From demonstration to industrial reality
LiCuPlus follows a credible pathway from key exploitable results achieved by 2030, through measurable outcomes by 2033, to long-term impacts — strengthening the EU’s critical raw material supply chain through strategic partnership.
Three horizons
Five breakthrough technologies demonstrated at TRL 6–7: a novel pyrometallurgical route at TRL 7 achieving ≥99% recovery with full slag valorisation; a green reduction module at TRL 7 that increases smelter–converter efficiency; an As/Sb recovery package at TRL 6 enabling safe pre-treatment and co-product valorisation; a low-carbon hydrometallurgical route at TRL 6; and a brine-flexible lithium process at TRL 6–7 producing Li2CO3, LiOH and lithium metal at ≥90% recovery and ≥99% purity.
125 kt/y of copper responsibly supplied to Europe. Around €120 million per year in added revenues. Roughly 0.3 Mt CO2-eq avoided annually, about 5% of EU copper sector emissions. Two companies scaling to TRL 9 with 200 workers trained, and two companies adopting UNFC/UNRMS. The portfolio on track to apply for Strategic Project status under the Critical Raw Materials Act, unlocking fast-track permitting and EU de-risking finance.
Around 250 kt/y of refined copper and 30 kt/y of lithium products — roughly 8% and 6.5% of forecast EU demand. About €515 million per year in additional revenues and some 1,700 full-time equivalent jobs created or secured. Up to 2 Mt CO2-eq avoided each year, around 35% of EU copper sector emissions, with roughly 11 million m³ of water preserved annually and 900 workers trained across five companies.
Cutting emissions, waste
and water at the same time
The portfolio replaces fossil fuels with green hydrogen and ammonia, integrates renewable energy, and applies circularity for multi-material valorisation.
Viability, not just feasibility
LiCuPlus strengthens the economic case for processing complex, low-grade, arsenic-rich copper concentrates and heterogeneous lithium brines with tailored, scalable solutions.
Lower capital expenditure — up to 25% — and operating cost reductions of at least 20% reinforce competitiveness. Copper solutions are tailored for Chilean and European industry, while the combined lithium process enables DLE replication across multiple salars. Scaling generates around €120 million per year in added revenues by 2033–35, rising to roughly €515 million per year by 2035–38, with internal rates of return between 12% and 30% and short payback periods.
Demonstrated technologies are expected to strengthen EU–Chile industrial links, with €800 million of investment planned for scale-up.
Industrial partners estimate approximately €900 million capital expenditure for a full-scale plant producing 20 kt/y Li2CO3 and 10 kt/y LiOH by 2035–38.
Operating costs are estimated at €4,300/t for Li2CO3 and €5,000/t for LiOH, including shipment to Europe and renewable power supply in Chile.
Under conservative prices, revenues reach €460 million per year with €240 million per year profit — a 32% internal rate of return and a 3.1-year payback.
Eight outcomes the project
is accountable for
01 Strengthened EU cooperation with strategic CRM partner countries
LiCuPlus strengthens EU–Chile cooperation through co-development of innovative technologies for sustainable copper and lithium recovery, followed by joint industrial deployment of the key exploitable results. The consortium brings together CODELCO and EcoMetales, Aurubis as Europe’s largest copper processor, Sunlight as a leading EU battery manufacturer, ENAMI on the Chilean lithium side, and universities from both regions. By project end, LiCuPlus technologies will be on track for Strategic Project status under the Critical Raw Materials Act.
02 Dissemination and exploitation tailored to CRM organisations and industry
Strategies target critical raw material actors in both regions, enabling knowledge exchange, alignment with EU principles and integration into industrial practice. Exploitation is adapted to EU conditions — strict CO2 and SO2 limits — and to Chilean challenges: high-arsenic, low-grade copper concentrates and complex brines.
03 Improved responsible supply of raw materials to Europe
Industrial practice aligned with EU sustainability principles, demonstrating cost-effective copper and lithium processing with reduced environmental and social impacts. Responsible supply is validated through pilots, accompanied by LCA, S-LCA and LCC aligned with UNFC/UNRMS classification and management systems.
04 Promotion of UNFC and UNRMS in the raw materials sector
Copper and lithium processing results are characterised according to the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources and the United Nations Resource Management System, covering environmental and socio-economic viability, technical feasibility and indicative product quality. Three assessments — LCA, LCC and LCSA — plus eco-efficiency evaluation ensure methodological consistency.
