Glückauf! 6/2023

Our natural reserves of raw materials are finite and some of these vital commodities are only available in limited quantities. As the world’s population continues to grow so too will the demand for these natural resources. Many EU member states, including Germany, have come to rely on supplies of raw materials from other countries. According to Eurostat the European Union now imports about half of all the raw materials it uses. Germany is heavily dependent on imports for its supply of metals and some industrial minerals, while it is completely reliant on imports for all its energy resources.
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With my best regards // Mit freundlichem Glückauf
Dipl.-Ing. Andreas-Peter Sitte
Chief Editor Mining Report Glückauf, Essen

ISSUE 06/2023 // FOCUS OF THIS ISSUE: Circular Economy

Mining Law and Water Management Challenges as a Result of the Coal Phase-Out

Overview of the Rhenish lignite mining area with the mining boundaries of the original opencast mine plans (grey) and the 2016 guiding decision (pink). Source: https://braunkohle.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Revierkarte-RWE-Power-2021.pdf

In the Rhenish mining area, RWE Power AG operates the three opencast lignite mines Inden, Hambach and Garzweiler. According to the original plans before 2016, the Hambach and Garzweiler opencast mines were scheduled to run until 2045, the Inden opencast mine until 2030. In the context of the energy turnaround, the opencast mine plans and lifetimes have been adjusted several times. Opening clauses and regulatory intentions with regard to a further advance of the coal phase-out in Germany will lead to a further adjustment of the opencast mine plans and lifetimes. The adjustments must be implemented in terms of both mining and water law …

Authors: BD Dipl.-Ing. André Küster, BD Jan Wilking M.Sc., RBe Annika Mittmann M.Sc., Abteilung 6 – Bergbau und Energie, Bezirksregierung Arnsberg, Dortmund/Germany

Different approaches to a German raw materials policy from the perspective of the mining sciences. Source: Lottermoser

German politics on raw materials aims to influence the mineral resources sector in the long term, from the extraction to the consumption of mineral resources, with the help of strategy papers, information documents, funding programs, regulations and laws. However, for many years now, German raw material politics has not managed to present strategies and demonstrate successes that convince all stakeholders. This article highlights the serious errors in German raw material politics from the perspective of the mining sciences. This critical assessment is to allow politicians the frightening possibility of self-reflection and show some bitter truths …

Author: Univ.-Prof. PhD Bernd G. Lottermoser, Lehrstuhl für nachhaltige Rohstoffgewinnung, Institute of Mineral Resources Engineering (MRE), RWTH Aachen University (RWTH), Aachen/Germany

Martin Wedig, member of the VRB management board during his keynote speech. Photo: DMV

More than 100 experts met from 27th to 29th September 2023 for the conference “Environment, Energy and Raw Materials – A Turning Point in Energy and Raw Material Supply. Opportunities for the meadow industry”. It took place at the RWTH Aachen University, Aachen/Germany, and at the Energeticon in Alsdorf. The German Mining Association and the RWTH Institute for Mining, Mining Damage Science and Geophysics in Mining under the direction of Prof. Axel Preuße had invited. The thematic focus of the conference was in particular the possibilities of artificial intelligence in geosciences as well as hydrogen and energy storage in the mining context …

Author: Dr.-Ing. Martin Wedig, Vereinigung Rohstoffe und Bergbau e.V. (VRB), Berlin/Germany

E-cars require lithium-ion batteries. Photo: © andreas160578, Pixabay

Possible government activities aimed at securing the supplies of raw materials have lately come under scrutiny. A company levy is the obvious means of choice to finance any such actions. Would a charge of this nature be compatible with fundamental rights and the fiscal constitution? This article is based on an expert assessment prepared by the author for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

Author: Prof. Dr. jur. Walter Frenz, Maître en Droit Public, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen/Germany

Fig. 1. Circular Economy in mining (Own illustration based on: McCarney, G.; Donin, G.; Hossaini, S.; Patel, S.; Hossain, N.; Cairns, S. (2021): Primary Materials in the Emerging Circular Economy. Ottawa: Smart Prosperity Institute; University of Ottawa // Hagelüken, C. (2014): Recycling of (critical) metals. In: G. Gunn, Critical Metals Handbook, pp 41 – 81. Chichester (UK): John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. // Meskers, C. E. (2008): Coated Magnesium – Designed for Sustainability. Technische Universität Delft.)

