Implementation period: -
Type: International
Division: The Division of Strategic Research
The project is implemented as part of ERA-MIN Joint Transnational Call 2023 on Raw Materials for Sustainable Development and the Circular Economy
The extractive industry has been generating vast quantities of waste, considered one of Europe’s most significant waste streams. Given the ambition to move towards a circular economy, the extractive wastes have the potential to be altered from a substantial environmental burden to valuable resources via the recovery of valuable minerals and critical raw materials (CRM), reprocessing, and reusing in various applications, including but not limited to cement-based low carbon footprint products. Motivated by this, ValorWaste will identify and promote valorisation routes for mining wastes as well as their integration into construction materials and chemicals, addressing the following challenges and needs:
– implement a comprehensive waste materials characterisation methodology that will allow the prediction of suitable valorisation routes for extractive waste (overburden, waste rock and tailings );
– assess the potential of low-impact mineral processing techniques to valorise residues or to produce valuable by-products and study sustainable hydrometallurgy approaches to recover CRMs and other strategic critical elements for energy and digital transition;
– study and design construction materials (low-carbon cement and concrete) and construction chemicals (tile adhesives, repair mortars, water and thermal insulation products) that can integrate extractive waste in their composition;
– identify the environmental impact of developed valorisation routes using life cycle assessment, hot
spot analysis and risk identification to fulfil ESG and regulatory compliance;
– provide fast, secure and easy access for ML algorithms, simulation models and analytics to support process/products optimisation and promote data-driven decisions;
– identify opportunities and challenges, from a business perspective, for the valorisation and integration of extractive waste in the materials construction industry;
– promote sustainable practices and circularity for the raw materials industry.
The project consortium consists of 8 partners representing universities/research centers and 4 industrial partners with complementary expertise and technical competences in the field of waste/overburden/by-product management and their characterization, mineral processing and hydrometallurgy, construction materials and chemicals, cycle assessment life and environmental impact, and data management and analytics.
