Introduction
The mining industry and associated industries, as well as other basic industry, operate on a highly international market where research and development is a necessary and integral part of the business. The work spans many issues, ranging from exploration, rock and mining engineering, concentration and process IT to economics, law and social aspects. In 2005, several of the leading players created Bergforsk for joint and continuous development of strategies and effectiveness
Vision
The mining industry is an important supplier of efficient and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of modern society for metals and minerals. Technological leadership is utilized for resource-efficient production raw materials and innovative products with high value added in order to enhance quality of life by creating prosperity in harmony with nature and society.
Strategies
The industry’s general strategies for sustainable competitiveness are:
• World-leading and efficient research, development and education
• Sustainable and reliable raw material supply to the mineral and metal industry in consideration of the geological opportunities in Sweden
• Well-developed capability for acting on the world market in niches with high value-adding
• Work for a regulatory framework that permits growth and do not poses disadvantages in the international competitiveness
• Reduced energy use and more efficient systems for reuse, recovery and recycling, plus increased production of inexpensive electricity in Sweden
• Strengthening of Sweden ‘s mining regions
The following tactical initiatives can contribute to creating “World-leading and efficient research and development and education”:
• Make Luleå University of Technology a strong European university with strong and successful research groups.
• Create a joint research organization, Bergforsk, to serve as the industry’s forum for discussing, prioritising and actively promoting research projects. A kick-off for Bergforsk was held in June 2005.
• Invest in research centres at Luleå University of Technology (LTU), rather than creating a new industry research institute. The research centres are run jointly by the industry and LTU in cooperation with selected universities and offer many opportunities for creating new initiatives within a relatively flexible and efficient framework. At present there are six active research centres and companies under the Bergforsk umbrella, and two additional ones are planned.
• Create clear role divisions for the players.
• Create sustainable networks and clusters.
International cooperation is necessary for efficient R&D. Bergforsk is currently working with LTU and Georange on an internationalisation of Bergforsk. In particular they are looking for broadened Scandinavian cooperation for increased effectiveness in the EU’s framework programme for research and development. In cooperation with Metall in Finland, the mining and metals industry has presented proposals to achieve greater competitiveness and thereby suggested, for example, increased co-funding of programmes via TEKES and VINNOVA. There is also a need for the governments in Sweden and Finland to present a common front whenever possible in matters relating to energy, trade policy, research, infrastructure, competition and the environment.
Efficient forms are needed to ensure long-term funding of strong RD&D environments. The research environments require a critical mass for the necessary industrial efforts for continued leadership on a highly international and competitive market.
During 2005 the European Commission launched a Technology Platform on Sustainable Mineral Resources (SMR) where enterprises, the European sector organisations in the extractive industries (coal, oil, gas, ore-based industry, industrial minerals, aggregates, natural stone) and the geological authorities’ cooperative bodies are together developing a Vision 2030 and a Strategic Research Agenda. The industry and other actors in the sector take a positive view of active participation in the framework programmes in order to strengthen the university and create new values which an individual actor is not capable of achieving. Swedish companies, Luleå University of Technology and Georange are participating very actively in the work. LKAB, for example, is responsible for one focus area (new materials and products) and Boliden for another (reuse, recovery and recycling of metals and minerals). LTU plays a leading role in planning of exploration research as well as planning of research for new materials and products. Georange plays a prominent role in the interaction between the mining and minerals industry and society.
Overview of the Research and Development programme
Most of the research conducted within the framework of strategic research and development groups under the Bergforsk umbrella is shown here.
Overview of groups involved in Bergforsk
The mining industry is pursuing a number of projects of importance for future competitiveness and regional development. With regard to regional development, Georange has shed light on important aspects of the interaction between the mining industry and society as a whole.
Securing the raw material supply
The basic prerequisite for raw material supply is exploration.
No ore reserves, no mineral resources no mining and no spin-off to unique product development and equipment suppliers. Northern Europe (especially Finland, Russia and Sweden) has excellent geological prospects for additional ore finds, but at greater depth (>500 m). Luleå University of Technology, the Centre for Applied Ore Geology builds 4-dimensional geological models (the 3 dimensions of space plus time as bedrock age as the fourth dimension) of mature orefields such as the Skellefteå Field, Bergslagen and the orefields in Norrbotten within the framework of the national Swedish Mining Research Programme and the European project ProMIne developed by the European Technology Platform on Sustainable Mineral Resources. In mature ore fields such as the Skellefteå Field and Bergslagen, the likelihood of major new ore finds on the surface is relatively small. However, where ore has been mined from the surface down to 500 meters, there is every reason to believe there might also be ore down to depths of a few thousand metres. Exploration will therefore be focused on these deeper ores. This in turn requires the development of new geophysical methods, including aerial and ground surveys as well as borehole surveys. Method development in geophysical exploration is therefore an important aspect of R&D for a secured raw material supply.
