Project description
A closer look at CRM recovery in European mining
Europe’s mining industry is struggling to recover critical raw materials (CRMs) from increasingly complex and lower quality ores. These materials are essential for many technologies, but the extraction process is becoming increasingly inefficient and unsustainable. There is a growing need for better solutions to make mining more environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Without improvement, Europe risks shortages of key materials. In this context, the EU-funded OPTIMINER project steps in as a game-changer. By integrating advanced technologies, digital tools and sustainability strategies, it aims to help the mining industry recover CRMs more efficiently. With pilot projects across Europe and Chile, OPTIMINER aims to transform the industry and also promote international collaboration.
Objective
The problem addressed by the OPTIMINER project is multi-faceted and significant in the European context. Europe's mining industry is grappling with the pressing need to efficiently and sustainably recover CRMs from increasingly complex and low-grade ores.
OPTIMINER offers a comprehensive solution to Europe's mining challenges, encompassing five Key Exploitable Results (KERs). REMINER focuses on advanced technologies for efficient CRM recovery. These include smart ore sorters, membrane-based hydrometallurgical processes, bioleaching, and phytomining. They will comprise a marketplace of technologies that will be offered to the extractive industry through an innovative AI-enabled CRM Recovery Selector. DIGIMINER offers a digital platform for smart monitoring and control. It is enhanced with a Decision Support System and an NLP-based digital assistant, the Virtual Miner. Moreover, Digital Twins of the recovery pilot plants will be created to optimise productivity and provide with simulation capacities. ECOMINER delivers services enhancing sustainability and resilience. It boosts resource management and efficiency by designing a toolkit to optimise energy, water usage and waste valorisation, along with strategies for toxicity management and LCA. Financial sustainability is tackled by using an AI-enabled Market Observatory system to provide knowledge support and resilience to the end user. DEMOMINER showcases pilot lines for CRM recovery across different materials and geographical locations. Specifically, we are proposing 6 use cases in Spain, Greece, Poland, Finland and Chile, while focusing on CRM recovery, namely magnesium, tungsten, REE (esp. Neodymium), Copper, Cobalt and Coking Coal. GLOBEMINER promotes increased awareness and market uptake, highlighting the strategic EU-Chile strategic cooperation. Together, these components form an integrated approach to revolutionize CRM recovery, ensuring environmental sustainability and operational efficiency.
Fields of science
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energycoal
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkaline earth metals
- engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybioremediationbioleaching
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringmining and mineral processing
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
106 82 ATHINA
Greece
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Participants (20)
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
194 00 Koropi
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341 00 HALKIDA
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50018 Zaragoza
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24009 Leon
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80686 Munchen
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117 41 ATHENS
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
40-166 Katowice
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44 100 Gliwice
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50676 Koln
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
7550296 SANTIAGO
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23700 Linares
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1180 Wien
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7550092 SANTIAGO
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1050 Bruxelles / Brussel
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
11526 ATHENS
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28006 Madrid
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
37255 Barruecopardo
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
44 330 Jastrzebie Zdroj
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95400 Tornio
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
95400 Tornio
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