Specific programme: HORIZON Innovation Actions

UPV/EHU Partner Status: Beneficiary
UPV/EHU PI: Julian María González Estévez

Project start: 01/01/2024
Project end: 31/12/2026

Brief description:

HARMONY project aims at strengthening the independency and the competitiveness of European industry, enabling a resilience value chain of raw materials by developing and validating at pilot scale an innovative, green and safe closed-loop recycling process of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from End-of-Life (EoL) NdFeB permanent magnets. The recycling loop encompasses the collection and dismantling of EoL NdFeB magnets and WEEE scrap, the recovery of REE metals through an indirect recycling process, the production of recycled NdFeB powder via three direct recycling methods, the manufacturing of magnets from the recycled powder, and the validation of the recycled magnets in end-user applications.

Collection and recycling steps will be implemented in 8 pilot plans reaching a final TRL of 6-7. The combination of direct and indirect recycling technologies will allow dealing with any scrap containing NdFeB in any form(sintered or bonded magnets). The recycled NdFeB magnets will be used in the same applications as the magnets made from primary powder, since they will exhibit comparable properties. Additionally, they will be recyclable via the same routes. A Dissemination, Exploitation, and communication Master Plan (DECMP) will be developed to maximize the impact beyond the lifetime of HARMONY project. HARMONY will build upon existing standards during the development of the novel products, ensuring compatibility with market conditions and increasing transparency for prospective customers. The economic, environmental and social viability of these processes will be demonstrated via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). Furthermore, social innovation including citizen dialogue, policy issues, standardization and ethics will be considered to overcome the non-technological barriers that make difficult to introduce these novel technologies at the short term in the market.