Geosciences Atrium
The Geosciences Atrium of the IPGP is an action of the FIRE-UP project of the University of Paris Cité, winner of the France 2030 ExcellencES program. This atrium brings together researchers and industrialists to develop new solutions around the energy transition.
Winner of the France 2030 ExcellencES program for the period 2022-2032, the FIRE-UP project of the University of Paris Cité aims to strengthen the impact of the University’s research on society. The Geosciences Atrium is part of this project by bringing together the strengths of the IPGP by promoting the energy transition to help limit global warming. To this end, the Atrium proposes to develop research in cooperation with industry on the use of non-fossil resources, the capture and storage of CO2 and the extraction-recycling of critical metals. These research axes are based on the creation of industrial chairs within the IPGP Geosciences Atrium.
A first industrial chair in “Biometallurgy for the Recovery of Critical Metals” (BioMetCrit), led by Professor Éric Van Hullebusch, was created in 2022 around the theme of critical metals recycling, applicable to telephony, screens, batteries, wind power, solar panels, etc. As part of this chair, the BaCLEM project (for Bio-assisted Closed Loop recycling of E-Mobility Metals from waste PCBs and Li-Ion Batteries, ERA-MIN2 programme, 2020-2024), brings together the industrial partners Syngulon (Belgium) and Exitcom (Turkey) with the IPGP.
The BioMetCrit Chair has also just been awarded of the Eureka Eurostars call as a partner on the SideroGaIn project (for Siderophores assisted recovery of Gallium and Indium from e-waste recycling waste, 2024-2026). This project brings together the industrial partners WeeeCycling (France) and ASA Spezialenzyme (Germany) at the IPGP. Other industrial collaborations are in the start-up phase.
A second industrial chair on “Continental Hydrogen Exploration” (HCont), led by Isabelle Martinez, professor in the Geochemistry of Stable Isotopes (GIS) team, in collaboration with the Lithosphere Organosphere Microbiosphere (LOMs) team, was created in 2024 around the theme of natural hydrogen, which could become a carbon-free energy source in the future energy mix. This Chair has 2 main objectives: (1) the identification and characterization of the still poorly understood mechanisms of natural H2 genesis, (2) the development of new geochemical and geo-microbiological tracers to target potential sites for the exploitation and/or storage of natural H2. Initial research with industry was carried out in 2024 in collaboration with SLB (Schlumberger). The Chair is currently developing other industrial links.
The IPGP wishes to open new industrial chairs in 2025 as part of this Geosciences Atrium. They could be based on the themes of geothermal energy and/or CO2 capture and storage.
News
- March 11, 2025 – The IPGP accelerates research on natural hydrogen with a new partnership : the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) and Terrensis are joining forces to advance research on natural hydrogen, a promising energy resource for the ecological transition. Through this collaboration, IPGP researchers will deepen knowledge of the mechanisms of native hydrogen formation and accumulation, paving the way for concrete applications for the energy of tomorrow. This work will be carried out, among other things, as part of the “Continental Hydrogen Exploration” (HCont) industrial chair, led by Isabelle Martinez, professor in the Stable Isotope Geochemistry (GIS) team. Natural hydrogen could play a key role in the decarbonisation of industries and the development of renewable energies. This partnership illustrates the IPGP’s commitment to contributing to today’s energy and environmental challenges. A major step forward for scientific research and energy innovation!
