CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and

Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020

Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA : Integrated Circular Economy

business model for decoupling Europe

from PGM supply

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

• Automotive Catalytic Converters (ACC) are widely used to treat gaseous pollutants of petrol engine

passenger vehicles (PV).

• Platinum Group Metals (PGM) are essential for the manufacturing of ACC, as well as for Hybrid and Fuel

Cell technologies, but the EU is almost entirely dependent on South Africa and Russia (70-85% of PGM

world supply).

• CEBRA’s objective is to lower this dependence by integrating 100% recycled PGM in the manufacturing

of ACC while simultaneously performing partial substitution by a low-cost and politically less sensitive

transition metal such as copper.

• The project, developed under the leadership of Monolithos, a Greek SME specialized in ACC re-

manufacturing, targets an innovation by developing to TRL 7 an EU Key Enabling Technology (advanced

materials) through the upscaling and merger of two Process Innovation Technologies currently at TRL5.

• The ultimate objective is to proceed with the sustained manufacturing of CEBRA ACC within three years

of the termination of the project.

CEBRA - Overview

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

Challenges

• Vehicle manufacturers and car owners need to comply with strict pollution emission standards which

can only be achieved with the use of Automotive Catalytic Converters (ACC).

• Platinum Group Metals (PGM) are essential for society’s mobility requirements, from their use in ACC for

internal combustion engines to future mobility applications such as hybrid and fuel cells technologies.

• PGM are very scarce and are classified by the EC as critical raw materials (CRM).

• The EU is dependent on two countries for primary-mining supply (South Africa and Russia).

• Primary-mining supply is generally and globally becoming exhausted.

• Poor EU ACC collection rates for secondary-recycling amplify scarcity.

Solutions

• The CEBRA solution is essentiality two-fold :

1. Integrate 100% recycled PGM in the manufacturing of ACC.

2. Perform partial substitution of PGM by copper (lower-cost and politically less sensitive).

CEBRA - Challenges and Solutions

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

Objectives

1. Upscale at TRL 7 two innovative technologies currently at TRL 5 (PLATIRUS and PROMETHEUS).

2. Construct a pilot plant for the production of ACC with a PGM mixed-metal active slurry.

3. Manufacture a disruptive new class of ACC within three years of the termination of the project.

Impacts

1. Securing raw materials supply : The CEBRA business model will improve collection and recycling rates

while lowering the quantity of PGM used per ACC, thereby positively impacting available EU PGM supply.

2. Designing materials solutions : The CEBRA technology will design a new material solution specifically

decreasing the PGM quantity via partial substitution by copper.

3. Closing materials loops : The CEBRA business model will help in raising consumer awareness and

implementing a decentralized metal circular value chain, thereby better closing material loops.

CEBRA – Objectives and Impacts

CEBRA has received funding form the European

Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a

body of the European Union, under the Horizon

H2020 Framework Programme for Research and

Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - Business model and critical WPs

CEBRA has received funding form the European

Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a

body of the European Union, under the Horizon

H2020 Framework Programme for Research and

Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - Partners

The CEBRA consortium comprises three industrial partners, one research center

and one university covering the full value chain from :

• ACC collection

• Preprocessing

• Processing

• Production

• Industrial validation

MONOLITHOS CATALYSTS

COMET TRAITEMENTS

CENTRO RICERCHE FIAT

TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION

UNIVERSITE DE LIEGE

CEBRA has received funding form the European

Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a

body of the European Union, under the Horizon

H2020 Framework Programme for Research and

Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - Detailed WPs

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - PGM Market

• Mining contributes to 72%

of the total global PGM

supply.

• Recycling contributes to

28% of the total global

supply of PGM.

• ACC accounts for 66% of

global PGM use.

• Gross metal market value

in 2018 was $ 34 billion for

a total of 575 tonnes of

metal, or approx.19 Moz

(Pt + Pd + Rh).

2018 Pt Pd Rh Total PGM % in 2018

Supply

South Africa 4410 2651 626 7687 40,1%

Russia 662 2787 70 3519 18,4%

Others 982 1442 67 2491 13,0%

Total Mining Supply 6054 6880 763 13697 71,5%

Total Recycling Supply 2029 3099 331 5459 28,5%

Total Supply 8083 9979 1094 19156 100,0%

Demand

Autocatalyst 3184 8565 860 12609 66,3%

Jewellery 2258 167 2425 12,8%

Industrial 2080 1859 3939 20,7%

Investment / other 245 -373 166 38 0,2%

Total Demand 7767 10218 1026 19011 100,0%

Movements in Stocks 316 -239 68 145

Supply Market / value in April 2020* 5.868.258 21.055.690 7.111.000 34.034.948 100,0%

all numbers in 000 oz and *in 000 $

Source : JM PGM Market report - May 2018

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - PGM Prices

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - ACC Market

• Global emission control catalyst demand stood at 1.9 Mt in 2015 and is anticipated to reach 2.9 Mt

by 2024, expanding at a CAGR exceeding 4.0% from 2016 to 2024.

• A total of 19.2 million motor vehicles were produced in the European Union in 2018, or some 20%

of the 98.1 million motor vehicles produced around the world*.