Increased competitiveness through new production methods in mines and dressing plants
Mining is capital- and labour-intensive and will only survive if it is profitable. There are a number of important projects, some of which are being conducted jointly by the construction industry and the aggregate industry.
A big cost for mines and infrastructure construction is drifting (tunneling). We believe that the cost can be considerably reduced. RTC has previously carried through a project on Faster and Better Drifting being of great benefit to owners and suppliers in mining and construction. RTC is also running a large international consortium to develop technology and methods for ground support.
The industry is also pursuing a programme for rock fragmentation where research by the mining industry complements research in the aggregate industry (MinBasII). The research on fragmentation is important not only to improve competitiveness, but also to conserve natural resources by minimizing wastage, while at the same time enabling new products and materials to be produced. Particularly urgent areas are methods for determining blastability and grindability in the downstream processes as a function of rock properties, and developing energy-efficient systems for extreme fine grinding. System models for blasting and grinding also need to be further developed; this work is being carried out at the LTU Swebrec Blasting Research Centre.
Development of new materials and products
The mining industry recently concluded a basic research project carried out under the auspices of the Agricola Research Centre. The continued work at Agricola is of fundamental importance for the development of new materials and products. By developing measurement methods and the understanding for the basic mechanisms for example in flotation and pelletising, conditions for increased utilisation of the natural resources are created. Of importance is also the manufacture of microparticles tailored to specific applications such as binding toxic particles in contaminated soil, which is an urgent international problem. Other examples of applications are new catalysts, smart drugs, pigments in paints and plastics, additives in paper coatings, new semiconductor materials, magnetic suspensions, etc. This research field has wide applications in all sectors that develop mineral products in industrial minerals and the cement industry.
Development of new materials and products is an urgent focus area in the Technology Platform on Sustainable Mineral Resources, where the Promote research centre at Luleå University of Technology plays a leading role for the entire European mineral industry (metals, industrial minerals, aggregates, natural stone, oil & gas, etc.). Essential projects are increased knowledge of the functionality of materials, for example which material properties are essential for the strength of iron ore pellets before and after reduction in the blast furnace, and how mineral separation can be increased in flotation. One of Promote’s principal tasks is also to develop more efficient innovation process in the industry, and this work is being pursued within the framework of the aforementioned technical projects
Re-use, recovery and recycling
One big project has been completed (Mimer) focused on minimisation, recycling and reuse of waste products from the mineral and metal industry, plus recovery/recycling of valuable metals and minerals from end-of-life products. R&D is in progress e.g. within the Swedish Mining Research Programme. Reuse, recovery and recycling is an important part of the Technology Platform on Sustainable Mineral Resources.
Process IT
An important part of the work for increased productivity is improved systems for process IT. Together with the forest industry, the paper and steel industry and power utilities, the mining industry is making great efforts to develop IT for the process industry under the aegis of the ProcessIT Innovations research centre at Luleå University of Technology. The work focuses on measurement and control systems, mobile infrastructure, embedded Internet technology, man-machine interaction and the user’s ability to understand the functions that have been created. At present a number of pilot studies are under way and concrete projects are being planned that are of great interest to companies in participating sectors. Read more…
Research and development to reduce the environmental impact in mining activities
It should be noted that the great environmental improvements that have been achieved in the industry have not occurred “in spite of” but “thanks to” investments in increased production and productivity improvements!
Five projects are defined:
Waste management and disposal methods
Mining with today’s generally low ore concentrations gives rise to large quantities of waste that must be managed. The costs of this waste management, as well as the potential environmental load, are important issues for the development of the industry. Traditionally, research has been focused on remedial action and cost-effective methods for site remediation. Future activities require a different approach, where problems are tackled early in the process. Questions such as the chemical and physical properties of the waste product, optimal location of the disposal site with respect to local conditions and aspects of the disposal process as such merit further research. The rules that are being introduced where the government requires costly guarantees for site remediation entail that new methods must be developed and assessed. This changes both the economic and the environmental conditions. One effect is that investments in designing facilities for long-term safety from the start are being prioritised, so that remedial postclosure measures are rendered unnecessary. This can lead to completely different requirements on the technical solutions.
