Prospecting critical raw materials from wastes First Urban Mine Knowledge Data Platform providing access to data on mineral resources from extraction to end of life products with the ability to reference all spatial and non-spatial data   The ProSUM project, funded by the European Union (€3.051m) and the Swiss Government (€0.63m), will deliver the First Urban Mine Knowledge Data Platform, a centralised database of all available data and information on arisings, stocks, flows and treatment of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), batteries and mining wastes. The availability of primary and secondary raw materials data, easily accessible in one platform, will provide the foundation for improving Europe’s position on raw material supply, with the ability to accommodate more wastes and resources in future. ProSUM will provide data for improving the management of these wastes and enhancing the resource efficiency of collection, treatment and recycling. Every year in Europe, around 9 million tonnes of WEEE and 7-8M tonnes and ELVs are generated, and over 1 million tonnes batteries are sold. These products are a rich source of secondary critical raw materials (CRMs) in the urban mine. For example, 99% of world Gallium consumption is in integrated circuits and optoelctronic devices, 74% of Indium in flat panel displays and 27% of cobalt in rechargeable batteries. Previous and active mining deposits also contain untapped reserves of CRMs. Until now, the data on CRMs has been produced by a variety of institutions including government agencies, universities, NGOs and industry and lies scattered in different databases, formats and reports which is difficult to compare or aggregate. ProSUM, Latin for ‘I am useful’, and standing for Prospecting Secondary raw materials in the Urban mine and Mining waste, will create an Information Network that allows partners in the...

PanAfGeo has achieved unanimous consensus: from feasibility study to project? From the 8th to 10th February 2015, several fruitful workshops and bilateral meetings took place in Cape Town, South Africa, on the feasibility study, that has conceived PanAfGeo, an ambitious project, aiming at increasing knowledge and skills in African Geological Surveys. PanAfGeo is focused on establishing long-term strategic cooperation in several areas such as governance of natural resources, sustainable exploitation of non-energy mineral resources, prevention and mitigation of natural and man-made disasters and support to the development of the local mining sector. PanAfGeo comes as a result of increasing cooperation between EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and the Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS), with the support of several key stakeholders such as the EC, AUC, UNESCO, UNECA/AMDC, UNDP and the World Bank amongst others. The preliminary phase of PanAfGeo, a joint EGS-OAGS effort to produce a feasibility study, is now complete. During a series of workshops, the study underwent a full review from representatives of the African Union Commission, European Union – including DG GROW and DG DEVCO from the European Commission – UNESCO, Geological Society of Africa and several others, which expressed unanimous support for an implementation phase. Mr Roeland van de Geer, Ambassador of the European Union to South Africa, declared “There is a need to overcome the disparities in Africa that are based on differed wealth, in strengthening the national institutions such as National Geological Surveys and the Organisation of African Geological Surveys”. Africa is home to 30% of the world’s reserves of natural resources including several strategic and critical minerals. However its share of the global metal production is minor and has not developed largely compared to e.g. Asia or Latin America, whilst the world’s demand of minerals is still increasing. In...

PRESS RELEASE The new era of minerals development in Africa To develop business opportunities in Africa while involving the local populations in the process Brussels, 9 February 2015 It is commonly acknowledged that African minerals resources are severely under-exploited, especially because still unexplored or classified. On the 8th and 9th February 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa, at the EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and the Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS) Workshop, the roadmap will be shared of PanAfGeo, an ambitious Project aiming at increasing knowledge and skills in African Geological Surveys. Improving the capacities of geological administrations and filling the gap in the collection, harmonization and sharing of geological map data on the African continent are the pillars to ensure business opportunities in Africa. These capacities become essential especially for mining exploration activities. The preliminary phase of PanAfGeo was the feasibility study “Geoscientific Knowledge and Skills in African Geological Surveys” carried out jointly by EGS-OAGS Members and key stakeholders such as EC, AUC, UNESCO, UNECA/AMDC, UNDP, World Bank, etc. PanAfGeo covers the entirety of the African continent and it develops a capacity building scheme, through the creation of a decentralized specialization school for African professionals. Trainings and adequate infrastructures will empower OAGS as coordination body ensuring that the know-how is transferred and shared among African Surveys. The geological cooperation is considered one of the most important and urgent needs to exploit minerals resources potential in Africa and its sustainable development. Commenting, Mr.Koen Verbruggen, EuroGeoSurveys President and Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland said “The launch of PanAfGeo initiative in Mining INDABA 2015 provides an opportunity to publicise and promote this important programme which will develop African geological datasets and knowledge. The local Geological Surveys play a strategic role in the economic growth and poverty...

2015 is going to be the International Year of Soils, but only a few people know the reasons behind this United Nations resolution. In the Video “Why is 2015 the International Year of Soils?” Dr Barry Rawlins from the British Geological Survey explains several reasons why soils are important to us all and introduces 2015 the International Year of...

Minerals4EU Project Scientific Staff interviewed by EuroGeoSurveys at the M4EU progress meeting in Dublin in October 2014. David Ovadia, Project Exploitation Manager Nikolaos Arvanitidis talks about is role as Scientific Officer of the Minerals4eu project, how Minerals4EU will able to provide tools and expertise to mineral resources development in Europe, who will mainly benefits from the project and what will be the expected effects of the project for European...

