Partners

The LIFE DRONE project involves four partners in Italy

The LIFE DRONE project involves four partners in Italy.
Technosind is the coordinator of the project and is an R&D company specialized in the development of innovative processes from the laboratory scale up to the industrial one.
The other partners involved in the LIFE DRONE project are: Eco Recycling, S.E.Val, UNIROMA and FAAM Research Center

  • Eco Recycling

    Eco Recycling

    Eco Recycling is a spin-off company created in 2008 by University researchers, and two SMEs involved in recycling and treatment of industrial wastes. The initial aim of this spin-off addressed the technology transfer of a new patent developed to recycle alkaline spent batteries. This activity was then extended to the valorization of other wastes.
    A multipurpose first pilot plant was built in Northern Italy. Based on Pilot activities an industrial plant with large potentiality (4000 t/y) has been designed by Eco Recycling and the plant is now operating at S.E.Val s.r.l.. Successively a new mobile pilot plant was built to recover metals from wastes. Eco Recycling designed two demonstrative plant finalized at the treatment of WEEE and end of life photovoltaic panels.

    MISSION AND ACTIVITIES: Development of innovative processes and plant design, assistance for startup, management and personnel training, chemical analysis for environmental control and process optimization.

    PROJECTS AND FINANCING:

    • "Green Batteries" Project financed by MIUR (Italian Ministry of Education): hydrometallurgical process to separate zinc and manganese from spent alkaline batteries (EP 1684369 Al 20060726).
    • "HydroWEEE" and "HydroWEEE Demo" Projects financed by the FP7: innovative HYDROmetallurgical processes and demonstration project to recover metals from WEEE including lamps and batteries (EP 245099 IA 1).
    • "PHOTOLIFE" life+ 2013 project financed by EU: Process and automated pilot plant for simultaneous and integral recycling of different kinds of photovoltaic panels.
    • Life LiBat about Recycling of primary Lithium Battery by mechanical and hydrometallurgical operations, and CROCODILE, project aims to recovery Cobalt from a series of WEEE wastes.
    Email: 
    amministrazione@ecorecycling.eu, francesca.pagnanelli@uniroma1.it
    Website: 
    http://www.ecorecycling.eu
    Phone: 
    (+39) 06 96039819
  • FAAM RESEARCH CENTER

    FAAM RESEARCH CENTER

    FAAM Research Center is the R&D company of Seri Industrial S.p.A. dealing with the development of lead-acid and lithium-ion technologies. Seri Industrial is a listed company on the MTA, with about 765 employees and 200 M€ of revenues.

    The mission is to accelerate the energetic transition to sustainability and decarbonisation, controlling the supply chain of electric accumulators and plastic materials, thanks to the expertise present in its two business units: FIB (owner of the historical brand FAAM) and Seri Plast, for accumulators and plastics respectively.
    FAAM Research Center manages the FIB’s R&D activities. The activities carried out by FRC’s researchers relate to the development of lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion cells with current and next generation chemistries, electronic components for lithium-ion batteries (BMS and packs), recycling of lithium-ion batteries, and to the respective scale-up. FIB has established the first lithium-ion cell and battery production plant in Italy, with an initial capacity of 300 MWh/y, targeting motive power, ESS, public transport, naval and defense applications. The plant has been designed and will be started up (Q42020) with the full involvement of the R&D team. The R&D team has also collaborated with FIB and the Seri Group for the submission to the European Commission and to the Italian Ministry of Economic Development of a project of research, development and industrialization of Li-ion cells of new generation (gen 3b and 4) and of a pilot line for lithium-ion battery recycling.

    The European project, called IPCEI (Important Project of European Interest), has the objective of creating in Europe a complete supply chain for Li-ion battery production, from mining to recycling, involving cell/battery development and collaborating with final users (e.g. car makers). FIB’s project has been approved and granted 505 M€ (nominal amount) on an overall grant of 570M€ for the Italian Consortium. FAAM Research Center will be in charge of all the R&D activities related to this project, which will lead to the installation of the first gigafactory in Italy, with an annual capacity of 2.5 GWh, by 2023.In 2020, a plant for the production of lithium-ion cell batteries was installed. The plant is under the name FIB and will produce under the FAAM brand.

