for fundamental changes Attitude:fromwaste managementtoresource management Targets:fromfocus on mass tofocus on quality & critical substances Practice:fromtraditional waste businesstohigh-tech recycling Vision (OEMs):fromburdentorecycling as opportunity Recycling requires a holistic and interdisciplinary approach Ensure consistency between different policies

  17. Ready for questions Mark.Caffarey@am.umicore.com, Christian.Hagelueken@eu.umicore.com www.preciousmetals.umicore.com

  18. Recycling recommendations developed by the RMI critical metals group Undertake policy actions to make recycling of critical raw materials more efficient, in particular by: • Mobilising relevant EoL products for proper collection instead of stocking, landfill or incineration • Improving overall organisation, logistics & efficiency of recycling chains by focussing on interfaces and system approach • Preventing illegal exports of relevant EoL products & increasing transparency in flows • Promoting research on system optimisation & recycling of technically challenging products & substances Source: DEFINING CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS FOR THE EU: A Report from the Raw Materials Supply Group ad hoc working group defining critical raw materials; July 30, 2010

  19. Improving access to secondary raw materials Enforcing trade-related aspects of environmental legislation Ensuring level playing field for processing 2nd raw materials Improving management of raw materials and their efficient use Economic viability of recycling Existing EU policy framework RMI: Eurometaux Proposals • 10 concrete proposals under 4 pillars: • (1): Trade aspects • Customs identification of second hand goods • Improved enforcement of Waste Shipment Regulation • End-of-Waste • (2) Level playing field • Certification scheme to ensure access to secondary RM • Facilitate & encourage the re- shipping of complex materials to BAT-recycling plants in Europe • (3) Improved EoL management • Promote the Efficient Collection and Recycling of Rechargeable Batteries • The eco-leasing concept • Better recycling data • Research on recyclability • (4) Economic viability of recycling

  20. Choice of dismantling & pre-processing technology strongly impacts recovery rates Materials must be steered into most suitable refining processes Challenge for complex products Precious- & special metals are lost unless directed into PM- & Cu-refining. To maximise recovery of precious & special metals certain losses of plastics & base metals are inevitable (& should be tolerated). Western technology not always perfect as well –Choice of pre-processing technology is crucial 75%gold loss Manual Low intensitymechanical High intensitymechanical • Gold recoveryin printed circuit board fraction, after pre-processing Source: Rotter et al. Elektronik Ecodesign Congress München (10/2009)

  21. Continuous technology innovation - Umicore recycling process for rechargeable batteries R & D started to recover Li Source:Eurometaux’s proposals for the Raw Materials Initiative, annex, a case story on rechargeable batteries, prepared by Umicore & Recharge, June 2010

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