Kick-off meeting of LIFE2017 project BiotaWEEE
Reydesa Recycling and BiotaTec had a kick-off meeting of LIFE2017-ENV/ES000216 BiotaWEEE
project on the 17th of July at the facilities of Otua Group in Legutio, Spain.
The main objective of the project " Bioleaching of WEEE wastes for the Recovery of Valuable Metals"
is to recover valuable metals (mainly Cu, Ag and Au) from the non-metallic fraction of the Printed
Circuit Boards (PCB) of different Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) by the application
of BiotaTec's approach as novel more efficient 2-step bioleaching technology. This technology will
allow obtaining metals as a secondary raw material from alternative sources and methane from organic
compounds of the waste stream. Consortia of the project consist of 2 partners - Reydesa Recycling and BiotaTec.
BIOTATEC was created in 2007 as a spin-off from Tallinn University of Technology. For 9 years,
the company performed metagenomic testing of environmental samples as ISO17025 accredited
testing lab and fulfilled various R&D projects for industries and governmental institutions.
Since 2010 the company has investigated the possibilities to improve the technology of bioleaching
for polymetallic ores that contain organo-metallic complexes. In 2015 given R&D became the main
activity of the SME. Company has submitted 2 patent applications related to innovative bioleaching
technology with higher efficiency for ores considered to be “low-grade” for conventional metallurgy
and even conventional bioleaching.