Brazilian startup repurposes mining waste for energy storage

By Roseli Andrion  |  FAPESP Innovative R&D – The energy transition is a current and urgent issue. It would be better if it is combined with the reuse of mining waste to add value to the national production chain and offer a more efficient and sustainable solution. And that is what Teiú Energia, founded by two Brazilian researchers, is developing: materials with these by-products for energy storage.

The startup came about during both founders’ doctoral studies in research energy storage. They noticed that when niobium and vanadium are mined in Brazil, large amounts of iron oxide and titanium are discarded as tailings. The material, stored in dry piles, is then sold at very low prices (about USD 16 per ton) to enrich iron ore.

The researchers then developed a process to turn these by-products into high-tech materials for batteries, reducing the environmental impact of the entire production chain. The waste is combined with niobium and vanadium, elements that are abundant in Brazil and considered strategic for energy storage. “A beneficiated material for batteries fetches prices between USD 10,000 and USD 20,000 per ton,” says João Victor Bonaldo, co-founder of the startup. In other words, value is added to what was once just waste.

The distinguishing feature of the startup’s technology is the balance between power density and energy density. This allows for a wider range of applications, from electric vehicles to stationary storage systems. In addition, the solution significantly reduces environmental impact by using tailings from mining operations. “In niobium mining, for example, one ton of iron is produced for every kilo of metal.”

There are advantages to using niobium in batteries. “It allows fast charging, increases the stability of the cell, increases the energy density, is safer than graphite because it’s purer, and offers the possibility of creating a multitude of materials,” says Bonaldo.

The national technology also promises to significantly reduce the cost of energy storage. “Even though the material has a similar cost of production, it allows us to double the efficiency of the battery,” he points out. “So the cost of energy, which would be the watt per dollar, drops by half.”

For the end consumer, this means savings and better performance. “Niobium batteries reach full charge more quickly. Some results show that it’s possible to reach full charge in 5 minutes – currently it takes 30 minutes,” he compares.

At the same time, as the technology enables greater energy density, electric vehicles can become lighter and thus gain more autonomy. “The battery is like the heart of the energy transition. Any improvement in it affects all the other links in the ecosystem.”

Strategic partnerships

Teiú Energia developed the initial ideas for the materials during its participation in the Catalisa ICT program run by SEBRAE (Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service, a non-profit organization). It then secured support from FAPESP’s Innovative Research in Small Businesses program (PIPE) and carried out proofs of concept of the materials and their performance – still at bench scale – to determine how these materials would behave in a cell.

The startup is currently working to manufacture anodes and cathodes from the materials it has developed and to assemble cells for testing. At the same time, it is part of a global effort to create a lithium-ion supply chain that includes companies such as Petrobras and WEG. “We also took part in a cross-incubation in South Africa. The goal was very similar to ours: to promote a mining chain,” he says.

The company’s name, inspired by a lizard found throughout Latin America, symbolizes the founders’ vision of the need to integrate Latin American countries in order to escape technological neo-colonialism. “We believe that this stage of energy transition is the only way to escape neo-colonialism,” he says. “This is our last chance, and it’ll only happen if we unite as Latin America, because here we have all the resources we need: copper in Chile, niobium and vanadium in Brazil, and so on.”

Prospects and next steps

The materials are already at an advanced stage of development and the company plans to start producing the first button cells (like those used in watches and remote controls) by the end of 2025. In 2026, it intends to begin pilot production of both the anode and cathode in order to potentially enter the industry in early 2027.

To scale up production, Teiú Energia is already working with Brazilian mining companies. “We’re able to cut out a lot of steps, and they’re very open to the process,” Bonaldo says. “Our expectation is that our materials will be applied in the next generation of batteries, especially because their characteristics offer more benefits.”

The startup’s initiative follows a global trend in which several countries are seeking to develop their own solutions to reduce technological dependence. “We imagine that we can democratize access to these renewable technologies and reduce the technological dependence of the Global South. The energy transition will happen according to the reality of each country.”

This need to reduce dependency has arisen in different countries. “The U.S., for example, is looking to develop an oil-based material to reduce dependency,” he points out. “We’ve already helped some companies there that were trying to develop graphite from mining waste instead of oil.”

The trend towards the nationalization of energy storage technologies represents an opportunity for the Brazilian company. “We work between those who mine and those who produce batteries. Because we do beneficiation, we can serve all these markets – especially in Latin and North America.”

Batteries, a key component of electric vehicles and photovoltaic systems, are still expensive, making it difficult to democratize these technologies. “In an electric vehicle, 75% of the cost comes from the battery. Similarly, adding storage to a photovoltaic system doubles the cost of the installation,” explains Bonaldo.

Currently, the global battery market is dominated by China, which controls the production of graphite – one of the key elements in making the component. “The world is virtually 100% dependent on China for batteries. China has the two largest factories, followed by South Korea, which also has two factories.”

At the same time, the mining of cobalt (another essential material in the composition of batteries) in Africa is an abuse of human resources. Brazil, for its part, produces neither. “That’s why these technologies are very expensive for us. We need to make sure that this access is really for everyone so that it doesn’t become too stratified.”

This technological and geopolitical concentration makes the price of the technology prohibitive for many markets, especially in developing countries. “If the future has to be sustainable for the whole world, we’re far from achieving that goal today,” Bonaldo criticizes. In addition, energy storage is one of the biggest challenges for the energy transition.