There is great potential here, for example in selective management of waste rock. At large mines there are large surpluses of materials that could possibly balance aggregate shortages in major cities in Sweden and on the continent. The possibility of utilising waste rock from mining has great long-term potential for the fast-growing regions, since land use needs in these regions limit the areas available for local aggregate production. Research on use of waste products could be pursued in cooperation with the Mimer research centre. Other aspects have been partially explored within the framework of the concluded research programme MiMi and it is only natural that the contacts forged there be used.
Dam construction
Dam construction is intimately linked with waste management, but needs to be dealt with separately due to its special technical nature. Continued efforts are needed to develop better methods for technical design, construction, operation and maintenance. Methodology for risk management needs to be developed. Since many of these issues are closely linked to the development efforts being pursued by the hydropower companies, the work is planned to be conducted in cooperation with Luleå University of Technology and the Swedish Hydropower Centre.
Recipient impact
Knowledge of environmental impact in recipients has increased considerably, but there are shortcomings in today’s analysis methods and approaches that often lead to environmental permits that are based on poorly founded assumptions and in any case unnecessarily drawn-out licensing processes. Methods need to be developed to understand natural variations that are particularly accentuated in mineral-rich areas, as well as the capacity of the ecosystems to adapt to and tolerate these variations. There is no established network for this area, but there are a number of actors, mainly consultants with long experience of these matters. Here it is of strategic importance that contacts be forged between the industry and appropriate universities, for example SLU (the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) and Umeå University.
Site remediation
An important issue is remediation of existing rock heaps and tailings ponds, which have traditionally been the focus of research efforts. This area is naturally still of great importance, not least in view of the industry’s need to find cost-effective but safe methods. Efforts to date have largely been focused on geochemical conditions. Other mechanisms and phenomena also need to be studied, such as establishment of ecosystems, connection with natural processes and blending with the landscape. The intention is to make use of the networks that were previously built up at Luleå University of Technology, MiMi and Georange.
Societal aspects
There are a number of societal aspects not related to technological development that must be taken into consideration. One example is the return of remediated sites to the society, which has so far hardly been studied at all. It is a serious problem that at the present time, an industry whose operations are based on land use of long but limited duration cannot, after its operations are concluded, return the land to the society. This area requires efforts from other disciplines than the traditional technical ones. Examples of issues that need to be addressed are right to land use, design of the site to create new values, protection of the site against improper use, the legal process for relinquishing responsibility, economic obligations and conditions, and the historical value of the site. At present it is unclear which actors could contribute to development in this area, but contacts need to be established with departments of social science at suitable institutions of higher education.
Georange
GEORANGE is a non-profit organization whose main task is to expand the concept of “development” in the mining and minerals industry. Georange is also operating the Georange Environmental Test Site, read more...
Sector negotiations with the Government
In June 2004, the Government presented a strategy for Innovative Sweden. The strategy is a platform to strengthen Sweden as a knowledge-based nation. Sweden shall be Europe´s most competitive, dynamic and knowledge-bases economy and the Swedish metallurgical sector th most competitive in Europe.
The Prime Minister in the Statement of Government Policy 2004 invited to industry sector discussions to develop strategic programmes. The strategic programme for Metallurgy encompass iron- and steel industry, mining and smelters, equipment supply industry, industrial minerals, aggregates and dimension stone industry.
The programme published in November 2005 is downloaded here
Mining Research Programme VINNOVA – Bergforsk Foundation
The government decided Sept 14, 2006 – within the framework of Sector Negotiations – to launch a Mining Research Programme. VINNOVA (www.vinnova.se) was granted 50 MSEK during 2006 – 2010 on the condition that the industry contributes with at least half of the cost of the total programme. An agreement was settled between VINNOVA and Bergforsk Foundation. A Programme Board with the parties represented manages the Programme, see this link for information on Calls for Proposal for the Mining Research Programme.
EU Seventh Framework Programme
During 2005 the European Commission launched a Technology Platform on Sustainable Mineral Resources (SMR) where enterprises, the European sector organisations in the extractive industries (coal, oil, gas, ore-based industry, industrial minerals, aggregates, natural stone) and the geological authorities’ cooperative bodies are together developing a Vision 2030 and a Strategic Research Agenda. The industry and other actors in the sector take a positive view of active participation in the framework programmes in order to strengthen the university and create new values which an individual actor is not capable of achieving.
Further information concerning the European Technology Platform Sustainable Mineral Resources is available at www.etpsmr.org