nir-vana innovation network

Environmental Engineering Consultancy SME, located in Valencia, Spain, is offering its knowledge and expertise to participate in the M-ERA.NET 3 cofunded call, bringing projects the advantage of assessing and optimizing their environmental and socio-economic impact.

With a multidisciplinary and transversal approach, the SME has matured a specific expertise in assessing the sustainability and optimizing the efficiency of novel batteries and energy storage systems for different applications, through the whole value chain (from raw materials to end-of life solutions). This expertise is endorsed by their work in several European Projects, among which: ASTRABAT focusing on conducting Eco-design, environmental and economic assessment, and recyclability analysis to optimize a new battery prototype for electric vehicles; and HYBRIS project, leading the sustainability requirements and materials efficiency and safety to develop an innovative battery based on hybrid storage system.

In order to promote and cluster the application of different technology-based solutions especially in the field of batteries, the SME is an active member of different platforms and networks: i.e. European Innovation Partnership (EIP) in Raw Materials; COST ACTION 2015, CRM-EXTREME: Solutions for Critical Raw Materials Under Extreme Conditions; the Partnership for Advanced Materials for Batteries – AMBP, framed within the Smart Specialisation Platform (S3P); and BATTERYPLAT, the Spanish Technological Platform for Batteries and energy storage.

Through research, technical or commercial agreement with technical assistance the SME can support M-ERA.NET 3 cofunded call projects, providing the following services and added value:
o Eco-design recommendations (ISO 14062, ISO 14006) to integrate sustainability criteria in new products and processes from the very early designing stage;
o Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analysis to quantify the environmental and economic impact of novel products and processes, according to ISO 14040 and 14044, and to guide the minimisation of the potential risks and the optimisation of the sustainability of the proposed solution;
o Recommendation Guidelines for Materials Safety, supporting the substitution of CRM and the efficient use of raw materials;
o Recyclability analysis, according to the Recycling Efficiency Commission Regulation (EU) 493/2012;
o Circular economy modelling, to promote the establishment of circular business models and facilitate industrial symbiosis;
o Guidance in environmental communication to spread the positive results of a sustainable solution and to promote tailored knowledge transfer to different types of stakeholders;
o Compliance with certification and standardisation schemes: Eco-labelling, Carbon Footprint Declaration;
o Clustering activities with Policy Makers and European initiatives on new battery development.

The SME is open to provide any additional information on these services and to offer a tailored study of the project to design the best option ensuring the full sustainability of the project, in collaboration with the other activities carried out by the consortium.

Advantages & innovations

The multidisciplinary and wide experience of the SME in sustainability assessment and technology transfer is reinforced by their specific involvement in projects and networks working with the latest technologies and materials in terms of batteries and energy storage. Eco-design, LCA, materials safety and recyclability analysis, are top methodologies used in R&D innovative projects to calculate and improve their environmental and economic impacts. However, experience in the specific field of application is needed in order to adapt these methodologies to each project with specific know-how and internal protocols, to finally obtain the best possible results from the studies. This is specifically the added value of the services offered by the SME, which is also part of strategic networks and platforms in the same field. The team has expertise in the whole value chain of battery and energy storage application, from the raw materials, used chemistries, production and manufacturing processes, to the use phase, disposal and recycling possibilities. Its expertise encompasses also the knowledge of the latest regulations and standards supporting sustainable and green batteries, such as the new proposal for a European Regulation in batteries and wastes batteries promoting transparent material sourcing, transition to electro-mobility technologies, carbon neutral energy storage, as well as other European Strategies as the new Circular Economy Action Plan which includes goals for cleaner battery value chain performances. In this context, the SME effectively offers to provide guidelines for the eco-design of new batteries and prototypes with the highest sustainability performances and material safeness criteria, and to provide close consulting and collaboration to reach higher material recovery rates, reducing impacts thanks to LCA methodology and/or Carbon Footprint Declaration to help establish improvement, mitigation, and compensation plans.

Stage of development

Already on the market

Partner sought

Looking for a consortium willing to subcontract sustainability assessment activities in a R&D project within the M-ERA.NET 3 (2021-2026) cofunded Call.