Research on future mining

Transcription

1 Research on future mining EUROPEAN UNION This Project is funded by the EU

2 A project for accessing deep deposits The BIOMOre project aims at extracting metal ore from underground mineralised zones in Europe by combining channelling and biomining techniques. TUT s Image Bank Different supply and demand prognoses predict a shortage, increasing prices, even an unavailability of critical raw materials (CRM) in the future. Although different European deposits are currently mined at a depth of 1000 metres, a significant amount of ore also occurs below this level. Consequently, new methods are needed to recover metals from these depth in an economically and ecologically sustainable manner. The BIOMOre concept is targeted at channelling ore bodies and bioleaching metals in-situ. In order to accomplish this, bio-geochemical and geo-technological methods and models will be developed and optimised. Also part of the project is the design and construction of specialised mining equipment for metal extraction and recovery. Scientific and technological expertise is provided by project partners from seven European countries, Canada and the Republic of South Africa, representing the cutting edge of knowledge and innovation in raw materials supply. On the provision of positive theoretical results and successful underground tests and economic assessments, a second phase of the project is anticipated. This next step will comprise the construction and operation of a pilot plant to demonstrate the applicability of the process on a larger scale. Project start: 02/2015 Project funded by: EC/EU H2020 Innovation Programme Project budget: 8.4 M By developing new methods through innovative ideas, the BIOMOre project is working towards strategies for securing sustainable, reliable and ecofriendly access to raw materials that are vital to the European economy

3 Innovation needs ideas Investigating future mining Table: countries supplying raw materials to the global market. Source: Report on Critical Raw Materials for the EU, Report of the Ad hoc Working Group on defining critical raw materials, May 2014 The European Union (EU) consumes 20% to 35% of the most important base metals extracted worldwide, while the EU s domestic production of overall materials supply can be estimated at around 9%. Regarding critical raw materials, supplies from European sources are even more limited. Simultaneously, more than 80% of mineral raw materials are imported, adding up to a value of more than 23 billion Euros per year. Countries with the largest contributions to the global supply of critical raw materials are China (30%), the USA (10%) and Russia (4.9%). The construction industry, chemical, automotive, aerospace and machinery sectors all depend on the access to these raw materials. These sectors combined provide a total added value of about billion Euros and employment for an estimate of 30 million people. The mining industry provides employment for more than people in Europe. Thus, the mining and minerals sector and the extraction of critical raw materials are of high economic importance. As shown in recent research projects (e.g. ProMine), there is high potential for the sustainable use of mineral resources in Europe. European countries such as Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Poland and Ireland possess CRM deposits. However, most of the deposits have already been exploited up to depths of 1000 metres, where traditional mining techniques reache their limits. The recovery of CRM from these deposits requires new methods that ensure efficiency, sustainability and environmental compatibility. BIOMOre strives to reduce the gap between the European demand for and the external supply of mineral resources by providing an alternative mining process to access and exploit mineral deposits that are inaccessible with conventional mining techniques. The innovation offered through BIOMOre may be applied to newly discovered deposits as well as an extend of existing mines. The BIOMOre project focuses on extracting metals from deep mineralised zones via refined economic and ecological methods. Economy: Environment: The increasing demand of technology (Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, The BIOMOre concept aims to reduce the environmental impacts of mining projects as a whole and achieve Co, Mo, Re, REE) or precious metals in the EU requires new and innovative, yet environmentally increased public acceptance. The application of this sustainable mining techniques. BIOMOre can offer new technology will be based on mining legislation efficient and eco-friendly solutions. Expanded prefeasibility studies and related capital expenditures and regulations. and adhere to environmental and water protection operational cost calculations will be part of the project. Technology: The aim of the BIOMOre project is to develop an optimised technological concept for the in-situ recovery of metals thereby operating at the surface without the need to establish an underground infrastructure. This technology will make commodities accessible at depths greater than 1000 metres which are not exploitable using conventional underground methods