What is EuroGeoSurveys?

EuroGeoSurveys at the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials Annual Conference   Innovation is the key word to ensure the future supply of raw materials. This is the message launched by Mr. Calleja Crespo, Director General of DG Grow, during the EIP on Raw materials Annual Conference that took place on the 13th and 14th of January 2015. After the first successful call for Raw Materials where 80 commitments have been accepted with the participation of 800 partners all around EU, now it is time to put in action the commitments and make them effective. Exploiting this Conference to exchange knowledge, to present project ideas, and to reinforce networking is the second message that Mr Crespo conveyed to the audience. In fact he encouraged participants to see the two-day event as an opportunity for finding partners in order to write a successful proposal. To support all these actions, a vibrating posters session and a Brokerage Event were organized, in which participants had the opportunity to interact and cooperate. In this framework the Geological Surveys play an important role in the EIP on RM implementation, as Mr. Verbruggen, President of EuroGeoSurveys, highlighted during his keynote speech in the High Level Panel. The EGS Members are indeed involved in up to 29 of the 80 commitments. Projects such as Promine, which produces the main mineral deposits map of Europe, or EURARE, showing the Greenland mining potential and setting the basis for the development of a European Rare Earth Element (REE) industry, demonstrate the contribution that the Geological Surveys can give to the EIP on RM, helping Europe to become independent from the countries that today export mineral resources. The support to the EIP on RM and to the Knowledge Innovation Community (KIC), has been presented by EGS during the poster...

The European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials is a stakeholder platform that brings together representatives from industry, public services, academia and NGOs. EuroGeoSurveys will participate in the High Level Conference of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) that will be held in Brussels on Tuesday 13 January 2015. EuroGeoSurveys new President Mr. Koen Verbruggen will give a speech during the morning High Level Panel in which the Members of the High Level Steering Group of the EIP will participate. Mr Koen will illustrate the EGS pivotal role on the challenge of Raw Materials supply security for Europe. This annual conference aims to present a comprehensive picture of developments in the fields covered by the EIP, regional approaches to raw materials and some concrete examples of “Raw Materials Commitments”. The annual event also aims to provide a platform for networking to discuss experiences and possible future commitments. The conference will include a poster session where the stakeholders will be able to present their commitments. The Horizon 2020 Brokerage Event organised back-to-back with the conference, will serve as a forum for stakeholders to meet partners for future calls for proposals and provide information on financing instruments available under the Horizon 2020 Work-Programme 2015. Please find the Programme of the Conference...

The conference “Mineral Resources and their potential contribution to growth” was successfully held on 20 – 22 November 2014 in Nicosia, Cyprus, with the participation of 84 scientists including a representative from EuroGeoSurveys. The outcomes arising from the presentations and discussions that took place are listed below: There are significant deposits of mineral resources (energy, metallic minerals, industrial minerals, etc.) both in Greece and Cyprus, which if exploited according to the principles of sustainable development, can contribute greatly to the economic growth of both countries. The research and application of innovative exploitation and production methods are necessary for the survival and progress of modern mineral resources exploitation plants. The Greek and Cypriot companies put remarkable efforts towards this target. Mineral resources are becoming more valuable due to their global exhaustion. Thus, deposits with lower concentration are becoming economically exploitable considering the development of new innovative extractive methods for the recovery of the valuable material. Environmental issues were extensively discussed due to bad practices of the past. It was concluded that with the implementation of the current environmental laws and regulations modern companies in the mining industry are now aware of the necessity to protect the environment and the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility. The Government in both countries must include in their planning the exploitation of the Mineral Resources as Development Pillar. This requires simplification of the licensing procedures, which are unacceptably complicated and time consuming. There is a need for further cooperation between academic institutions and the industry, as well as for continuous training of new scientists. A permanent cooperation between scientists and relevant stakeholders from Greece and Cyprus would be useful for addressing problems of this nature and to achieve the common goal that is to promote the mining industry and its...

On the 8th and 9th February 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa, EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) and The Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS) will hold a joint Workshop to present and discuss the final draft of the feasibility study “Geoscientific Knowledge and Skills in African Geological Surveys (PanAfGeo)”. Key stakeholders such as UNECA, UNDP, UNESCO, World Bank and SEAMIC will also take part in the meeting. The study investigated how to increase African-owned geological knowledge and skills for sustainable mineral exploitation and related infrastructures, and natural disasters prevention and mitigation. The Workshop also intends to discuss a possible future multiannual Project – including objectives, methods of implementation, trainings and partnerships – implementing the report’s recommendations. The audience’s feedback is a priority to achieve this ambitious goal, a cooperation that will strengthen the geological sector in Africa, and will therefore represent a step forward in the political commitment to the development of EU-Africa cooperation in this area. The Workshop will precede the Conference Mining Indaba, foremost global gathering on investing in the African mining value chain, scheduled from the 9th to the 12th February 2015 in Cape...