• By 2030, it is expected that sales of passenger cars with internal combustion engines will

decrease by about 30%.

• Since total car sales will rise sharply by 2030 (by 57 % to more than 116 million vehicles), a

considerable number of cars with internal combustion engines will still be produced.

• 80% of the catalytic converter cost is attributed to the PGM.

• Stricter pollution emission standards will mandate higher PGM loadings in the next generation of

ACC, thereby further widening the gap between PGM supply and demand.

*Source : https://www.acea.be/statistics/tag/category/production

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - Hybrid Market

In the coming years, assuming that vehicles are manufactured to meet the same regional emissions

standards, the current view is that a switch to hybrid vehicles from conventional gasoline or diesel

vehicles will have little impact on overall uptake of PGMs and will, in fact, boost requirements for

palladium.*

The hybrid market can be viewed as a spectrum with increasing contribution from the electric motor* :

• ICE : conventional internal combustion engine, gasoline and diesel (uses PGMs).

• MicroHEV : micro hybrid electric vehicle: stop-start system including oversized starter motor (uses PGMs).

• MHEV : mild hybrid electric vehicle: stop-start, regenerative braking, additional battery (uses PGMs).

• FHEV : standard/full hybrid electric vehicle: dual-drive, ICE and electric (uses PGMs).

• PHEV : plug-in hybrid electric vehicle: small gasoline engine drives wheels when battery is depleted, i.e. still

essentially ICE technology (uses PGMs).

• EREV : extended range electric vehicle: small gasoline engine charges battery but does not provide propulsion

(uses less PGMs).

• EV : fully electric vehicle (no PGMs).

Source : Clarke, B., J. Watts, J.C., and Atilan, O.

The potential effects of powertrain developments in the auto sector on

PGM demand. The 4th International Platinum Conference, Platinum in

transition ‘Boom or Bust’, The Southern African Institute of Mining and

Metallurgy, 2010.

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - Fuel Cell Market

AngloAmerican : “As one of the

world’s leading suppliers of PGMs,

we see platinum-containing

hydrogen powered Fuel Cell Electric

Vehicles (FCEVs), as an important

innovation”.

“FCEVs use roughly double the

amount of platinum than an ICE and

a small percentage of FCEVs can

significantly impact the demand for

platinum.”

Source : https://www.angloamericanplatinum.com/products-

services-and-development/fuel-cell-electric-vehicles

and JM PGM Market report - May 2018

PGM demand and recycling to

2100 under three different Fuel

Cell market penetration and

PGM loading scenarios

Source : Han Hao, Yong Geng, James E. Tate, Feiqi Liu, Xin Sun, Zhexuan

Mu, Dengye Xun, Zongwei Liu and Fuquan Zhao.

Securing Platinum-Group Metals for Transport Low-Carbon Transition,

One Earth 1, 117–125, September 20, 2019 / 2019 Elsevier Inc.

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - Kick-off meeting - January 2020

CEBRA

Kick-Off Meeting

15th January 2020,

Royal Olympic Hotel,

Athens, Greece

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - Project pictures - May 2020

Metallic Three-Way catalysts for

processing in CEBRA

Metallic Diesel Oxidation catalysts for

processing in CEBRACeramic Diesel Oxidation catalysts for

processing in CEBRA

Ceramic Diesel Particulate Filter for

processing in CEBRAGeneral texture of the honeycomb of

a spent automotive catalyst

BSE image of nanosized Pt particles within

the washcoat of a spent automotive catalyst

CEBRA has received funding form the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

(EIT), a body of the European Union, under the Horizon H2020 Framework Programme

for Research and Innovation (project agreement n°19148)

CEBRA - Related projects

Platinum gRoup

MEtals saving by

monoliTHos Efficient

& disrUptive catalySt

innovation

PROMETHEUS will bring

to the market a

subversive innovation,

allowing for the first time

to substitute up to 67% of

the PGMs used in

automotive catalysts,

while maintaining their

performance and

durability at high levels.

PLATInum group

metals Recovery

Using Secondary raw

materials

PLATIRUS, funded by the

EU in the frame of

Horizon 2020 TOPIC SC5-

13-2016, aims at reducing

the EU PGM deficit by

upscaling to industrial

relevant levels a novel

cost-efficient and

miniaturised PGMs

recovery and raw

material production

process.

INNOvative CRM

substitution technology

for public authorities’

vehicle CATalyst

INNOCAT aims to diffuse

an innovation in PGM

recycling and substitution

in automotive catalysts,

and aspires to build up

communities in RIS-eligible

countries to stimulate

entrepreneurship based on

the commercialisation

potential of this

technology.

Advanced Low-Platinum

hierarchical

Electrocatalysts for low-

T fuel cell

ALPE aims to halve the

quantity of Pt used in Fuel

Cells (FC). FC use hydrogen

to produce electricity

without pollution. Current

FCs are still prohibitively

expensive as they contain a

large amount of Pt. The

ALPE FC will be more

affordable, durable and

powerful enough to power a

small forklift.

info@cebra-eitproject.eu

GET INVOLVEDPROJECT COORDINATOR

Monolithos LTD

yakoumis@monolithos-catalysts.gr

cebra-eitproject.eu/