We have entered the second half of the project where various partners have already started the demonstration phases. At this stage, the consortium focuses on critical activities aimed at validating and enhancing the recycling processes for devices containing Neodymium (Nd) permanent magnets in various recycling plants. This validation process ensures that our system can accurately and efficiently detect the presence of Nd-magnets in a wide range of devices, thereby streamlining the recycling process.
The REEPRODUCE project is a step forward to improve the recycling and recovery of Nd magnets and contribute to a more sustainable and efficient use of our resources, by establishing for the first time a complete close-loop permanent magnets´ recycling process!
The first demonstration site was at Indumetal Recycling in Spain last year. Indumetal Recycling is a pioneer company and one of the main players in the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and complex scrap in Europe situated in the North of Spain, Basque country.
The semi-mobile sorting system was shipped to Indumetal for a series of demonstration and validation tests. Several validation and optimization processes are being carried out as part of the project. In the case of the mobile sorting system developed by Sense2Sort, it is to be installed at several recycling yards and tested and
optimized on site as far as possible. The information obtained will be used to make improvements and updates to the system in the meantime, after which the system will be tested to ensure it functions optimally.
This year the next demonstration and test is planned at REVAC in Norway. Where, the sorting machine, developed by Sens2Sort, will be validated in their plant.
REVAC is one of Scandinavians largest recyclers of WEEE (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment) having recycling plants in Norway and Sweden. The Norwegian plant recycles 70 % of the total post-consumer waste electronics placed on the Norwegian market. The plant is top modern and meets all Best Available Technologies and Reference Documents (BAT and BREFs) regulations for now and the near future.
The sorting system will use the built-in sensor-based sorting technology using AI to identify those EoL devices from EEE waste. As part of the project, a database is also being created where important information about the devices is collected.
Within REEPRODUCE, REVAC identifies Nd-based magnets in HVAC compressors, supplies samples further in the project and registers Nd-magnets containing waste products reaching their recycling plant.
The REEPRODUCE project has been funded by the European Union Grant Agreement No. 101057733. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
