CAMBIUM - CirculAr Material flows in BelgIUM
In the CAMBIUM project, VITO and ICEDD developed and applied methodologies to assess Belgium’s critical raw material dependencies, material flows and circularity potential. By combining criticality assessment, material flow analysis, trade and value-chain analysis, the project identified supply risks, recovery opportunities and mapped the material flow data architecture together with key knowledge gaps. Environmental and social dimensions were also considered contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of material criticality and supporting evidence-based policymaking for a resilient and sustainable resource system.
Project structure and workstreams
The CAMBIUM project was structured around complementary workstreams that together developed a Belgian approach to material monitoring and criticality assessment. It addressed material flow and footprint indicators, waste and secondary material accounts, critical raw material identification, environmental and social supply-chain impacts, and detailed case studies on strategic material flows.
Connecting macro and micro levels
Rather than treating circularity and criticality separately, the project connected economy-wide monitoring with product- and technology-level analyses. This made it possible to assess not only how many materials Belgium uses, but also where they come from, how they are embedded in products, and where future recovery opportunities may arise.
Belgian criticality results and supply-chain impact
CAMBIUM also produced Belgium-specific criticality results. By adapting the EU criticality assessment to Belgian sectoral data, it identified 27 critical raw materials for Belgium, compared with 34 at EU level. Indeed, Belgium’s industrial structure is not the same as the EU average: some materials become less critical due the different economic structure. The project also showed that economic criticality alone is insufficient, as 32 of 35 economically critical materials are linked to significant environmental or social impacts in their supply chains.
Case study: Material flows in wind turbines
The project applied newly developed value chain analysis and multilayer material system analysis on specific material flows and technologies. For Belgian wind turbines, it analysed material stocks and flows between 1996 and 2021 for iron, copper, aluminium, manganese, nickel and neodymium. It found rapid growth in in-use stocks, rising end-of-life flows, and a shift after 2015 towards direct-drive offshore turbines with higher copper and neodymium demand.
Circularity gap and supply-chain vulnerabilities
The study highlights a circularity gap: common metals are already well recycled, but neodymium is still lost through downcycling, meaning future wind-turbine waste flows will not automatically improve supply security without targeted recovery routes. In addition, value-chain analyses for platinum group metals, nickel and phosphate rock improved understanding of supply dependencies and vulnerabilities at both macro-economic and company level.
VITO's role in CAMBIUM
- Downscaling of EU criticality assessment
- Prioritisation of critical raw materials for recycling
- Case studies on CRM flows:
- Multilayer material system analysis for wind turbines
- Supply chain and market analysis for PGMs, nickel and phosphate rock
Translating EU methodology to the Belgian context
During CAMBIUM, VITO contributed its expertise in critical raw materials, circular economy monitoring and techno-economic material flow analysis to help translate European-level methodologies into actionable insights for Belgium. A first major contribution was the downscaling of the EU criticality assessment to the Belgian context. By combining the established EU approach with Belgian sectoral, trade and economic data, VITO helped identify which raw materials are specifically critical for Belgium’s economy and industrial base. This work demonstrates VITO’s ability to bridge European policy frameworks and national decision-making needs, producing results that are both methodologically robust and directly relevant for public authorities.
Prioritisation for recycling and strategic autonomy
VITO also worked on the prioritisation of critical raw materials for recycling in Belgium. This contribution goes beyond the identification of CRMs, by translating criticality into actionable recycling priorities aligned with industrial demand and regional specificities. By assessing which materials are consumed by Belgian industry, VITO helped to prioritise where recovery could contribute most to strategic autonomy, generating focal points for policymakers and industry to direct their efforts to where they can have the greatest impact.
Case study: Material flows in Belgian wind turbines
A third contribution was the multilayer material system analysis of Belgian wind turbines. VITO analysed how materials such as steel, copper, aluminium, nickel and neodymium have accumulated in Belgium’s wind energy infrastructure, how these stocks will evolve, and what end-of-life flows can be expected in the future. This case study shows VITO’s capacity to link technology deployment, material composition, lifetime assumptions and recycling pathways into one coherent analysis. It provides a practical example of how renewable energy policies can be assessed not only in terms of climate benefits, but also in terms of material demand, recovery potential and future circularity challenges.
Supply chain and market analyses
Finally, VITO contributed supply chain and market analyses for platinum group metals, nickel and phosphate rock. These materials are essential for applications ranging from clean technologies and industrial processes to agriculture and battery value chains, but they are also exposed to price volatility, geopolitical concentration and environmental pressures. An analysis of trade data helped clarify blind spots in the supply chain, whereas a company-level analysis identified companies that depend on these CRMs for their industrial activities. Together, these four contributions reflect one of VITO’s key strengths: turning complex material and waste data into critical insights for material flow monitoring and for circular value chains towards strategic autonomy.