4 Benefits for the mining industry A mixed community of acidophilic iron-oxidising bacteria in a stream draining an abandoned copper mine in North Wales. Mainly present are Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans, Ferrovum myxofaciens and Acidithrix ferrooxidans. Solutions for accessing deep deposits The innovative in-situ method proposed in the BIOMOre project will provide substantial benefits to the mining industry, the European economy and the environment. The new concepts are targeted at accessing deep This will occur in conjunction with advanced monitoring and water processing technologies in order to deposits of technology metals while reducing mining costs, surrounding infrastructure, environmental and maximise environmental protection. Last but not least, social impact and remediation measures. Excavation the BIOMOre concept will contribute to largely increased safety measures in European mines since most may become largely dispensable and the generation of mine wastes is limited to manageable amounts. mining activities will be operated from the surface. It The entire project will be accompanied by a state-ofthe-art risk analysis based on detailed site-specific significantly decrease. is thus expected that injury rates among miners will information. The BIOMOre objective is to develop advanced technological concepts for the in-situ recovery of metals from deep deposits employing a combination of channelling and bioleaching. The methods and procedures will be designed, evaluated and enhanced drawing on laboratory experiments, numerical simulations and state-of-the-art geological, geotechnical and biogeochemical modelling. A holistic characterisation of respective geological conditions will complement this work and allow for the identification of suitable deposits for in-situ bioleaching. In the succeeding step, these optimised methods will be tested in an underground situation (block size approx. 100 m³) at the Rudna Mine, KGHM Polska Miedz, Poland, which is scheduled for As the mine has already been excavated, the need for additional drilling can be avoided. The experimental field site contains all necessary systems for controlling the process and monitoring potential environmental impacts. No harmful subtances will remain in the channeled orebody after the trial run has been completed. Ecological, social and geological impacts of the in-situ bioleaching process will be evaluated, and the process design will be assessed in a feasibility study to ensure its profitable implementation at industrial scale

5 Economy meets ecology The BIOMOre approach offers numerous benefits compared to conventional mining techniques. Economical benefits: reduction of the EU s dependency on the import of technology minerals cost reduction of mining activities (surface and underground infrastructure, energy supply, tailings management) improvement of mine safety by operating from the surface, thereby eliminating the exposure of mine employees to underground conditions and hazards maintenance of job stability and expanding work force (mining industry, suppliers, machine engineering, IT, green technologies) Ecological benefits: the evaluation of sustainability measures is an integral part the of process development minimal surface infrastructure and less heavy lifting/haulage reduce the impact on habitats through the decrease in dust formation, noise and visual pollution energy consumption is curtailed the generation of mine waste is minimised potential environmental contamination originating from large tailings facilities like the development of metalliferous mine drainage is avoided Technical benefits: extraction of metals from mineral deposits at depths of more than 1000 m below surface suitable even for densely populated areas due to its minimal footprint 08 09

6 Mining with minimal environmental footprint The BIOMOre concept of using in-situ recovery as a minimalfootprint mining technique offers important environmental societal benefits. The new approach evades the creation of waste An assessment of environmental parameters heaps and tailings and thus the challenges of their will be performed whereby the impacts of the new long-term management. The project aims at reducing in-situ bioleaching technology developed in the project the surface infrastructure to a minimum while the will be compared to the impact of conventional mining. underground bioleaching procedure notably reduces This evaluation will be utilising a set of Sustainable dust production and dust exposure, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and adverse selected from the Global Reporting Initiative guidance Development Indicators (SDI) that have been pre- impacts on surface and groundwater bodies. Also, the document G4 (see table below) and covers the three bacteria employed in the process are innocuous. pillars of the sustainable development concept, i.e. i) economic, ii) environmental and iii) social effects and With significantly reduced environmental impacts, the performance. degree of acceptance among the public concerning the extractive industry is anticipated to improve In addition, in the course of the project, relevant considerably. European legislations will be reviewed in order to advise on building a robust framework for the The operation of the test facility will be accompanied implementation of this in-situ recovery process. by a state-of-the-art risk assessment and a permit procedure using all available site information. Aspect SDI number and title Economic Performance G4-EC1 Direct economic value generated and distributed (+ sector additions for mining and metals) Materials G4-EN1 Materials used by weight or volume Energy G4-EN3 Energy consumption within the organization Biodiversity MM1 Amount of land (owned or leased, and managed for production activities or extractive use) disturbed or rehabilitated Emissions G4-EN15 Direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (scope 1) Emissions G4-EN21 NOx, SOx and other significant air emissions (+ sector additions for mining and metals) Effluents and Waste G4-EN22 Total water discharge by quality and destination Effluents and Waste MM3 Total amounts of overburden, rock, tailings, and sludges and their associated risks Local communities G4-SO2 Operations with significant actual and potential negative impacts on local communities G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines

