Highlights

Mining is not possible without consideration of the component water. This is coupled to a variety of questions. These include, e. g., dewatering in underground and open-cast/pit mining, the post-mining flooding of open-cast/pit residual holes, the remediation of acidic post-mining lakes, general management and treatment of such acid waters (Acid Mine Drainage – AMD) etc. In relation to the above-mentioned aspects, ...

In view of increasing import dependencies and decreasing ore grades in conventional mining, societies with large resource needs such as those of the EU are looking for new potential sources of mineral supplies. Seabed areas in international waters host considerable amounts of mineral resources that contain various elements, among them metals such as cobalt, copper, nickel and manganese that are ...

Mine closure is a topic that is being discussed frequently as illustrated by the closure ceremonies of the last two German deep coal mines in December 2018. Besides the commemoration of the miners, the main question is what is to be done with the underground infrastructure of the abandoned mines? The closure of a mine can be cost-intensive; backfilling of ...

Mining education in Germany has undergone significant changes and development over the past decade. On the one hand, this is due to the changing framework conditions and requirements of industry, science and society. On the other hand, this process has been accelerated by the introduction of a European study reform, also known as the Sorbonne Declaration and Bologna Process. All ...

In the context of the fourth industrial revolution, mining is bound to undergo significant changes within the coming decades. Mining in the sense of Mining 4.0 will not only prioritise the efficient, sustainable and responsible use of available resources, but will also be characterised by digitalisation and automation. In order to adapt to those changes and challenges of the future ...

Since sustainability is an integral part of mining, it is necessary to emphasise the topic in mining engineering education curricula. This article examines selected definitions of sustainability and assesses them with regards to their suitability for educating future mining engineers. Finally, approaches for the integration of sustainability principles and priorities are presented through selected examples. Mining Engineering comprises more than ...

The increasing complexity of mining operations results in increasing requirements for the mining engineering education. The demand of broad skills sets in constantly equal sized programs is the reason to blend the addressed skills in teaching and learning activities. A promising approach represents the experiential learning in an authentic environment. The article introduces the challenges in mining engineering education as ...

Pumped-storage power plants are an efficient option for energy storage to address short-term variances. In general, pumped-storages are dependent on high differences in altitude and therefore located in mountainous areas. An advantageous variation is the installation of pumped-storage power plants completely or partially underground. Three variations are feasible: usage of the infrastructure of closed mines, usage of the infrastructure of ...

A (post-)mining Germany produces approximately 750 mt of resources per year. The top position is held by the German rock industry with its annual production of approximately 500 mt aggregate (gravel, sand, and stones). It might be difficult to imagine that the rapid development of open data, digitalisation, modern communication systems, driverless cars, smart technology and the Internet of Things might ...

Nature protection has now moved onto the agenda for Hambach lignite mine. Environmentalists have set up a camp on the site and the Berlin-based German Federation for Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) has petitioned for legal protection as an environmental organisation. Can habitat and species protection as part of EU legislation stop lignite mining in its tracks? 1  Current situation ...