An innovation collaboration between MicroMiner, Fermhub Zealand and Innvite has received support from Biosolutions Zealand II for the further development of a biological hydrogel that can recover critical metals from used Electric Vehicles (EV) batteries with significantly lower climate and environmental impact.

The amount of used EV batteries is growing explosively, and only a very small proportion is currently recycled. At the same time, existing recycling processes are both energy and chemical-intensive and associated with CO2 emissions and loss of critical raw materials.

FermHub Zealand contributes strong knowledge about process and fermentation prerequisites for future scale-up, while Innvite develops the methodological foundation to document the technology’s climate footprint, circularity and sustainability profile.

Through the project, the collaboration contributes to:

• Development of a bio-based and biodegradable technology for the recovery of critical metals,
• Documented reduction of climate and environmental impact, strengthened circularity and better utilization of valuable raw materials,
• A solid foundation for future upscaling and industrial use in Denmark.

The project supports both the green transition and the development of a new Danish position of strength within biosolutions and the circular economy.