7 Extraction Strategies The goal of the BIOMOre project is to implement an alternative mining concept using a combined method of channelling and bioleaching for the in-situ recovery of mineral resources from ore deposits exceeding 1000 m depths. To enable a large-scale application of this technology, our key objectives are to demonstrate its functional efficiency at the example case Rudna Mine in Poland and to identify further mineral deposits that provide adequate site conditions allowing for an application of this technology. For this purpose, the exploitation strategy should comprise the identification of suitable deep mineral deposits in Europe and abroad that may be extracted via biomining specific adaptation and optimisation of the in-situ recovery technique to site conditions of different mineral ore deposits economical evaluation of life-of-mine costs including capital and operational expenditures and comparison to traditional mining techniques qualitative compilation of potential risk factors (e.g. environment, geology, technology, public acceptance, health & safety) that will be evaluated quantitatively 12 13

8 BIOMOre Project participants Partners of excellence The BIOMOre partners bring state-of-the-art scientific The BIOMOre project incorporates one Lead and technological competence to the project. With experts from Europe (Germany, Poland, France, Finland, 21 participants to support the work progress. Coordinator, eight Work Package Leaders and Sweden, United Kingdom, Spain), from Canada and The Lead Coordinator s position is occupied by the Republic of South Africa the teams stand at the KGHM Polska Miedz S.A., Poland. forefront of innovation in the sector of raw materials supply while exceeding the EU s stringent environmental and safety standards. Work-package and lead participants: WP1 Biotechnology and process modelling Lead Participant: Bangor University, United Kingdom Participants: Bangor, BGR, brgm, CNRS, GEOS, Hatch, KGHM, Mintek, TUT WP2 Development of a modelling toolbox Lead Participant: G.E.O.S. Ingenieurgesellschaft mbh, Germany Participants: AGH, CNRS, DMT, G.E.O.S, TUBAF, UIT WP3 On-site bioleaching Lead Participant: KGHM Polska Miedz S.A., Poland Participants: AGH, DMT, G.E.O.S., Hatch, HZDR, KGHM, KGHM CUPRUM, VTT WP5 Environmental impact and sustainability assessment, in situ safe-guarding, green mining aspects Lead Participant: Kemakta Konsult AB, Sweden Participants: DMT, GEOS, GTK, HZDR, Kemakta, KGHM CUPRUM, VTT WP6 Dissemination, Communication and Training Lead Participant: DMT GmbH & Co. KG, Germany Participants: CNRS, DMT, GTK, GUB, UIT WP7 Prefeasibility study, economic assessment, pilot preparation Lead Participant: Umwelt- und Ingenieurtechnik GmbH Dresden (UIT), Germany Participants: ClC, CNRS, GUB, UIT WP4 Hydrometallurgical aspects Lead Participant: Hatch, United Kingdom Participants: ClC, G.E.O.S., Hatch, IMN, KGHM WP8 Management Lead Participant: Dr. Horst Hejny Participants: KGHM 14 15

9 BIOMOre An Alternative Mining Concept Phone Fax