CarMine Project Aims to Recover Critical Raw Materials from Electric Vehicles

European consortium of 11 partners launches in Vila Nova de Famalicão to develop circular solutions.

Lithium-ion battery cell and rare earth magnet, symbolizing critical raw materials.
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Lithium-ion battery cell and rare earth magnet, symbolizing critical raw materials.

The European CarMine project, involving LNEG, officially launched on September 24, 2026, in Vila Nova de Famalicão, with the goal of developing solutions for the recovery and valorization of critical and strategic raw materials.

The consortium, coordinated by CeNTI, brings together 11 partner organizations and will run until August 2030. The main focus is the extraction of materials such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements found in end-of-life electric vehicle batteries and motors.
The initiative covers the entire value chain, from dismantling and recycling to the reintegration of recovered materials into new products. The aim is to reduce waste, minimize the environmental impacts associated with extracting new resources, and decrease Europe's reliance on external supplies.
Funded by the Horizon Europe program, CarMine has a global budget of approximately 8.63 million euros, with about 7.07 million euros in funding from the European Union.
Based on information from the official source: LNEG - Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (24/09/2026)