EU project boosts ethically responsible exploration of critical raw materials in Europe.Mining is a controversial topic: On the one hand, we need raw materials such as copper for the transition to climate-friendly technologies, but on the other hand, exploration and raw material extraction are primarily associated with environmental pollution and exploitation. A team of 18 European partners coordinated by the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (HIF) at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) has addressed this controversy in the Vector project, linking geosciences with data and social sciences. The results are efficient and low impact exploration methods and human-centered solutions that enable a responsible supply of critical raw materials in Europe.
“Europe needs to rethink its dependence on raw materials. To implement this key requirement of the European Union's Critical Raw Materials Act, which was passed in 2023, new approaches and strategies must be found to ensure the security of raw material supplies in Europe. To this end, prospecting European raw material deposits is of essential importance. However, regional mining requires both innovative exploration technologies and social acceptance. Therefore, it is not only the geoscientific perspective that is important, but also the social science aspect when developing new mineral deposits,” says project coordinator Dr. Richard Gloaguen (HIF). Over the past three years, 18 partners from seven European countries have conducted joint research in this area. By using novel exploration and data science methods as well as social science studies, the research team has developed evidence-based knowledge and tools that take both aspects of raw material procurement into account. The results are available on a freely accessible platform.
Innovative tools for mineral prospectivity analysis For exploring ore deposits, the Vector team developed a new toolbox. This toolbox contains several innovative technologies and workflows that allows for combining and visualizing a wide variety of geoscientific data – e.g., geophysical, geochemical, hyperspectral – from a defined investigation area in order to better assess its raw material potential. Among other things, new passive exploration methods such as magnetotellurics were used. These enable a view into the subsurface without disturbing it. Instead of sending artificially generated signals into the earth, magnetotellurics uses natural electromagnetic fields that are already present. Such methods can uncover geological structures and material properties in depths of more than one kilometer – in an environmentally friendly and efficient manner.
To confirm and refine the results, existing drill cores were examined by the HIF using hyperspectral imaging. The minerals in the rock absorb or reflect radiation in different ways, producing a measurable signal that is characteristic of the minerals. This technology enables an initial detailed analysis of the mineralogical composition of the subsurface directly on site. "For the drill core scans, we have developed a unique data processing routine based on machine learning that enables real-time evaluation and visualization of the data. The mineralogical analysis is available just a few minutes after data acquisition. The new workflow supports faster and more informed decision-making in the field. At the same time, the valuable information is used for targeted sample selection. This allows us to get the most out of existing samples quickly, cost-effectively, and with minimal invasiveness," explains Richard Gloaguen.
The hywiz visualization platform developed at Vector delivers real-time processing results. These include false-color composites from various hyperspectral sensors and qualitative results highlighting the abundance of different minerals.
In addition, scientists have succeeded in bringing together geoscientific data from various sources in an interactive 3D space for the first time. The integration of all data into such an interactive 3D model helps geologists evaluate the subsurface, but it also assists regional stakeholders. It enables real-time collaboration for joint discussions, serves as a knowledge database, and makes complex issues understandable, and tangible which creates transparency, trust, efficiency, and participation. These and other methods have been validated using data from various pilot sites, such as the Irish Midlands, known for metals such as zinc and lead, and the German copper shale region in Lusatia. However, the approach can be applied to mineral deposits worldwide.
Cultural context as the key to understandingToday, the extraction of raw materials is no longer seen solely as a technological issue, but as a social task that is strongly influenced by cultural values and perspectives. That is why, countries and societies deal differently with topics such as energy transition, mining, technology acceptance, and environmental protection.
The research conducted by the Vector team showed that, for example, a long tradition of mining significantly influences perceptions of raw material requirements and attitudes toward mining – but concrete experience with mining is decisive. At the same time, there are other values that have a strong influence on opinion formation. If, for example, there is a stronger tendency in society to actively shape the social and natural environment – progress, competition, and efficiency are viewed positively – this can influence opinions on raw material procurement. That is differently than an adaptation-oriented attitude, where balance, sustainability, and cooperation are perceived as more important. Societies that are more adaptation-oriented would therefore view technological interventions much more cautiously than shaping societies. Trust in the mining sector also plays a central role – especially in its integrity and social responsibility.
Based on these findings, recommendations for action were developed on how industry and politics can better integrate social values into their decision-making processes and business models. The tools developed for the public are designed to enable the discourse on raw materials in society at large. These include, for example, the live experiment
“100 Perceptions: Raw Materials”, which was conducted with 100 volunteers at the National History Museum in London. “The results of this experiment clearly show that the discussion about raw materials is rarely black and white. Between the extremes, there are many shades of gray – from responsible mining and fair supply chains to sustainable consumption. The key is to understand the connections and lead to informed decision-making,” explains project manager Tina Pereira from HIF.
The Vector team makes the project results and tools developed widely available on its web platform vectorproject.eu, thereby supporting the decision-making process of all relevant stakeholders. The participating companies use the technologies to expand their portfolios and actively drive innovation in the raw materials sector – for the benefit of the economy, the environment, and society.
Source: Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology at HZDR