    Email: 
    federico.vitali@faam.com
    Website: 
    https://www.faam.com
    Phone: 
    (+39) 073425751
  • S.E.VAL. (Società Elettrica valtellinese)

    S.E.VAL. (Società Elettrica valtellinese)

    S.E.VAL. Srl, Società Elettrica Valtellinese, is a company active since 1987. Born in the field of electrical construction, today it includes four specific sectors:

    1 research: analysis and studies in energy and environmental sectors

    2 engineering: design of ecological plants for the treatment of WEEE

    3 production: construction of power lines

    4 ecology: collection and recovery of refrigerators, WEEE, batteries and accumulators

    The ecological division of S.E.VAL. was born in 1999 with the start of a new transport and recovery activity forbulky solid waste such as refrigerators, TVs, end-of-life electrical appliances and the opening of a new treatment centre in Piantedo (so). The specific objective of the S.E.VAL.  ecological lines is to operate in the sector of disposal, treatment and recovery of waste of goods. It has a Life project "Life LIBAT" with Eco Recycling and Uniroma and is carrying out an experimental campaign on a prototype built ad hoc in his industrial area (Colico) for the treatment of primary lithium batteries and recovery of lithium and manganese.

    Email: 
    roberto.ardenghi@seval.net
    Website: 
    https://www.seval.net/it/home-seval
    Phone: 
    (+39) 0341 940617
  • Technosind

    Technosind

    Technosind was founded in 1990 in order to coordinate R&D activities mainly in the field of recovery of raw materials from waste and in the field of renewable energy. Its main core is the development of innovative processes from the laboratory scale up to the industrial one.

    The skills of Technosind are documented by a wide and qualified international experience, in a context of strategic projects funded by the EU.
    Almost all of the turnover comes from R&D activities commissioned by private and public companies.

    The company constantly collaborates with “La Sapienza” University of Rome, in the field of energy storage, nanotechnologies and the treatment/reuse of urban and industrial wastewater.

    Email: 
    emanuela.moscardini@technosind.it
    Website: 
    http://www.technosind.it
    Phone: 
    (+39) 06 3313799
  • UNIROMA

    UNIROMA

    The group of researchers of Theory of the Development of Chemical Processes of the Department of Chemistry of Sapienza University of Rome is involved in the development of innovative hydrometallurgical processes for the treatment of technological wastes: batteries and WEEE.

    As for battery treatment, the group performed R&D activities concerning the treatment of alkaline batteries, Li-ion and Li primary batteries.
    The activities regarding alkaline batteries performed in collaboration with Eco Recycling led to aEU patent (EP1684369 A1), then in 2008 to the pilot demonstration cofounded by MIUR, and finally to the construction at SEVal site of a plant 4000 ton/y.

    Research activities continued with the development of a process for the simultaneous hydrometallurgical treatment of different kinds of batteries (Li-ion, NiMeH andLi(0)) which was patented (EP2450991 A1).
    The activities concerning Li-ion batteries also included the development of a process for recovering Co salts performed at pilot scale within the HYDROWEEE and HYDROWEEE DEMO projects. The group also developed at lab scale a process for the integral recycling by hydrometallurgical route of Li primary batteries which is now in course of demonstration at pilot scale (LifeLIBAT project with Eco Recycling and SEVal).

    The researcher group also developed a process for the recycling of PV panels during PHOTOLIFE project.
    Main Projects in field of the proposal: LIBAT (LIFE16ENV/IT/000389) Recycling of primary LIthium BATtery by mechanical and hydrometallurgical operations(2017-2020); PHOTOLIFE (LIFE13ENV/IT/001033) Process and automated pilot plant for recycling of different kinds of photovoltaic panels (2014-2017); HYDROWEEE Innovative Hydrometallurgical Processes to recover Metals from WEEE including lamps and batteries, FP7 Program (2009-2012); HYDROWEEE DEMO Innovative Hydrometallurgical Processes to recover Metals from WEEE including lamps and batteries-Demonstration)FP7 Program (2012-2016)

    Email: 
    francesca.pagnanelli@uniroma1.it
    Website: 
    https://www.chem.uniroma1.it