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Research Project is Developing Deeper Critical Raw Material Exploration

The EU’s ambitious goals as outlined in the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), NetZero Industry Act and the European Green Deal will lead to an increase in critical raw material (CRM) demand. To meet the demand, the utilization of the deposits deeper in the bedrock needs research and development. Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) is coordinating EU Horizon Europe project that is creating a paradigm shift in the exploration of deep critical raw materials.

Two people in reflective clothing working in a forest.

The UNDERCOVER (Unified Novel Deep ExploRation for Critical Ore discoVERy) research project aims to enhance the responsible supply of raw materials. The project´s objectives include advancing deep mineral exploration technologies, stimulating research and development, and enabling their responsible exploitation by exploration and mining stakeholders within EU.

The project aims to develop deep CRM exploration. This will be done by transforming the mineral systems concept into the first viable strategy for systematically exploring CRM deposits hidden deeper in the bedrock. The project will develop and integrate novel geophysical technologies and methods that are both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Actions will be implemented to address and mitigate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects of mineral exploration at all stages. Additionally, the use of the United Nations Framework for Classification (UNFC) will be promoted to introduce a more innovative, effective, and socially and environmentally responsible exploration strategy. UNFC has been created to harmonize the classification and management of raw materials to achieve sustainable development goals.

The project has a strong network of international and European cooperation

The research project will run for three years and is launched on 1st January 2025. The 5-million-euro project brings together 16 partners from Finland, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Portugal, Namibia, and Canada. The consortium includes geological surveys, universities, research institutes, exploration companies, industrial clusters, and SMEs, highlighting a strong network of international and European cooperation.

“This collaboration fosters the exchange of knowledge and expertise across borders, aiming at a comprehensive approach to deep mineral exploration. By leveraging the strengths of each partner, the project aims to achieve significant advancements in sustainable raw material exploration,” says Jochen Kamm, Research Professor, Geological Survey of Finland.

In addition to this, the project will cooperate with other EU projects dealing with deep exploration challenges.

The approach developed in the project could increase EU’s CRM resources at a lower cost than conventional methods

Europe holds significant potential for CRMs, particularly in regions like the Fennoscandian Shield and the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Yet, after centuries of mining, shallow and easily accessible deposits are becoming less common. Therefore, we must also focus on deep deposits.

Traditional mineral exploration methods typically involve searching for anomalous signatures, such as anomalies in geochemical or airborne geophysical data, which are then verified through drilling. Despite having extensive empirical data for a given area, discovering deep deposits hidden deeper in the bedrock remains exceedingly rare. In this context, “deep” refers to depths ranging from a few hundred meters to over 1 kilometer below the Earth’s surface.

If systematically applied across the union, the approach to deep exploration to be developed in this project could increase EU’s CRM resources at a lower cost than conventional methods.

Case studies in Finland (Kuusamo Schist Belt), Portugal (Iberian Pyrite Belt), and Namibia (Kalahari Copper Belt) will serve to the develop and integrate the technologies comprising the new strategy.

More information

Juha Kaija, Senior specialist, Project Manager
juha.kaija@gtk.fi
Tel. +358 29 503 2572

Jochen Kamm, Research Professor
jochen.kamm@gtk.fi
Tel. +358 29 503 2228

List of partners:

  • Geological Survey of Finland (Finland)
  • French Geological Survey (France)
  • University of Münster (Germany)
  • Institute of Geophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic)
  • LGI sustainable innovation (France)
  • Portugal Mineral Resources Cluster (Portugal)
  • University of Évora (Portugal)
  • Ongwe Minerals (Pty) Ltd (Namibia)
  • Supracon AG (Germany)
  • Institute of Photonic Technology (Germany)
  • Latitude 66 Cobalt Oy (Finland)
  • National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (Portugal)
  • Technische Universität Berlin (Germany)
  • Smart Seismic Solutions (France)
  • Redcorp – Empreendimos Mineiros, Lda (Portugal)
  • Institut national de la recherche scientifique (Canada)

UNDERCOVER receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement 101177528.