Project: Mine tailings Reprocessing, Revalorization and Risk reduction connecting innovations in metal recovery, geopolymerization, ceramics & sealing layers

Acronym	TailingR32Green (Reference Number: JTC-2021_147)
Project Topic	TailingR3 2Green ultimate goal is to develop a New Business Model based on a circular and zero-toxic approach to revalorize and reuse the mine tailings while minimizing their environmental impact. This green economy and zero toxic approach will lead to (1) the full bio-recovery of critical raw elements as REE and Co diluted in secondary sources as mine tailings, (2) the revalorization of mineral by-products as construction bricks and (3) the mine tailing sealing by in-situ geo-polymerization process to create sealing layers that will prevent the water percolation and pollutant lixiviation to the surrounding ecosystems. TailingR3 2Green approach is flexible and adaptable to the geochemical and mineralogical nature of the mine tailings, and in parallel, it has been designed to maximize the economic gain minimizing the environmental impact. The global challenge pursued by in TailingR3 2Green is easily understood if it is considered the potentials of the current inactive and active tailing deposits worldwide jointly with the increasing pressure of the critical raw elements (CRE) market. The connection of the CRE recovery, mineral by-products revalorization, and environmental impact minimization is essential to build up new economic business models that evaluate the benefits balancing the economic, societal and environmental gains of the process. The innovative and circular approach pursued in the project will have concrete and measurable direct and side impacts specifically mentioned on this call, like (1) greener mining technology development, (2) secondary CRE resources revalorization, (3) founding business parallel opportunities thanks to mineral by-products reshaping, (4) securing CRE supply for EU, and (5) gaining the trust of the society on the need of a future green-mining and its importance to secure the transition to a green-energy and circular society.
Network	ERA-MIN3
Call	ERA-MIN3 Joint Call 2021

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Universidad de Huelva	Coordinator	Spain
2	University of Aveiro	Partner	Portugal
3	Central University of Technology	Partner	South Africa
4	Basque Center for Materials, Applications & Nanostructures	Partner	Spain
5	University of the Free State	Partner	South Africa
6	National University del Altiplano	Partner	Peru