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The FIREFLY project, funded by the European Union, aims to revolutionise the recycling of metal-based catalysts through innovative, sustainable technologies. Work Package 2 (WP2) focuses on the supply and characterisation of waste catalysts, as well as mapping relevant resources, setting the stage for subsequent research and development activities. By providing a steady supply of waste catalysts and creating a detailed inventory, WP2 supports the development of innovative recycling technologies. The GIS inventory of resources will be available as part of the FIREFLY online tool, ensuring its usability later, for instance to map relevant catalysts, quantities etc. This initiative contributes to the sustainability and efficiency of the chemical industry, aligning with the European Union’s goals of a circular economy.

Results and conclusions at month 18

Researchers have successfully identified and characterised various waste streams containing valuable metals. These streams, sourced from industrial partners such as SOLVA, JM, ATM, ENGIE-LAB, and VITO (SPOT), include both solid and liquid waste with heterogenous/homogenous catalysts containing significant concentrations of metals like palladium, vanadium, and tungsten.

Material Flow Analysis and GIS inventory

A significant part of WP2 is dedicated to developing a comprehensive Material Flow Analysis (MFA) framework and a GIS inventory of relevant resources. The MFA was developed to estimate the stocks and flows of catalysts within the European technosphere using desk research and proxy measures such as installed capacity and catalyst lifetime. For example, the stock of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalysts in coal-fired power plants is estimated using installed capacity as a proxy measures. The GIS inventory complements this by mapping potential sources of catalysts across Europe, providing the project with geospatial data.

The work performed in WP2 will continue, but the results reported thus far already lay a solid foundation for the FIREFLY project by ensuring a steady supply of waste catalysts and providing valuable data for the optimisation of metal recovery processes.

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