Skip to main content
Sectors: Construction and buildings Packaging Agriculture Batteries and vehicles Waste management

FIC-FIGHTERS: To a Fair, Inclusive, Circular and Healthy cities: Valorisation of phosphogypsum wastes into commercial products through sustainable and circular processes

Updated on 02.12.2024

FIC-FIGHTERS is a local democracy project focused on developing innovative, circular economy-based solutions for managing and valorising phosphogypsum waste (PG), a harmful byproduct accumulated near cities. Over 48 months, the project will bring together local actors, industries, authorities, SMEs, research centers, and universities to scale up waste recovery processes to TRL6-7, aiming to produce sustainable raw materials for the paper, cement, batteries, fertilizers, and detergents industries. Key activities include building a mobile pilot plant, creating a PG forum for local discussions, developing flexible and replicable waste valorisation processes across seven case studies, and contributing to knowledge exchange and circular business model development, with a strong focus on community involvement, environmental sustainability, and economic viability. 

 

Topic ID: HORIZON-CL6-2023-CircBio-02-1-two-stage
Grant agreement ID: 101135157
Countries: Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain
Start and end date: 01.06.2024 - 31.05.2028
Budget: 11 786 068 EUR
Type of action: Innovation action (IA)

Leading organisation/partner

IDENER.AI 

Cities involved

The phosphogypsum case studies are the following: Barreiro (Portugal), Kutina (Croacia), Prahovo (Serbia), Łąka (Poland), Veles (North Macedonia and Venice (Italy); but there are other cities participating in which the results could be replicated. 

Regions involved

There are no regions involved itself but specific partners from specific cities in which the solutions developed can be deployed. 

Scope and objectives

Scope: performing PG valorisation activities. Objectives: i) Upscaling, demonstration and validation of sustainable and circular chemical processes for turning the PG wastes into valuable commercial products, validated by end-users in different value chains; ii)To foster the interregional cooperation and integration of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) perspective, following CCRI guidelines, for reaching circularity, and iii)Reach all stakeholders in the project value chain with the aim of publicizing the project and its results and increasing the possibilities of developing the valorisation of phosphogypsum after the project ends.

Key services provided by the project

  • To foster the interregional cooperation and integration of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) perspective, following CCRI guidelines, for reaching circularity, and b)Reach all stakeholders in the project value chain with the aim of publicizing the project and its results and increasing the possibilities of developing the valorisation of phosphogypsum after the project ends.

Key deliverables

D1.8 Public summary about chemical routes validation & PG characterisation 

D2.12 Guidelines for circular systemic solutions 

D7.4  Data Management Plan III 

D5.8 FIC-FIGHTERS policy brief 2 

D5.6 Final report on Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) 

D5.5 Ecological restoration assessments for PG cases 

D4.5 Public summary about validation of final products for end industries 

D2.8 Environmental impacts through LCA 

D2.10 Economic validation by LCC 

 

These are public deliverables

Key messages for project promoters

  • New products that will benefit economic and environmental issues (industry) 
  • New circular solution with economic gains according to business indicators (investors) 
  • New sustainable approach for efficient PG valorisation, assessments and methodologies (scientific community) 
  • Sustainable solution for PG stacks (CO2 capture, new jobs, new business model, waste prevention, etc.) (policy makers) 
  • Circular economy, climate change mitigation, benefits of the solution (citizens) 

Description of future collaboration with CCRI-CSO

FIC-FIGHTERS project envisions a collaborative partnership where our project aligns closely with the CCRI office's objectives. We hope to leverage their expertise and resources to enhance our project's impact and efficiency.  

Regular coordination meetings, sharing insights and progress updates, and integrating feedback from the CCRI office to refine our strategies and outcomes. Our goal is to ensure that both our project and the CCRI office benefit mutually from this collaboration.

Participants

  1. IDENER.AI 
  2. UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE 
  3. MAGTEL OPERACIONES SL 
  4. THARSIS MINING SOC LIMITADA 
  5. ÅBO AKADEMI UNIVERSITY 
  6. CIVIL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE MACEDONIA 
  7. WROCLAW UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
  8. UNIVERSITY OF NOVI SAD FACULTY OF SCIENCES 
  9. Institute of Condensed Matter Chemistry and Energy Techologies - National Research Council (ICMATE-CNR) 
  10. Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie Centre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucléaire SCK CEN 
  11. PREHNIT ltd 
  12. CAPTURA CO2 
  13. ARDITEC 
  14. EFG 
  15. UNIVERSIDAD DE HUELVA 
  16. ASISTENCIAS TÉCNICAS CLAVE 
  17. PERSAN 
  18. CEMENTOS LA CRUZ SL 
  19. AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTÍFICAS 
  20. LECTA SA 
  21. FRAUNHOFER IKTS 
  22. ALDA 
  23. CHRISTEYNS NV 
  24. FUNDACION CIUDAD DE LA ENERGIA 
  25. MUNICIPIO DO BARREIRO
Target territory