A Euronews video highlights the role of critical raw materials in supporting Europe’s transition to sustainable transport.
As more cities across Europe move to restrict polluting vehicles, the future of mobility is shifting rapidly toward electrification. This transformation, however, relies not only on technological innovation but also on the sustainable supply of critical raw materials (CRMs). In a recent Euronews video, filmed during the ACEA event “From Ore to Road: The Mineral Race to Electric Mobility”, Dr. Peter Tom Jones, Director of SIM² KU Leuven (Research Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals), speaks candidly about the critical importance of secure and responsible access to critical raw materials in supporting the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) implementation and Europe’s green mobility goals.
Steel, already a central material in automotive manufacturing, will become even more indispensable in the coming decades. Steel provides structural integrity, protects EV batteries, and contributes to the lightweight design of electric vehicles, which helps extend driving range and reduce energy use. However, steel itself depends on critical materials like zinc, especially in the form of galvanized steel, which ensures corrosion resistance and long-term vehicle durability. And when it comes to electric vehicle (EV) batteries, the need for CRMs such as lithium, cobalt, natural graphite, and nickel is even more pressing. As Dr. Jones notes, Europe currently sources the majority of these materials from outside the EU, which leaves the continent vulnerable to supply disruptions and geopolitical risks.
This is where HEPHAESTUS comes into play. As a HORIZON Europe-funded project, HEPHAESTUS is pioneering innovative solutions to recover valuable materials directly from European steelmaking residues, such as EAF and AOD dust. The project not only supports the decarbonization of steel production through the recovery of iron alloys, zinc, mineral wool, and methanol, but also contributes directly to Europe’s CRM resilience by tapping into secondary raw materials: resources already within our industrial system, such as mine tailings.
KU Leuven, through Solvomet research group (part of SIM² research institute), plays a leading role in HEPHAESTUS, working on cutting-edge hydrometallurgical research to develop circular and sustainable flowsheets. As stressed in the video, the CRMA will only succeed if Europe invests seriously in closing material loops and reducing dependency on imported resources. HEPHAESTUS stands as a practical demonstration of how this can be done by transforming industrial waste into new steel and industrial products.
The ACEA event, which brought together key voices in the mobility and raw materials sectors, including Julia Poliscanova (T&E), Javier Felipe Andreu (Assistant to MEP Susana Solís Pérez), and James Watson (Eurometaux) highlighted the urgency and complexity of securing raw material supply chains in the race toward electrification.
You can watch the full Euronews video here: https://www.youtube.com/live/SQlIt5BJu5A?si=BBtcBgFyabtgZdhl
