finland’s green mining programme - geological survey of...
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An Overview on Finnish Mining
Pekka A. Nurmi, Ph.D., Prof. Research Director
PA Nurmi Febr. 6, 2013
Finland’s Green Mining Programme
Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd.
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Key Challenges for the Mining Industry
• Deposits more difficult to discover: deeper, remote, lower grade, more difficult to process
• Skills crisis • Volatility of commodity prices • Critical minerals change with time and tehnological
development • Access to land • Social lincense to operate
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Material and energy efficiency
• Material and energy efficiency reduces the environmental footprint of product life cycles.
• All useful minerals and by-products should be recovered and waste minimized.
• Reduction of primary water consumption • Reliable ways of measuring the efficiency and the
environmental footprint during the life cycle.
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Availability of mineral resources for future needs • Sustainable development requires that our current use of
minerals does not endanger the ability of future generations to satisfy their needs. • Individual deposits are non-renewable, but mineral resources in the Earth’s crust are in no danger of running out. • Price increases and technological development make new deposits and
discoveries viable and promote substitution. • Active exploration and development of exploration and mining techniques is
needed to ensure the availability of mineral resources for future . • Better product design and recycling are also needed for prolonging the life
cycle of raw materials.
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Minimizing Adverse Environmental and Social Impacts
• All mines impact the natural environment, economy and social structure of the region. • Adverse environmental and social impacts in all the stages of the operations should be minimized, and social and local benefits
maximized. • Better control and measurement methods that take into consideration the
special characteristics of mining operations and the local conditions. • Sustainable mining requires research, communication and broad-based
community participation.
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Improvement of Work and Organisational Practices • Mining is based on advanced technology and heavy machinery,
which can increase potential safety hazards. • Work must be organized to be safe and meaningful to
employees, and safe to local residents and the environment. • Most operations in future smart mines will be executed using
remote control. • Automation and new technologies help to reduce the need of
workforce and improve safety.
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Sustainable Land Use Following Mine Closure
• The operation time for an individual mine can be very long, but it is always limited.
• After closure mining areas should be restored to make them safe and to allow other kinds of land use.
• Planning of mine closure is started well before commencing mining operations and it should be developed throughout the project’s life cycle
• Broad-based participation of local residents and other stakeholders is important.
• Closure of a mine requires functional and tested technical and scientific methods.
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Tekes - Green Mining Programme
• Tekes Green Mining Programme aims to make Finland a global forerunner of responsible mining.
• Duration: 2011–2016 • Budget: EUR 60 million, of which Tekes will contribute 50%.
– Companies: EUR 20 million – Public research institutes: EUR 10 million
• All projects should promote the Green Mining Principles
http://www.tekes.fi/ohjelmat/GreenMining
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Intelligent and minimal impact/invisible mining • Innovative processes (mine, quarry, dressing plant) • Automation and optimisation • Chemical/biological enrichment techniques • Management of process waters
New mineral Resources •Exploration technologies • Geomodels and geodata management • Hi-tech metal resources • Beneficiation and use of country rock and tailings
Material and energy efficiency
Controlling environ-mental impacts
Work organisa-tion development
Mine / dressing plant pilot projects
Service innovations and new business concepts Value networks
Mining machinery/equipment
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Green Mining R&D Programme
Tekes 10
Summary of Current Projects
Company projects: • Number 15
– Mining companies 3 – Technology providers 6 – Instrument providers 3 – Material providers 1
• Total cost 15 M€
Public projects: • Number 31 • Private partners 38
– Mining companies 15 – Service etc. 23
• Total costs 24 M€
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GTK is coordinating 8 projects and involved in 6 other projects
Novel Technologies for Greenfield ExplorationmNovTecEx
• User need – New mineral discoveries – Mineral exploration is challenged by thick glacial
formations, peat bogs and weathered bedrock – Arctic areas typically exhibit a vulnerable environment
• Approach – Improve exploration concepts – New sampling techniques – Deep penetrating exploration geophysics
• Benefits – Mineral exploration with minimum impact on
environment • Users
– Mining and exploration companies – Drilling companies
NovTecEx/Vesa Nykänen
UltraLIM - Ultra Low-Impact Exploration Methods in the Subarctic
• Needs – New mineral discoveries – Mineral exploration in the subarctic areas covered by thick glacial
deposits, peat bogs and weathered bedrock – Practical knowledge and experimental results of exploration methods
for environmentally sensitive areas • Approach
– Use of upper parts of the mineral soils, organic layers, plants and snow as the sample media for exploration
– Comparison of sampling and assay techniques – Find the best practices for sampling and assaying samples in very
sensitive subarctic regions • Benefits
– New application and knowledge for the mineral exploration with minimum impact on environment
• Users – Mining and exploration companies – Scientific community
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Contact: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] 13
Developing Deep Mining Camp Exploration
User needs • More systematic and efficient mineral exploration • Shallow parts being already explored and existing deposits
more rapidly consumed, need to go deeper (< 5 km) Solution • Integrated application of state-of-the-art deep exploration
methods and Common Earth Modeling (CEM) concept with best available data and compiled new data
Benefits • Deep exploration and modeling methods and skills
development for Finnish conditions and experts • Resource potential given in 3D • Improved international exploration, research and
knowledge dissemination network Users • Mining, exploration and consulting companies • Geoscience institutes, universities
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Over hundred years of mineral exploration and mining give prestigious prominence to Outokumpu ore belt acting as the project target area.
