Critical raw materials, from panels to graphite: here are Italy's strategic projects

Critical Raw Materials: seven projects have been nominated by Italia to be considered strategic in the second round of selection under the Critical Raw Materials Act, which sets a 15% recycling target for these resources (the first had seen the identification of four Italia projects, last year).

The Interministerial Committee for Ecological Transition (Cite) has in fact approved seven proposals submitted by Italian companies to the European Commission. The initiatives will now undergo the EU executive's strategic assessment process.

Here are the approved projects: Crm4Defence - Byproducts and Recycling of Crm for Defence, promoted by Leonardo and located in several Italian regions; Neodymium Circular Magnets, an integrated recycling and transformation project developed by RarEarth in the Marche region; Rew-Ita green Hub by Omcd Tek Hub in Piedmont; 9Pv-up by 9-Tech in Veneto, dedicated to the recovery of materials from end-of-life photovoltaic panels; Alkeemia PureGraph by Alkeemia, also in Veneto, focused on transformation; Relith by the Massaro Group in Lazio; and finally ReSuPlir, an extraction and recycling project proposed by Italrecycling & Investment in Tuscany.

Among the proposals, five are dedicated to recycling, one to processing and one has an integrated character, combining both activities.

"Italy, thanks to the skills of its companies, continues to position itself in the strategic supply chains of critical raw materials, a fundamental building block for economic and energy security," commented Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto, emphasising: "Recycling, also in this second call for strategic projects, is confirmed as a priority, demonstrating Italia's strong orientation towards this sector, which sees Italy among the most committed European countries.