GREENPEG will unlock high-value pegmatite-bound, domestic mineral resources of critical raw materials, rare metals, and industrial minerals through the development and marketing of a cost-optimized exploration toolset deployable primarily by small and medium-sized enterprises. The toolset targets specific properties of NYF and LCT pegmatite ores, which is a major deposit type in Europe. Increasing exploration success, minimization of exploration time and costs achieved through GREENPEG inventions will make European exploration providers more competitive and strengthen European brands and entrepreneurship. GREENPEG wishes to revive the once strong European exploration economy by best practice “Made in Europe”. Besides, GREENPEG outputs will be integrated in a common interoperable EU Geological Knowledge Base in cooperation with the national Geological Surveys in Europe to substantially improve knowledge on reserves and to attract investments in the mining sector. By increasing European resources, GREENPEG will reduce risk in the supply of green technology raw materials and critical raw materials for manufacturing in Europe and accelerate investments in the European processing industry, currently stagnating. In doing so it will safeguard the long-term competitiveness of Europe in the production of green energy and energy storage devices, reduce levels of imports and therefore transport miles, and equip European exploration companies with state-of-the-art exploration knowhow and tools to ensure that these resources are supplied to manufacturers from European deposits, following EU regulations on environmental and societal impacts. It is expected to decrease costs and exploration emissions of CO2 (equivalents) by c.10% through the GREENPEG inventions, and to reduce disturbance to the ground, ground and surface waters and ecosystems, in compliance with EU regulations and ethical guidelines for exploration. In the wider context, GREENPEG will foster a positive perception of the European exploration industry by stakeholders, policy makers and citizens. The creation of >50 new jobs over the next 5 years is expected for GREENPEG partners only. Moreover, the sustainable supply of European pegmatite-derived raw materials will contribute to full capacity utilization and extension of processing plants in Norway, Portugal and Austria, creating about 500 jobs. GREENPEG inventions also will increase the competitiveness of European end users in the downstream industries: the photovoltaic, battery, ceramic, glass, micro-electronic and defense industries, which depend heavily on a reliable supply of critical, high- and green-tech raw materials. About 3.000 new jobs could be created in these industries within the next 10 years.
