Técnicas Reunidas Develops Advanced Technologies for Critical Raw Material and Rare Earth Recovery

Técnicas Reunidas announced on Monday that it has successfully developed proprietary technologies aimed at the recovery of critical raw materials and rare earths, areas the company views as strategically and geopolitically crucial. These innovations, developed through its Own Technology Development division at the Técnicas Reunidas Technological Center, also include advancements in carbon capture and green hydrogen production, key areas in the global energy transition.

Among its breakthroughs, Técnicas Reunidas highlighted the Recyclion technology, which enables the recovery of essential materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and phosphorus from the black mass of recycled electric vehicle batteries, facilitating the creation of new batteries. Additionally, the company’s Phos4life technology has been selected for industrial implementation in Switzerland, targeting the recovery of phosphorus from sewage sludge ash, with plans to treat 40,000 tons annually. This technology has also been shortlisted for a major waste treatment project in Vienna, set to be tendered in 2025.

In the field of rare earths, which are critical for sectors like digitization, energy transition, and defense, Técnicas Reunidas has introduced its Raretech technology. This solution is designed to extract rare earth concentrates from minerals through circular economy processes. The company is actively bidding on projects in Spain, South Africa, and Australia, and is leading the Misiones Minethic project, focused on the selective recovery of rare earths like cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium.

Further showcasing its technological prowess, Técnicas Reunidas has secured contracts for various recovery projects. This includes a partnership with Turkey’s Eti-Bakir for the recovery of copper, cobalt, and zinc from production slag, and a U.S. project aimed at recovering gallium, a critical metal for integrated circuits and optoelectronics.

Técnicas Reunidas has already patented three of its proprietary technologies—Ecolead, Zincex, and one Phos4life process—with three more, including Recyclion, Raretech, and an additional Phos4life process, currently in the patent process. The company’s Zincex technology, operational in facilities across the U.S., Italy, and Japan, enables the recovery of high-purity zinc from waste, demonstrating the company’s commitment to sustainable material recovery and recycling on a global scale.