PROSU – Process Scale-up for Sulphide Poor PGE Ores NEEDS
• The demand of platinum group metals – platinum and palladium have been increased
• There’s needs for development of ecological and cost-effective beneficiation process for PGE ores with low sulphur content
APPROACH
• Mineralogical investigation of feed and concentrates at various stages, including phases, occurrence, grain size, liberation and association
• Mineral processing studies from laboratory to pilot scale and optimizing of process conditions
BENEFITS
• Better knowledge and processing possibilities of sulphide-poor PGE ore deposits
• Utilization of massive Finnish PGE ore bodies which are not yet in use
USERS&MARKETS
• Mining companies • Machine- and process control device suppliers • Reagent manufacturers • Research institutes
ARSENAL – Arsenic Control in Mining Processes and Extractive Industry
NEEDS • Arsenic is a world-wide challenge • Arsenic is commonly associated with ores containing metals such as gold • It is easily solubilized in water phase
Control of arsenic in all mining operations is a necessity
APPROACH • New mineral processing and water treatment solutions for arsenic removal • Novel bio-based treatment processes for arsenic containing wastes and streams • Monitoring and environmental risk assessment tools
BENEFITS • Better knowledge and new management tools on arsenic in the mining area • Eco-efficient solutions for mining industry to control and remove arsenic • Minimization of health and environmental risks related to arsenic
USERS & COMPETITION • Technology companies, mines, consults, authorities, other stakeholders • Arsenic behavior is highly depend on prevailing conditions and processes Special, tailor-made and global approaches are a challenge and a possibility
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Solutions for Control of Nitrogen Discharges at Mines and Quarries (Miniman)
Need Better understanding of the behaviour of
nitrogen compounds Minimizing of nitrogen transport Removal of N-compounds from mine waters,
especially in cold conditions Approach
Analysis of sources, behaviour and management opportunities of nitrogen compounds
Biological reactor process and electrochemical /adsorption process for nitrogen removal
Benefits Knowledge, tools and technological solutions
for nitrogen control at mines Users:Technology companies, mines, consults,
authorities, other stakeholders Competition
Nitrogen containing explosives used at all the mines and quarries Mining is one of the fastest growing markets for water treatment Market growth of treatment technologies for nitrogen containing mine water
is expected due to the tightening regulation Risks Non-nitrogen explosives/explosion techniques (not in near future) Use of membrane solutions for water treatment
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NEEDS – Mines have too much water in their systems – Mines are searching potential mine water treatment processes – Smarter treatment is needed: different seasons, metals, system products…
APPROACH – Piloting cost-effective mine water treatment processes – Using new chemical and material innovations – Developing metal selective water purification processes – Tailoring new pilot-systems regarding metals and waters
BENEFITS – Effective water treatment of heavy metals in hard pH conditions too – Water treatment processes are tested and assured beforehand – Optimized use of chemicals with soft-sensor systems
USERS & COMPETITION – Mines, chemical and material companies, process and system producers – Global markets of smart water treatment systems are growing fast because of
the need of water recycling and mine water safety procedures – Mine Water Safety Planning concept
SEEWAY - Smart Mine Water Treatment System
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Mines as Renewable Energy Sources - MINERES Needs • Energy efficiency is needed to reduce costs and emissions and raise the
green image of the mining industry • New ways for utilization of closed mine sites Approach • Active and closed mines host significant geothermal resources which
can be utilized using modern heat pump technology in e.g. heating of the inlet air of the mines or for heating of residential areas. This is studied in several case studies.
Benefits • Geothermal energy is a renewable and cost efficient alternative for
fossil fuels • Mining sites can provide energy for industrial and residential needs also
after their closure Challenges and opportunities • Distant locations of Finnish mines limit the use for residential needs • Results of successful pilot projects can be utilized in mining industry all
over the world Contact: [email protected] [email protected]
Need – Sustainability drivers for mining industry, with focus on social acceptance Approach – a multiscience approach that includes the three elements of sustainability (environmental, social, economic) in regional level. Foresight and technology aspects included. Benefits – Tools for water efficiency and water risk assessment. Concept for ‘social licence to operate’ and improved dialogue between companies and stakeholders. Potential business models and service concepts will promote the overall sustainability of the industrial sector and will enhance eco-efficiency along the value chain. Users & Competition –Actors along the mining value chain (e.g technology developers, mines and other service providers), authorities, consults and local inhabitants. Sustainable technologies and assessment tools create added value to the companies and increase knowledge on mining operation in general and regional level .
SAM – Sustainable Acceptable Mining
OPERATIONAL PHASE
Eco-efficiency, environment
Socially acceptable and Sustainable mining industry
POST-
OPERATIONAL PHASE
New business and service concepts
PRE-OPERATIONAL PHASE Social licence to operate,
planning process
FOCUS ON THE WHOLE LIFE-CYCLE OF MINI
In co-operation with:
Kaivannaisteollisuus ry Metsähallitus Mustavaaran kaivos Pyhäsalmi Mines
Sandvik Oy Ab Agnico-Eagle Mines Northland Mines Sakatti Mining 20 PA Nurmi Febr. 6, 2013
21 May 2011
Thank You for your Attention!