Development of radical innovations to recover minerals and metals from seawater desalination brines

ended

SEA4VALUE wants to deliver a Multi-mineral Modular Brine Mining Process (MMBMP) for the recovery of valuable metals and minerals from brines produced in sea-water desalination plants. The project will proof the feasibility of the next generation technologies (including advanced concentration and crystallization processes and highly selective separation processes) for recovery of Mg, B, Sc, In, V, Ga, Li, Rb, Mo and set the basis for their future assimilation in already existing SWDP and those yet to come. The EC and national public officials are well aware of the economic importance and supply risk of CRM and non-CRM, and are promoting new solutions for the recycling, exploration and mining of raw materials needs. SEA4VALUE puts together an industrially and user-driven consortium of 15 members that represent the whole value chain (from Water Infraestructure Operator to Processing Industry) who will extensively work during four years to proof that the measures presented are competitive, technically feasible, contribute towards circular economy strategies and sustainability goals. SEA4VALUE will upscale 10 technologies by developing novel selective membranes; producing new 3D printed selective adsorbents; applying advanced metallurgical solutions including solvometallurgy, ionic liquids and supported liquid membranes; improving membrane crystallization; and, developing thermally-conductive polymer composite materials for the heat exchangers to be used in multi-effect distillation while building confidence for the market uptake of the recovered elements, and therefore considerably reducing the arrival into the market and its uptake of brine as new source of raw materials.