Region: Europe

Geological Service for Europe

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – GSEU” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.geologicalservice.eu%2F|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]Under the five-year Coordination and Support Action, The GSEU Project will develop a plan for a sustainable Geological Service for Europe as a permanent collaborative network of European geological surveys. GSEU will serve European society and support sound policies on water, energy, raw materials, hazards and all other areas requiring subsurface data and expertise.

GSEU will contribute to environmental sustainability and social prosperity in Europe through this service, supported by a powerful and comprehensive digital infrastructure. The overall objectives of GSEU are to develop pan-European harmonised data and information services across Europe with a focus on critical raw materials, geothermal energy resources and subsurface storage capacities for sustainable energy carriers and CO2 sequestration, groundwater dynamics and quality, geological and climate change information for coastal vulnerability assessment and geological baseline information.

The European Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management will be established under the project to support the implementation of the United Nations Framework Classification of Resources (UNFC) and the United Nations Resource Management System (UNRMS).

The geological data infrastructure will be developed on the basis of the existing European geological data infrastructure (EGDI) to provide permanent access to and dissemination of data and information services. The common European Geological Knowledge Base Platform will be provided as a single open access portal to the project results and the underlying data and information collections and infrastructures of the partners at national and regional level. The subsurface field touches the experiences of every European citizen and the stakeholder community of the GSEU project is diverse and broad at European, national and regional levels. There will be different types of continuous stakeholder engagement ranging from social media for online communication, online consultations, face-to-face workshops, round table discussions and conferences.

A comprehensive information and communication campaign will be carried out throughout the project.

For more information, visit:

GSEU: www.geologicalservice.eu
EGDI: www.europe-geology.eu
EGS: www.eurogeosurveys.or[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

June 13, 2023
Coking coal – the invisible fuel of green transition: Experts discuss at the European Financial Congress

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – JSW” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsw.pl%2Fen%2Fpress-office%2Fnews%2Farticle%2Fcoking-coal-the-invisible-fuel-of-green-transition-experts-discuss-at-the-european-financial-congress|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]From the perspective of one thousand meters underground – the place where the real green transition begins – the debate organized by Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa (JSW) at the European Financial Congress in Sopot brought unique insights and expert voices on financing mining companies that reduce emissions.

“Many people think of windmills or solar panels when they hear ‘green transition.’ But the truth is that it starts 1,000 meters underground,” said Robert Ostrowski, Vice-President of the Management Board for Financial Matters at JSW. He stressed that the steel industry, crucial to the green economy, is heavily dependent on coking coal, the raw material that JSW mines. It is a raw material that is included in the European list of critical raw materials, highlighting its strategic importance.

Tomasz Ślęzak, from ArcelorMittal, emphasized the role of steel in our daily lives. “It is impossible to imagine the modern world without steel. To produce 1 MW of solar power, 40 tons of steel are needed,” Ślęzak added. Thus, steel, a raw material invisible to many, is absolutely crucial for a green future world.

BGK’s Radosław Kwiecień noted that banks are increasingly open to decarbonization projects, while emphasizing the strategic importance of steel production in the supply chain.

The discussion showed that Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa not only takes responsibility for the energy transition, but also designates a path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. JSW’s continued mining of coking coal is therefore crucial to the future of Europe’s green economy.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

June 13, 2023
Second German region selected for geological studies

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – World Crunch” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fworldcrunch.com%2Fbusiness-finance%2Flithium-mines-in-europe%23toggle-gdpr|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]A second research area has been identified by Germany’s Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (Bundesgesellschaft für Endlagerung, BGE) for investigating terrestrial and airborne geophysical exploration methods that can provide reliable information for identifying a suitable site for hosting a high-level radioactive waste repository.

The GeoMetEr research project has been running since March and is being implemented by BGE together with eight other research partners. The goal of the EUR8.8 million (USD9.5 million) project, which will run until the end of 2028, is to develop and investigate geophysical measuring methods for above-ground exploration programmes in two research regions. The new measuring methods are aimed at achieving minimally invasive exploration of the site regions.

