Summary sheet
The project entails the construction of a first-of-a-kind commercial scale recycling plant to reprocess of fine-grained tailings material from a decommissioned mine, to produce high-purity battery grade manganese.
The European Commission has identified both battery-grade manganese and manganese as 'Strategic Raw Material' and "Critical Raw Material", being highly relevant not only for the green and digital transitions, but also for the strategic technologies and sectors. In this context, the project represents an important circular economy based source of high purity manganese and will supply the battery value chain with a key raw material that is largely imported, increasing the EU's resilience. The project will also include multiple environmental benefits from the remediation of the historic tailings area, particularly in terms of soil quality and freshwater quality.
As an installation for the recovery of non-ferrous metals, the project falls under Annex II of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2011/92/EU as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, leaving to the Competent Authority to screen it for an EIA process. In December2020, the project was screened-in for a full EIA Process. The EIA Study was presented in December 2022. The Competent Authority has asked for complementary information in June 2023 to address concerns related to noise impacts, health risks and comments raised during the procedure and to address new legislative requirements coming into force in July 2023. Updated documentation was resubmitted in October 2023 and the EIA Binding Statement is pending.
The promoter has been assessed by the EIB as being a private company not being subject to EU rules on public procurement or concessions. However, if at the project appraisal, the EIB were to conclude that the promoter is subject to the EU public procurement legislation then the Bank would duly inform the Commission Services and would require the promoter to apply those rules.