Mining companies are the enablers of the energy transition and green future technologies, as they provide the materials urgently needed for these in increasing quantities and on a broader scale. The mining sector is a key industry with regard to many sustainability issues and is therefore confronted with complex demands from its stakeholders. Pressure is arising in particular from stricter political regulations and extensive demands from increasingly critical investors, who require compliance with a wide range of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria. In the search for solutions …

Authors: Stefanie Krause M. Sc., Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA), Bochum/Germany, Prof. Dr. rer. pol. Jürgen Kretschmann, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen/Germany

Aspects of the advanced blue mining concept, modified after: Langefeld, O.; Binder, A. (2022): Blue Mining. In: Frenz, W.; Preuße, A. (eds):. Yearbook of Sustainable Smart Mining and Energy 2021 – Technical, Economic and Legal Framework, vol 1. Springer, Cham.

The mining industry faces a complex and pressing challenge driven by an increasing demand for raw materials and a socially demanding and globalized world. The extraction of primary raw materials has gained importance as one of the cornerstones of humanity’s sustainable development, significantly because the necessary raw materials to evolve towards a sustainable future as copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt could be sourced by 2050 only in 10 % by recycling. Therefore, the remaining needed 90 % must be sourced by primary extraction …

Authors: Sandra Nowosad M.Sc., Mareike Bothe-Fiekert M.Sc., Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Oliver Langefeld, Abteilung für Maschinelle Betriebsmittel und Verfahren im Bergbau unter Tage, Technische Universität Clausthal (TUC), Clausthal-Zellerfeld/Germany

a) The iron hydroxide slurry gave the Roter Graben its name. b) Overflowing Roter Graben near Tuttendorf below the Fuchsmühlenweg. Photos: G.E.O.S. Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, mit freundlicher Genehmigung.

The challenges posed by the many geopolitical upheavals of the last years, as well as the need to find new ways of extracting raw materials and securing the raw material base for domestic industry, have long remained without any significant echo in Europe. Deep-rooted in relevant speeches and discussions is the awareness that mining per se is something dirty that causes lasting damage to the environment. The discussion about old mining with all its environmentally relevant facets overlooks the core issue of mining activity: the provision of raw materials. When mining activities cease …

Authors: Univ.-Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Martin Bertau, Martin Reiber M.Sc., Institut für Technische Chemie, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg/Germany

Technical scheme of the demonstrator set-up, separated into four major sections. The flow diagram displays the associated mass flows in terms of solids and liquids. Source: KIT

Geothermal fluids are a proven resource for sustainable baseload energy worldwide. Recently the fluids circulated in large volume streams in geothermal power plants have also come into focus for the potential of raw material extraction, such as Lithium. Geothermal fluids are the product of high-temperature and high-pressure water-rock interaction. This results in varying degrees of enrichment of different elements. Among them are elements of economic or strategic interest …

Authors: Valentin Goldberg M.Sc.^a,b, Dr. rer. nat. Daniel Winter^c, Dr. rer. nat. Elisabeth Eiche^d,e, Dr. rer. nat. Joachim Koschikowski^c, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Kohl^a, Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Diego Morata^b, Rebecca Schwantes PhD^f, Dr.-Ing. Peter Seibt^g, Julian Heboldt M.Sc.^g, Dr. rer. nat. Fabian Nitschke^a

^a Lehrstuhl für Geothermische Energie- und Lagerstättentechnik, Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Karlsruhe/Deutschland // ^b Andean Geothermal Center of Excellence (CEGA) und Department of Geology, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago/Chile // ^c Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE, Freiburg/Deutschland // ^d Lehrstuhl für Geochemie und Wirtschaftsgeologie und Labor für Umwelt- und Rohstoffanalytik (LERA) // ^e Institut für Angewandte Geowissenschaften, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Karlsruhe/Deutschland // ^f SolarSpring GmbH, Freiburg/Deutschland // ^g Geothermie Neubrandenburg GmbH, Neubrandenburg/Deutschland

MINING REPORT

Glückauf! 6/2023

Mining Law and Water Management Challenges as a Result of the Coal Phase-Out

The Seven Deadly Sins of German Politics on Raw Materials

Turning Times in the Supply of Energy and Raw Materials – Opportunities for Mine Surveying

Levy on Commodities Companies

Circular Economy in Mining – Active Integration of Environmental, Social and Governance Criteria into the Core Business

Blue Mining Strategically Integrates Circular Economy

ZauBer – Materials of the Future from Old Mines

Prototype Tests for the Treatment of Geothermal Waters for Raw Material Extraction and Freshwater Production

DRC Mining Week 2025

Dresdner Grundwassertage 2025