The NCC group of companies and a research team from DTU Energy have entered into a collaboration to uncover the potential of using silicates from rock materials in the production of batteries for electric cars. The initiative is seen as a step towards making the EU more self-sufficient in critical raw materials.
NCC Raw Materials has traditionally used its materials for construction and infrastructure, but the company is now investigating which valuable minerals are hidden in the raw materials. One of them is potassium-containing silicates, which researchers at DTU Energy are working on using in the development of batteries that can supplement or partially replace lithium-based technologies.
- We usually see our raw materials as filling for district heating pipes or as ingredients in concrete, but when we look from other angles, we discover that there are minerals that are part of our critical infrastructure and the green transition. DTU Energy is working to develop batteries using sand and potassium-containing silicates found in our raw materials to replace raw materials containing lithium and other critical elements. Our collaboration with DTU Energy has great prospects in light of Denmark's and the EU's desire for independence from China on rare earths, says Søren Evald Jensen, Director of Raw Materials, NCC Industry, in a press release.
At DTU Energy, Dr. Mohamad Khoshkalam and Professor Ivano Castelli are behind the research, which has already led to a patent on batteries containing minerals from common rocks. The project is seen as a contribution to creating a local and more sustainable supply chain in Europe.
- I am very pleased that a large company like NCC can see the potential in my research. I believe that this work can help influence how we think about rare earths and readily available elements in the development of battery materials in the future. This applies from design using computer simulations and AI to synthesis and integration into a battery - not to replace lithium-ion batteries completely, but to offer a complementary alternative to the market with a local supply chain in Europe and the Nordics, says Dr. Mohamad Khoshkalam.
Søren Evald Jensen emphasizes that the initiative emphasizes the need for a national raw materials plan in Denmark to ensure access to the minerals that can be crucial for the green transition and security of supply in the EU.
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