Two geologically different research regions, which had already been excluded from the site selection process, have now been named for testing the exploration methods.

An area located near the municipality of Langenweissbach, Saxony, in the Ore Mountains had earlier been selected for the examination of the crystalline host rock, building on a previous research project at the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg. The region was excluded from the repository site search due to active fault zones and influences from current or previous mining activity.

Now an area covering around 150 square kilometres has been chosen in the south of Baden-Württemberg for investigating the overburden of a mountain area. The area extends over the municipality of Sauldorf and the neighbouring municipalities of Wald, Herdwangen-Schönach, Messkirch, Pfullendorf, Leibertingen in the district of Sigmaringen, Mühlingen and Hohenfels in the district of Konstanz and Neuhausen ob Eck in the district of Tuttlingen. The region was excluded from the site selection process because of seismic activity.

In the selected regions, the suitability and informative value of various geophysical measuring methods and method combinations are to be examined more closely. The focus is on three measurement methods: seismic, magnetic and electromagnetic measurements from the air, and one research well per research region.

Various geophysical measuring methods are to be tested in the Sauldorf research region by 2027. These include 2D seismic, airborne magnetic and electromagnetic measurements. In addition, in a next step, BGE and its project partners are planning to determine an area of 25 hectares in which high-resolution 3D seismics and a research borehole of up to 600 metres depth are to be carried out. In addition, testing of magnetic and electromagnetic measurements with helicopters and drones is planned for autumn 2023.

The first magnetic and electromagnetic measurements from the air as well as the first seismic measurements are planned in the Langenweissbach research region from winter 2023.

The experiences and results collected will then be brought together in order to develop and optimise exploration strategies for the two research regions.

In September 2020, BGE published a list of potential storage sites in Germany for radioactive waste. It identified 90 areas covering 54% of the country’s surface area as potentially geologically suitable. The report excluded a site at a former salt mine in Gorleben that was previously thought suitable. The selected site would store about 1900 containers of waste, which account for 5% of Germany’s total nuclear waste but 99% of its radioactivity. A final decision is scheduled for 2031 with the aim to start using the selected site in 2050.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

June 13, 2023
Analysis: Decarbonisation Plan of Bosnia and Herzegovina

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – Sarajevo Times” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fsarajevotimes.com%2Fanalysis-decarbonisation-plan-of-bosnia-and-herzegovina%2F|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]The National Energy and Climate Plan of BiH, the draft of which was recently promoted, aims to prepare the country for smooth decarbonization starting in 2030. Its implementation is considered a development opportunity with regard to natural potentials. Procrastination and non-implementation can lead to the collapse of the existing economic concept. The BiH Council of Ministers should adopt this plan by the end of the year.

Sikulje. Surface mine of the Kreka mine. 700 thousand tons of coal per year from this mine are burned by TPP Tuzla. So far, they have exploited about 35 percent of the coal reserves. 1,800 mine workers were engaged in this, as well as the Dubrave mine and the Mramor pit. However, coal mining is coming to an end.

“We have heard that it is being talked about and no one is in a position to behave calmly and easily, it is difficult for everyone that it would be closed today or tomorrow, it does not matter,” says the shift supervisor of the Kreka mine, Šikulje miner, Sabahudin Kurtić.

The plan of the mine is to make the most of the coal, as long as possible. Action plans after the closure of the mine are at the level of ideas.

“I see the perspective of the mine that it will work in the coming years. The next 15-20 years,” Kreka mine director Hasan Bleković briefly stated.

The holding that manages mines and thermal power plants in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will start shutting down mines and reducing the production of electricity from coal in five to eight years.

“By the year 30, roughly, it is planned that pit exploitation will end. There will remain surface exploitation and some pit exploitation will remain where the coal is of good quality,” said Assistant General Director for Development of Elektroprivreda BiH Mustafa Musić.

At the same time, two TPP units in Tuzla and one in Kakanj with a total capacity of 450 MW will also cease operation. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 41 percent compared to the reference year 1990 is only part of the National Energy and Climate Plan.

