The Gold Rush of the 21st Century R&D Project Europe European Commission R&D Hydrogen Project by EU

The Gold Rush of the 21st Century R&D Project Europe
European Commission
R&D Hydrogen Project by EU
Title: Utilizing Surplus Renewable Energy for Hydrogen Production in the
Recycling of Precious Metals from Electronic Waste – An Implementation
Project Aligned with the EU Green Economy Strategy
Abstract
This project envisions the creation of one million micro-smelting
installations powered by surplus solar energy for hydrogen production,
which will be used to recover precious metals (Au, Ag, Pd, Pt) from
electronic waste. During peak renewable energy generation hours in
Europe, approximately 100 TWh of "waste energy" is produced
annually—energy that can be converted into hydrogen through
electrolysis. Hydrogen and oxygen are then utilized in high-temperature
gas burners (combustion temperature: 2800°C) to melt granulated e-waste,
allowing for gravitational separation of metals.
The system is decentralized, relying on privately owned, solar-powered
micro-furnaces, reducing dependency on imported raw materials, lowering
CO₂ emissions compared to traditional smelting, and creating new
employment opportunities in the recycling sector.
1. Introduction
1.1 Problem Context
    EU Dependence on Precious Metal Imports: Europe imports over 95% of
its rare and precious metals, posing a significant resource security
risk.
    Rising Volume of E-Waste: The EU generates approximately 12 million
tons of electronic waste annually, with only 30% being efficiently
processed.
    Surplus Renewable Energy: During midday hours, electrical grids are
forced to curtail photovoltaic output due to insufficient storage
capacity.
1.2 Project Objectives
    Utilization of Surplus Renewable Energy for Hydrogen Production:
Electrolysis serves as a buffer for unstable PV generation.
    Micro-Scale Recovery of Precious Metals: Replacing large smelters
with distributed installations.
    Green Alternative to Traditional Metallurgy: CO₂ reduction by
replacing coal with hydrogen as the heat source.
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