- March 10, 2025 – Join us for BioHyMet-2025 : Advancing Biohydrometallurgy for a Sustainable Future ! We are delighted to invite you to the BioHyMet-2025 Workshop on April 2, 2025 at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP). This one-day event will bring together academics, researchers, and industry professionals to: 🔹 Discuss challenges and advancements in biohydrometallurgy 🔹 Present the state of the art in biohydrometallurgy 🔹 Highlight potential research topics that are shaping the future of the field Participation is free, reserve your spot now ! Register here : https://lnkd.in/e4xuNWCQ
- February 18, 2025 – Call for papers for the BioHyMet-2025 Workshop Biohydrometallurgy and Critical Metals Recycling. The Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) is pleased to announce the holding of a workshop on recent developments in biohydrometallurgy for the sustainable recycling of critical metals from primary and secondary waste streams. Date : Wednesday, April 2, 2025 Venue : IPGP, Paris, France. Submit your one-page abstract by March 17, 2025 to Prof. Éric van Hullebusch .Facing growing environmental challenges and increasing demand for critical metals, biohydrometallurgy offers innovative and sustainable solutions. Join us to discuss the latest scientific and technological advances in the field ! ” The future of critical metal recovery lies in sustainable innovation.”
- November 25, 2024 – New communication in the framework of the “Continental Hydrogen Exploration” (HCont) industrial chair of the Geosciences Atrium led by Professor Isabelle Martinez: Ugo Geymond, PhD student funded by the Doctoral School, presented a poster at the 4th H-NAT congress in Paris on November 25 and 26, 2024.
H-NAT 2024 is the premier global event dedicated to natural hydrogen:
https://www.hnatworldsummit.com/ The title of his paper is “Hydrogen generation from bif-hosted mine tailings: promoting decentralized and decarbonized energy solutions for the mining industry”. This communication can be accessed on the H-NAT website:
https://www.hnatworldsummit.com/2024-posters - December 16, 2024 – As part of Professor Eric van Hullebusch’s BioMetCrit Industrial Chair of the Geosciences Atrium, Alexandre Kompalitch, PhD student of the BaCLEM project, successfully defended his thesis on December 16, 2024.
The title of his thesis is “Biometallurgical approaches for the selective recovery of metals contained in bioleaching solutions from electronic waste”.
This thesis is currently under embargo for research work confidentiality aspects. - December 1st, 2024 – New call award for the Biometallurgy Chair of Professor Eric van Hullebusch (BioMetCrit):
Eureka has awarded its Eurostar funding to the SideroGaIn project held by a consortium in which IPGP is a partner. Eureka is the world’s biggest public network for international cooperation in R&D and innovation. Its Eurostars program is part of the European Partnership on Innovative SMEs. The partnership is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe.
https://eurekanetwork.org/programmes/eurostars/
IPGP participates to the project through the Biometallurgy Chair for the valorisation of Critical Metals of professor Eric van Hullebusch (BioMetCrit). The coordinator of the consortium is WeeeCycling (France). The other partners are ASA Spezialenzyme (Germany) and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e. V. (Germany).
The SideroGaIn acronym is for Siderophores assisted recovery of Gallium and Indium from e-waste recycling wastewater. It started on December, 1st, 2024 and will last 3 years.
SideroGaIn project aims to recover gallium (Ga), and Indium (In) from the low-concentration wastewater using patented GaLIophore technology. The specific objectives are to carry out mass-balance of Ga and In in the feed at every step of recycling, apply GaLIophore technology for the recovery of Ga and In (4N-7N) and in parallel decrease the operating cost of the GaLIophore technology through effective down-streaming of desferrioxamine E (DFOE). - November 22, 2024 – As part of the “Continental Hydrogen Exploration” (HCont) industrial chair of the Geosciences Atrium led by Professor Isabelle Martinez, Ugo Geymond, PhD student funded by the Doctoral School, successfully defended his thesis on November 22, 2024.
The title of his thesis is “Evaluation of the natural hydrogen generation potential of Banded Iron Formations”.
This thesis will be available on the internet very soon. - September 1st, 2024 – New publication as part of the Biometallurgy Chair for the valorisation of Critical Metals (BioMetCrit) : F. d. B. Ojembarrena, N. Merayo, A. Blanco, C. Negro, E. D. van Hullebusch, Smart Sorption: Novel applications of cellulosic nanomaterials for selective critical metal recovery from black mass leachates through multibatch processes, Separation and Purification Technology, Vol. 341, 2024, 126940, DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2024.126940.