CIRCULAR ECOLOGICAL ESSENTIAL & CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS

Project Information

ROTATE

Grant agreement ID: 101058651

DOI

10.3030/101058651

EC signature date 24 May 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 14 212 290,49

EU contribution

€ 11 432 610,00

Coordinated by

ASOCIACION NACIONAL DE EMPRESARIOS FABRICANTES DE ARIDOS
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - ROTATE (CIRCULAR ECOLOGICAL ESSENTIAL & CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Europe’s growing dependence on imported raw materials threatens its industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy. Although the EU possesses deposits of critical raw materials (CRMs), their exploitation is often hindered by high environmental footprint of mining and quarrying operations and limited social acceptance. Moreover, the sector must support the green and digital transitions, improving resource efficiency, circularity and societal trust, in a scenario where the demand for critical raw materials is expected to rapidly increase in the coming decades.
ROTATE addresses these challenges by demonstrating innovative, sustainable and replicable technologies for minerals extraction and processing. The overall objective is to achieve near-zero emissions in raw materials production, enabling cost-effective and circular mining practices. ROTATE delivers integrated technical, digital and social innovations through process efficiency, waste valorisation and environmental management. The project focuses on minimising environmental impact and emissions, improving resource and energy efficiency, and creating industrial symbiosis between the extractive industry and construction sectors. ROTATE works with public administrations and environmental associations integrating SSH to foster social licence to operate and stakeholder engagement, aimed at improving social acceptance of open-pit mining sector.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Innovative processes for celestite recovery, waste valorisation and water recirculation were validated through laboratory and pilot-scale trials. Equipment was designed, manufactured and assembled. Optimised gravimetric and centrifugal concentration tests enabled improved mineral recovery, while new super-thickener systems achieved higher sedimentation rates and water recovery.
Advanced mobile impact crushing and mobile screening prototypes integrating electrification, dust suppression and noise encapsulation technologies were engineered and field-tested, achieving up to 83% dust reduction, 27% fuel savings and 3 dB(A) noise decrease. Novel crushability testing methods and granulometry methods (based on artificial vision systems) enhanced predictive control of energy use, demonstrating energy savings and CO2 emission reduction. ROTATE Handbook compiles sustainable quarrying solutions for energy efficiency, resources efficiency & water management, life cycle analysis, air emissions, noise estimation & abatement during quarry operation, soil quality management, biodiversity, rehabilitation & visual impact, and human health & ecosystem risk assessment.
Aggregate-washing sludges have been proved as fillers, supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) and lightweight aggregates (LWA). Aggregate sludges have also been reused as raw materials for 3D-printing mixes. Moreover, geophysical-mineral mapping workflows confirmed industrial feasibility. A modular digital platform was developed for integrated environmental management, coupling real-time monitoring with multi-criteria decision-making tools for emissions, energy and biodiversity.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Laboratory and pilot results for celestite recovery, avoid blasting and clearing operation, reduce visual impact and avoid water and energy overuse.
Sludge thickening and a process for concentrating valuable minerals and CRMs valorisation lay the groundwork for optimised industrial processes. The process designs improve efficiency across similar quarry operations.
Electrification and encapsulation of new mobile crushing equipment and screening prototypes go beyond commonly used technologies, contributing to decarbonisation and safer workplaces. PM10 dust levels are reduced by up to 83%.
Innovative AI-driven vision system enables real-time monitoring of aggregate granulometry, optimising crusher performance, reducing energy use and CO2 emissions.
Scalable and low-CO2 routes for producing circular construction materials (i.e. fillers, SCM and LWA) from aggregate-washing sludges. The filler route sets new benchmarks in ready mix concrete applications. Advancement toward upscaling the calcination process and innovative routes for lightweight aggregate production and hydraulic-reactive fillers. The early integration of End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria ensures faster regulatory adoption of these sustainable materials.
Novel approach to large-batch preparation of clay composites for additive manufacturing. Extrudability marks a step change in the applicability of natural clays for digital fabrication in 3D printing mixtures.
Geophysical mapping from tailored spectral libraries and UAV-based HSI to slope-stability monitoring and reserve classification, where aerial recognition techniques process large image datasets to create detailed 3D models for environmental and geolocial analysis, carrying out a detailed characterisation of the quarry and its mine tailings.
Water-efficient slurry management providing a benchmark process for high-ultrafine slurries, proving that thickener plus decanter centrifugation can achieve rapid solid-liquid separation with minimal reagent use. The effectiveness of low-impact flocculants were tested for water treatment.
The project advanced an integrated environmental management platform for Mining & Quarrying operations. Integrated modules (Energy Efficiency, Emissions Estimation, Risk Assessment and Biodiversity) were developed, enabling automated data input, analysis and site-specific recommendations. External modules (Process & Environmental Assessment and Multi-Criteria Decision Making) were connected through APIs, ensuring seamless data flow and visualisation. Key achievements include the completion of baseline assessments for emissions and environmental performance across five pilot sites. Mine Closure & Remediation guidelines, Biodiversity Strategy guidelines and Emission Strategy guidelines are under development.

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