A new model for mapping critical raw materials

Project Manager Erik Lindblom, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. Photo credit: Andrea Hallencreutz

Access to critical raw materials is a key issue for both the green transition and Sweden’s security of supply. The KRRR project demonstrates how better knowledge of materials already present in society can create opportunities for increased recycling and a more resilient raw materials supply system.

The research project National mapping of critical raw materials for reporting and sustainable supplying (KRRR) addressed a challenge that has long been recognised by both Sweden and the EU: the need to strengthen the security of supply of critical raw materials.

Significant quantities of these materials are already embedded in products and infrastructure across society, including vehicles, electronics, batteries, solar panels and other technologies. However, knowledge remains limited about where these materials are located, in what quantities they are present and when they may become available for recycling.

The need for better information has been highlighted for several years, including through government assignments to the Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The issue has become increasingly relevant with the introduction of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing assignment to develop a national programme for the circularity of critical raw materials.

The importance of addressing this challenge has evolved in recent years. Previously, discussions focused mainly on the green transition, where critical raw materials are needed for electric vehicles, batteries and renewable energy technologies.

“Today, the perspective is broader. The same materials are needed for electric vehicles, batteries and renewable energy technologies, but also for digital infrastructure, AI technologies and the defence industry. At the same time, security of supply and strategic independence have become increasingly important. In this context, knowledge about the resources already present in society is an important piece of the puzzle for developing recycling, making long-term investment decisions and reducing vulnerabilities in future raw material supply,” says Erik Lindblom, Senior Project Manager at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and project manager for KRRR.

The project’s main objective was to investigate what is needed to move from ambition to implementation. The work focused on analysing what data is already available, which actors need to be involved and how a system can be designed to work not only in theory but also be put into practical use within a reasonable timeframe. Given the urgency of the challenge, KRRR placed as much emphasis on feasibility as on precision.

One of the project’s greatest challenges was describing something that has not yet been comprehensively mapped. The lack of data on secondary flows of critical raw materials was part of the problem and made it more difficult to test different solutions. The industrial companies participating in the project contributed valuable experience regarding the opportunities and limitations associated with corporate reporting.

“Together with the authorities and industry associations in the reference group, this led to an important reassessment: moving away from a solution heavily dependent on company data towards a model based to a greater extent on official statistics, which can therefore be implemented more quickly and on a broader scale,” says Erik Lindblom.

Collaboration within the consortium was characterised by a broad shared understanding of the importance of the challenge. There was strong interest from industry, authorities and industry associations in participating in the project and its reference group.

At the same time, it became clear that no single actor holds the entire solution. Companies possess knowledge about materials, products and markets, authorities are responsible for regulations, statistics and monitoring, while industry associations contribute a system-wide perspective. The project therefore became an important forum in which these different perspectives could be brought together and translated into a joint proposal.

Perhaps the project’s most important result was a shift in its original approach. Initially, it was assumed that a national mapping system would require a new reporting system for manufacturing companies’ use of critical raw materials. However, the analyses demonstrated that a solution based on official statistics appears to be more robust, less costly and significantly faster to implement.

This means that national mapping could begin almost immediately for a selected number of product groups and then be gradually developed and refined as user needs, methods and the available knowledge base improve.

The results contribute to addressing the identified challenge by demonstrating a practically feasible way forward.

“The greatest challenge has never been a lack of engagement, but a lack of shared knowledge. The results demonstrate a practical way to start building that knowledge without first introducing extensive new reporting requirements or costly data collection systems. If authorities, companies and other actors gain a better understanding of where critical raw materials are located and how material flows develop over time, it will also become easier to plan investments, monitor progress towards targets and identify opportunities for increased recycling,” says Erik Lindblom.

The project also provided an unexpected insight: the most useful solution does not necessarily have to be the most detailed.

Initially, the focus was on how more information could be collected. Over time, however, it became clear that the more important question was how a system could ensure continuity over time. Official statistics do not always offer a high level of detail, but they provide comparability over time and the ability to monitor trends.

This insight made it possible to identify a realistic way forward without first establishing extensive new reporting systems.

Following the completion of the project, it was recommended that the work continue through a pilot in which a limited number of materials and product groups are monitored in practice. At the same time, responsibilities, institutional ownership and the long-term management of a national system need to be clarified.

“Alongside the project, several initiatives have been launched that point in the same direction, including the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s work on a national programme for the circularity of critical raw materials. If these initiatives can be connected, the conditions are now in place to move from individual studies towards regular national monitoring of critical raw materials,” concludes Erik Lindblom.

Project partners:

• IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute AB
• Volvo Group Purchasing AB
• Boliden Mineral AB
• Talga AB
• Gruv AB Viscaria