Reference, completed project

MaDiTraCe : responsible sourcing of battery metals

As the energy and digital transitions pick up pace, the origin and traceability of critical raw materials – which are notably used in batteries and renewable energy technologies – has become a matter of strategic importance. This was the central issue addressed by the European MaDiTraCe project, which came to an end in June 2026, after three years of work coordinated by BRGM.

15 July 2026

Laboratory experiments with BRGM's Neptune plasma source mass spectrometer (Orléans, 2023)

Challenges and needs

Critical raw materials are very important for the ecological and digital transition. Europe relies heavily on imports from third countries, but is seeking to establish supply chains that are both resilient and sustainable. This is one of the aims of the Critical Raw Materials Act, a European Union regulation designed to secure Europe's future metal supplies.

Due diligence in the sustainable sourcing, extraction and processing of minerals is driven by societal and regulatory factors that are increasing pressure to monitor the industry's supply chain. As a result, the sector needs standardised certification systems that guarantee a transparent view of their supply chains (compliance with the requirements of the Critical Raw Materials Act and the future battery passport, for example).

MaDiTraCe is a research and innovation project that ran from 2023 to 2026, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. Its objective was to develop digital and geochemical solutions to establish environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards for critical raw materials and to integrate them into a generic certification system. The overall aim was to ensure sustainability and transparency for Critical Raw Material (CRM) supply chains based on generally accepted ESG standards.

The project focused on materials that are essential for the energy transition: lithium, cobalt and natural graphite for batteries, as well as the rare earths needed for permanent magnets.

Results

With the MaDiTraCe project, BRGM and its partners explored innovative solutions combining digital tools, governance frameworks, digital product passport (DPP) technologies and methods for identifying materials.

The project was structured around several major tasks:

Developing tools and a database for geological and geochemical tracing of the origin of metals (lithium, cobalt, natural graphite and rare earths).
Digital traceability of information throughout the supply chain using systems such as blockchain.
Comparison of different environmental, social and governance certification systems for raw materials.
Integrating due diligence information on metals into a digital product passport and, in particular, the future battery passport.

The work conducted notably highlighted the need for interoperable systems and common standards to ensure reliable data sharing at an international level. It also underlined the importance of adapting traceability systems to variable levels of risk, according to the different supply chains.

The traceability of raw materials is now a key international priority. Certain countries with large mining industries, such as Australia and Canada, are considering the roll-out of "proof of origin" systems. In this context, the results of the MaDiTraCe project provide concrete avenues for both Europe and other countries to explore further.

A shared consensus emerged: traceability is not an end in itself, but a key tool for improving risk management, strengthening the resilience of supply chains and promoting responsible sourcing.

The project is currently continuing its work with the gradual publication of the results, recommendations and tools on open platforms. In addition, an e-learning training module developed by the BRGM has been made available.

Through the MaDiTraCe project, BRGM is contributing to building a shared vision of traceability, based on cooperation, trust and a commitment to the sustainable sourcing of raw materials.

MaDiTraCe: BRGM completes a key European project on the traceability of raw materials

After three years of work, the European MaDiTraCe project, coordinated by BRGM, held its closing event on 10 and 11 June 2026 in Espoo (Finland). This meeting brought together the project's partners, industrial companies, public sector decision-makers and international experts to discuss a key issue for Europe: how can we reinforce transparency and trust in critical-raw-material supply chains?

BRGM’s role

BRGM coordinated the MaDiTraCe project and led the work on the geochemical traceability of materials. BRGM already had experience in this field, notably through its recently published work on lithium, as well as its studies on the traceability of gold.