Innovative technologies for sustainable and decarbonised extraction (RIA) -

Expected Outcome

A secure supply of sustainable raw materials is crucial for the green and digital transition. Environmentally friendly, safe, intelligent and resource efficient extraction technologies and methods for both open pit and underground mining need to be developed and implemented.

Projects outcomes will enable achieving the expected impacts of the destination by increasing access to primary raw materials in particular critical raw materials[1] for EU industrial value chains and strategic sectors.

Projects are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:

• Develop innovative technologies for extraction of raw materials in the European Union.
• Increase the domestic EU sourcing of raw materials.
• Improve responsible supply of raw materials to Europe in line with the EU principles for sustainable raw materials, which are a non-regulatory set of principles based on the EU acquis. They set out requirements for sustainable raw materials and extraction and processing in Europe in terms of social, environmental and economic performance[2].
• Show the potential to reduce substantially the Green House Gases (GHGs) emissions intensity of extraction per ton of the material (metal, metal content, concentrate, mineral) sold on to the downstream value chain, thus contributing to EU climate neutrality objectives.
• Promote the utilisation of UNFC (United Nations Framework Classification for Resources) and UNRMS (United Nations Resource Management System) in the raw materials sector.
• Accelerate development of EU domestic raw materials exploration projects integrating innovative technologies.

Scope

Actions should develop new sustainable concepts and technological solutions, including alternative approaches, for mining of complex or difficult to access mineral deposits, including mining wastes and abandoned mining sites, particularly addressing the challenges of accessibility, industrial viability, safety and environmental impacts, including water use and GHG intensity of extraction.

Actions should be driven by industry and raw materials users. The actions should duly justify the relevance of all targeted minerals and metals. Priority are the EU critical raw materials. Sea mining is excluded from this topic.

Actions should envisage clustering activities with other relevant selected projects for cross-projects co-operation, consultations and joint activities on cross-cutting issues and share of results as well as participating in joint meetings and communication events. To this end proposals should foresee a dedicated work package and/or task, and earmark the appropriate resources accordingly.

In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and/or gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement, however, should you consider it to be of relevance for your specific proposal, you are strongly encouraged to do it.

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 3-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.

[1]https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials_en

[2]https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6d541f66-0f81-11ec-9151-01aa75ed71a1

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