BATTSi
Valorization of Industrial Waste Streams for Battery Grade Silicon
Branch: Chemistry and bioeconomy
Duration: 1.3.2025- 29.2.2028
Region: Central Ostrobothnia / International
Financed by: Interreg NPA
Budget: 1,53 m€
https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/battsi/
Project Manager: Egidija Rainosalo
Towards Sustainable Battery Production – Turning Industrial Waste Streams into Battery-Grade Silicon
The demand for high-purity silicon in battery manufacturing is growing rapidly, yet its conventional production methods put heavy strain on the environment. At the same time, various industrial sectors generate large amounts of underutilized silicon-rich by-products, such as brewers’ grain husks and geosilica from geothermal energy production. The new international BATTSi project (Valorization of Industrial Waste Streams for Battery Grade Silicon), coordinated by Centria University of Applied Sciences, aims to address this challenge.
The project develops novel technologies to convert silicon-containing industrial side streams into battery-grade silicon, suitable for use in lithium-ion battery anodes. The initiative supports the green transition, reduces dependence on virgin raw materials, and creates new business opportunities, particularly for companies operating in Northern regions.
Silicon holds enormous promise as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries due to its high capacity. Our work focuses on unlocking its potential through sustainable, circular production methods, says Project Manager Dr. Egidija Rainosalo from Centria.
BATTSi will produce a comprehensive roadmap for technology transfer and commercialization, supported by pilot actions and databases of testing services. The project will also assess the environmental impact and scalability of the technologies developed. It brings together research institutions, SMEs, and large industrial partners from Finland, Iceland, Ireland, and Sweden.
The final outputs – technical guidelines, policy briefs, and training materials – will be shared with companies and public authorities to support the adoption of circular and sustainable solutions in the battery value chain. BATTSi directly supports the European Green Deal, Finland’s Battery Strategy, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially by promoting the reuse of materials and industrial waste valorization.
The three-year BATTSi project will run from 2025 to 2028 with a total budget of approximately €1.53 million, 65% of which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The consortium consists of six main partners and ten associated organizations from four countries, with Centria serving as the lead coordinator.
Centria University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
-Lead coordinator; responsible for project management, technology piloting, and material testing
University of Eastern Finland (Finland)
– Specializes in silicon recovery and development of anode materials
University of Iceland (Iceland)
– Responsible for purification of geothermal silica and lifecycle analysis
University of Limerick (Ireland)
– Leads electrochemical testing of silicon anodes
Luleå University of Technology (Sweden)
– Conducts techno-economic assessments and resource efficiency analyses
MACON Ltd (Finland)
– In charge of commercialization planning, market analysis, and stakeholder engagement
Kickoff in Limerick, Ireland 15.-16.5.
Partners from across Europe gathered in Limerick to officially kick off our project aimed at sustainable silicon sourcing from industrial side streams.
This two-day meeting brought together researchers from Finland, Ireland, Iceland and Sweden to dive deeper into the project’s goals and implementation plans. We also exchanged knowledge, aligned our roadmaps and most importantly – got to know each other in person.
A highlight was our visit to the University of Limerick’s battery research labs at the Bernal Institute. Seeing the facilities and ongoing work firsthand inspired our discussions on battery testing, technology piloting, and sustainable material processing.
Stay tuned as we continue our work towards greener batteries and smarter material use.
