INFACT’s first trials of innovative, non-invasive mineral ......organisations and service...

Web:http://infactproject.euSocialmedia:@INFACTproject

INFACT’s first trials of innovative, non-invasive mineral explorationtechnologiesareimminentPress release I July 2018 I The EU-funded INFACTproject aims at combining the development andtest of innovative, non-invasive mineralsexploration technologies with an assessment oftheir social acceptance. For this purpose, threeEuropean reference sites will be established inGermany, Finland and Spain. Stakeholderconsultations took place at all sites in June andearlyJulytopavethewayforfirsttechnologytrialswhichareabouttostartinAugust.InitsrecentlypublishedactionplanforbatterieswhichidentifiesEUsourcesforthemineralsrequiredtoproducebatteries,theEuropeanCommissionhashighlightedtheessentialrolemineralrawmaterialswillplay to transform Europe into a low-carbon and circular economy, while strengthening simultaneouslyEurope’sproductionandvaluechains.The36-monthprojectINFACT,fundedundertheEuropeanUnion’sHorizon 2020 programme for Research & Innovation, is fully aligned with this strategy. Under thecoordinationoftheHelmholtzInstituteFreibergforResourceTechnology(HIF)attheHelmholtz-ZentrumDresden-Rossendorf, universities, research institutions, regional agencies, international not-for-profitorganisationsandservicecompanieshave joinedforcestodevelopandtest innovative,non-invasiveandsocially acceptable mineral exploration technologies. Some of thesemethods will be tested in summer2018and2019attheproject’sthreereferencesitesinGermany(Geyer),Finland(Sakatti)andSpain(CobreLasCruces,SevilleandMinasdeRíoTinto,Huelva).Followinguponasocio-scientificanalysis-seehttp://www.infactproject.eu/deliverables/formoredetails-thathashelpedtounderstandthehistoricalandeconomicfactorswhichdeterminethesocialacceptanceforminingactivitiesinthesurroundingsofGeyer,SakattiandSeville,theprojectteamisnowgettingreadyfor the first technology trials. These will take place at each of the reference sites in summer 2018.Stakeholder consultationswere scheduled in Juneandearly July, to informcitizens at local and regionallevelabout theplannedactivities. InAugustandearlySeptember,helicopter-flightswillbeconductedateachof the sites toacquireagoodgeological knowledgeof theareas. Theaim is tobring forwardnon-invasivemethodsasausefultool,makingminingmoresustainableandhencesociallymoreacceptable.TheflightcampaigninFinlandisnowreadytokick-off.It isscheduledfrom1to13August2018withtheaimofdetectinggeological featuresassociatedwithmineral accumulationsat variousdepth ranges.TheSakattireferencesiteispartofaNatura2000area,createdtoprotectnaturaldiversity,andthecampaignhasbeenplannedinAugusttopreventinterferencewiththenestingperiodofseveralbirdspecies,andthepeakofactivity for reindeerherding, in JulyandSeptemberrespectively.Arcticconditionsandespeciallythepresenceofa thinglacial till layer forearly timedata, alsoconstitutea challenge to thegeophysicalacquisition campaign. A major public event is planned for 5 August 2018, at Sodankylä airport, wherecitizenswillhaveaglanceatthehelicopterandtheexplorationtechnologieswhiletheINFACTteamwillbeavailabletoanswerquestions.

Web:http://infactproject.euSocialmedia:@INFACTproject

AfterthesefirsttrialsinFinland,furtherdataacquisitioncampaignsarescheduledinGermany,inthetimespan from12 to22August, and inSpain, from21Augustuntil 9 September.During these trials, furthercitizen involvement activities are foreseen to ensure that residents are informed in a transparent wayabout the research efforts, aiming thus to bridge the gap between Europe’s need for domesticmineralresourcesandtheoften-statedlackofcommunicationtowardsthepublic.

Moreinformationisavailableontheprojectwebsite:www.infactproject.euTheINFACTpartners:AgenciadeInnovationyDesarrollo(IDEA),AngloAmericanSakattiOy,ArhusGeo,AtalayaMining,ATClave,CobrelasCruces,Dialogik,EuropeanFederationofGeologists (EFG),Fraunhofer IAO,GALSA(Geotech),Geognosia,HelmholtzInstitute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (coordinator), OuluMiningSchool,SRKExplorationServices,Supracon,SYKE,UniversityofEasternFinland.Photocredit:Geotech_______________________________________________________________________________________Formoreinformation:HelmholtzInstituteFreibergforResourceTechnologyatHZDR:LeilaAjjabouIProjectcoordinatorPhone:+49(0)351260-4461|Email:l.ajjabou@hzdr.deDr.RichardGloaguen|HeadExplorationDivisionPhone:+49(0)351260-4424|Email:r.gloaguen@hzdr.deEuropeanFederationofGeologistsMarcoKomacILeaderWP7–ImpactcreationEmail:efg.externalrelations@eurogeologists.euAnitaSteinIEFGCommunicationManagerEmail:anita.stein@eurogeologists.eu