Réhabilitation de résidus miniers (Pontgibaud, Puy-de-Dôme, 2014).
© BRGM - Arnaud Pidon
EIT RawMaterials and its partners GTK, BRGM and DMT, together with M-solutions and Hannukainen Mining, received funding for this innovative project to develop a digital system to assist the mine closure process and its management.
A new and innovative project for the raw materials sector
Mining projects are unique industrial undertakings due to their inherently limited life time. Mine closure and the post-mining period are of key importance in reducing the environmental impacts of mining.
Progressive mine closure with ongoing reduction of risks and uncertainties is the modern industry standard for best closure outcomes. However, the management challenge is considerable due to the complexities, uncertainties and numerous internal and external stakeholders involved.
Developing a digital management system to reduce the environmental impacts of mine closures
Closurematic, a 3-year project launched in February 2018 in Kuopio, Finland, aims to develop a digital system to improve mine closure performance. The project aims to create a digital tool based on a system of forms, which, in combination with a database of good mine closure practice, will assist in :
- developing closure plans throughout the different operational phases ;
- providing context-specific technical support to operators ;
- managing and capitalising data ;
- developing proposals for monitoring and managing the closure process.