05 Improved viability, safety and environmental performance
Copper innovations cut hazardous arsenic waste by 99% and slag by 98%, nearly eliminate fugitive SO2 emissions, and avoid around 0.3 Mt CO2-eq per year by 2033–35, scaling to roughly 2 Mt per year by 2035–38. Socially, automation, safer reagent handling and improved dust and emission controls reduce occupational risks and community exposure.
06 Improved diversification of EU sourcing from third countries
In 2023 Chile supplied around 12% of EU copper ore and concentrate imports and around 17% of refined cathodes. EU lithium hydroxide imports were far more concentrated: roughly 51% from China and 23% from Chile. LiCuPlus advances technologies for complex, low-grade, arsenic-rich concentrates that let Chile expand exports, and a combined process for non-specific brines in water-sensitive regions.
07 Contribution to the implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act
Four breakthrough copper technologies — pyrometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, H2/NH3 add-on and As/Sb recovery — plus the combined lithium extraction and refining process, all tailored for complex feedstocks. Systematic classification under UNFC/UNRMS ensures transparent datasets, ESG accountability and comparability across both value chains. By 2033–35 the project will be ready to apply for Strategic Project recognition, unlocking fast-track permitting and EU-level de-risking finance.
08 World-class and open science
Research partners publish and share results on open-knowledge platforms, with the LiCuPlus Zenodo community as the default repository.
Contribution to the SDGs
Through EU–Chile partnership for the co-development of innovative and circular technologies, LiCuPlus cuts greenhouse gas emissions and water use, fosters cooperation and skills, and secures copper and lithium supply for renewable energy and electronics — supporting Europe’s green and digital transitions.
Complementary scale-ups
in Chile and Europe
Near-term solutions, mid-term plant replacements and long-term transformative routes — each with an identified route to finance.
Chile · CODELCO with EcoMetales
Advancing the pyrometallurgical route to TRL 9 and the As/Sb package to TRL 7 pilot plants by 2033–35, replacing outdated smelter–converter units and unlocking exports from high-arsenic concentrates.
Europe · Aurubis
Scaling the H2/NH3 module to TRL 9, boosting EU smelter capacity, improving yields and ensuring CO2 and SO2 compliance. The novel hydrometallurgical route reaches TRL 8–9 with European industry by 2035–38.
Chile · ENAMI with GEOS and Sunlight
Scaling the integrated lithium process to TRL 9 by 2035–38, enabling flexible Li2CO3, LiOH and lithium metal production from non-site-specific brines.
- TRL 7 → 9 (pyrometallurgy, H2/NH3): scaling supported by Processes4Planet; industrial deployment financed by the Innovation Fund, InvestEU and EIB loans. CRMA Strategic Project status accelerates permitting and de-risks large-scale decarbonisation.
- TRL 6 → 7 (As/Sb, hydrometallurgy): pilot validation via Horizon Europe, EIT RawMaterials Upscaling and the ERMA Booster; TRL 8–9 scaling through Processes4Planet and the Innovation Fund.
- TRL 6 → 8 (combined lithium processing): pilot validation via Horizon Europe and EIT RawMaterials; TRL 8–9 scaling supported by CRMA Strategic Project status combined with Global Gateway and EFSD+ blended finance.
The markets LiCuPlus
technologies enter
Copper
Copper processing in Chile represents a cathode production market of around €29 billion, growing at 1% CAGR to 2035. In Europe, demand is projected to grow from 2.6 Mt/y in 2024 to 3 Mt/y in 2035, with processing valued at €22 billion in 2024 and expanding at 2.8% CAGR, driven by electrification and the energy transition.
The sector faces declining ore grades, more complex concentrates, higher arsenic content and stricter SO2 limits — leading to smelter closures and rising demand for ESG-compliant, cost-efficient refining.
Lithium
Brine-based lithium processing is set to expand rapidly, from €60 million in 2024 to €2.26 billion by 2035 — a 19.6% CAGR. In Europe, Li2CO3 represented €224 million in 2024 with modest growth, while LiOH stood at €167 million and is rising faster at 9% CAGR.
Salt flats hold about 75% of global lithium resources, 40% of them in Chile and Argentina, yet only around 5% are currently exploited. Evaporation cannot deliver the water reductions required, and today’s DLE remains brine-specific.
Follow the results as they come out
Deliverables, publications and datasets are released throughout the project and archived openly.