NGI-led EU project will digitize the mining industry and ensure increased sustainability
Europe has a growing need for critical raw materials and wants to be more self-sufficient regarding supply. But how to extract minerals in the most sustainable way possible? The recently funded innovation action DINAMINE will develop and showcase how innovative solutions and digital technology, such as robots, artificial intelligence, and automation, can make small and medium-sized mines more efficient and sustainable.
Today, Europe imports many of the mineral resources needed to produce everything from mobile phones, renewable energy, and modern defense equipment from, among other places, Asia. In the coming decades, it is expected that the need for minerals will increase heavily. In Europe, small and medium-sized mines account for more than half of the value added.
"These mines play a decisive role for Europe to become more independent of imports and more competitive in terms of sustainability – both economically and environmentally, but also socially, through responsible mining practices," says a senior engineer at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Sean Salazar who will lead this 3.5-year project.
NGI's Sean Salazar (left) will lead DINAMINE and Mahdi Shabanimashcool is responsible for the project's technical concept
DINAMINE PROJECT PARTNERS
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Norway)
- Skaland Graphite AS (Norway)
- Felmica Minerais Industriais SA (Portugal)
- Worldsensing SL (Spain)
- SINTEF Nord AS (Norway)
- SINTEF AS (Norway)
- SINTEF Helgeland AS (Norway)
- National Institute of Chemistry (Slovenia)
- AMV AS (Norway)
- Ciaotech Srl (Italy)
- SPECTRAL Industries BV (Netherlands)