Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ROTATE (CIRCULAR ECOLOGICAL ESSENTIAL & CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-09-01 bis 2024-02-29
RM are key in industrial value chains; the EU heavily relies on imports. CRM suppliers are mainly in third countries, posing supply risks. With global shifts towards renewables and digitalization, RM and CRM demand will rise. EU must: Strengthen its value chain, diversify imports, control supply risks, ensure CRM circulation in the single market, and improve circularity and sustainability. ROTATE aims to decrease CRM production costs, minimize environmental impact, offer circular waste valorization, and enhance social acceptance of mining.
The project initially assessed environmental, social, and economic requirements for extraction, processing, RM circularity, and digital platform. Currently, it's defining equipment specs for five pilot sites: sieving tests, mineralogical analyses, sludge characterization, flocculation tests, pilot plants, prototype manufacturing, aggregate washing residue characterization, 3D printable mortar production, spatial/geophysical data collection, water treatment methods, mechanical characterization, crushability tests. Methodological and managerial solutions for environmental platform software modules are in initial stages, and assessing relevant legislation is ongoing. The project follows a dissemination and communication plan for visibility; exploitation, IPR, and business activities ensure ROTATE’s success. For external stakeholders, a social communication/participation strategy tailored to each pilot site is being crafted. Clustering activities build collaborative networks with EU-funded projects. Policymakers are engaged, and FPSC meetings validate technologies beyond the Consortium
As pilot tests begin, precise assessment of final impact beyond the SoA is not feasible, but projections can be made:
Electrification of mobile crushing equipment will notably cut fossil fuel consumption, reducing CO2 emissions. Refined modelling for CO2, NOx, and dust emissions is ongoing.
Encapsulation of mobile equipment with a cyclone separator, and absorption materials will curb dust and noise emissions, aiding social acceptance.
Atmospheric emission control, recycling, water quality preservation, soil contamination prevention, and waste management will shrink M&Q's environmental footprint. A refined LCA tool will identify improvement opportunities.
Biodiversity management, ecosystem services, and site rehabilitation are generating methods surpassing current solutions. Integrated approaches could form good practice guidelines for quarry nature management..
Human health and ecosystem risk assessment protocols will be introduced, aiding risk communication.
Prototype Artificial Vision System (AVS) tests show a 30% reprocessed stone volume reduction and decreased energy consumption.
Aggregate washing residue processing includes inert filler strategies and innovative thermal treatments.
3D printing with clay waste explores new construction techniques.
Aerial recognition processes large image datasets for detailed 3D models, aiding environmental and geological analysis.
Low-impact flocculants are tested for water treatment scalability.
The development of the platform is ongoing and technical testing will be carried out later in the project.
Celestite concentration equipment optimization will recover medium-low grade celestine dumps, reducing visual impact, environmental damage, and resource overuse.
Concentration process for valuable minerals and CRMs in aggregates sites is under development. Surface characterization reveals presence of CRM-associated black particles, indicating mineral presence.
Electrification of mobile crushing equipment will notably cut fossil fuel consumption, reducing CO2 emissions. Refined modelling for CO2, NOx, and dust emissions is ongoing.
Encapsulation of mobile equipment with a cyclone separator, and absorption materials will curb dust and noise emissions, aiding social acceptance.
Atmospheric emission control, recycling, water quality preservation, soil contamination prevention, and waste management will shrink M&Q's environmental footprint. A refined LCA tool will identify improvement opportunities.
Biodiversity management, ecosystem services, and site rehabilitation are generating methods surpassing current solutions. Integrated approaches could form good practice guidelines for quarry nature management..
Human health and ecosystem risk assessment protocols will be introduced, aiding risk communication.
Prototype Artificial Vision System (AVS) tests show a 30% reprocessed stone volume reduction and decreased energy consumption.
Aggregate washing residue processing includes inert filler strategies and innovative thermal treatments.
3D printing with clay waste explores new construction techniques.
Aerial recognition processes large image datasets for detailed 3D models, aiding environmental and geological analysis.
Low-impact flocculants are tested for water treatment scalability.
The development of the platform is ongoing and technical testing will be carried out later in the project.
Celestite concentration equipment optimization will recover medium-low grade celestine dumps, reducing visual impact, environmental damage, and resource overuse.
Concentration process for valuable minerals and CRMs in aggregates sites is under development. Surface characterization reveals presence of CRM-associated black particles, indicating mineral presence.