The NECP also includes measures to increase the share of RES and energy efficiency, energy stability, establishment of the internal energy market, and encouragement of research, innovation and competitiveness.

“Through the negotiations with the EC and the EEC, we have agreed that coal is a transition fuel for us and we will use coal until we switch to renewable energy sources,” said Admir Softić from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The authorities do not understand the process that many call the new industrial revolution, experts for a sustainable energy transition claim. Poor planning, a weak economy and an expensive decarbonisation process require support.

“Among other things, we think that the EU must show much more solidarity with the countries of the region, first of all, in restructuring the mining regions and solving the problem of energy poverty, and in a much more structured way than they are doing so far,” says Mirza Kušljugić from the Center for Sustainable Energy Transition RESET.

The introduction of taxes on CO2 emissions will make the production of electricity from coal unprofitable, our interlocutors assure. A key transitional tool could be the decision for Bosnia and Herzegovina to develop an internal emissions market according to the ETS model and use that money to develop green projects. The CBAM export tax model is much less favorable, because the money goes to the funds of the importing countries.

“With the introduction of CBAM, harmonization at the borders of Europe regarding the payment of taxes on CO2 emissions, i.e. with the introduction of the ETS, the profitability of operating coal-fired thermal power plants will practically decrease, that is, they will not exist and our thermal power plants will be closed by 2035 at the latest,” says Denis Žiško from Center for Ecology and Energy.

Acting on time is becoming an increasingly expensive currency of the energy transition. A politically and institutionally complicated country like Bosnia and Herzegovina spends years fulfilling various prerequisites. The last train has left.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

June 13, 2023
Geomet to buy land for lithium plant in Czech Republic

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European Metals’ subsidiary Geomet has agreed to acquire land at the Dukla industrial site in Újezdeček municipality in the Czech Republic, where it intends to build a lithium processing facility.

Geomet owns the Cinovec project, which is claimed to hold one of the largest lithium deposits in Europe and is also one of the largest underdeveloped tin resources in the world.

Geomet will purchase the Dukla site for $43.96m.

The site has an existing industrial usage permit and is owned by four private companies. Peripheral and adjacent land relevant to the site is held by the Czech state and/or by local public bodies.

Geomet will acquire one of the land packages and has entered into an exclusive option agreement to acquire the other three.

The Dukla site is an appropriate location to build a lithium plant for the mineral processing of the ore from Cinovec and to produce battery-grade lithium.

The company applied for the rezoning of the land around the Dukla site, the ore transport corridor and the Cinovec mine portal area in April 2022.

The result of the application is anticipated in the final quarter of 2023.

Once the firm secures the rezoning application, it plans to use the option and acquire the three land packages.

CEZ and European Metals own a 51% and a 49% stake in Geomet respectively.

Geomet also owns mineral exploration licences issued by the Czech Republic for the Cinovec lithium/tin project.

It secured a preliminary mining permit from the country’s ministry of environment and ministry of industry.

Cinovec holds significant hard rock lithium deposits with a total measured mineral resource of 53.3Mt at 0.48% of lithium oxide (Li2O) and 0.08% tin (Sn).

The indicated mineral resources stand at 360.2Mt at 0.44% Li2 O and 0.05% Sn. Inferred mineral resources were 294.7Mt at 0.39% Li2O and 0.05% Sn, containing a combined 7.39 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent and 335.1kt of tin.

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June 13, 2023
Germany will present security strategy this week, including focus on raw materials

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Clean Energy Wire

Germany’s government will present the long-awaited National Security Strategy on Wednesday (14 June), with critical raw materials as one focus, said chancellor Olaf Scholz at the East German Economic Forum. “Raw materials play a central role in the diversification of our supply chains,” said Scholz, adding that the European Union was working to secure a reliable supply of strategically important raw materials for Europe with the Critical Raw Materials Act. “Next Wednesday, we will adopt our National Security Strategy in Cabinet. It will also focus on precisely this issue,” said the chancellor.

Germany’s ruling coalition had agreed to present a “comprehensive national security strategy” – the first of its kind – within the first year in office but the drafting was delayed due to discussions within the coalition. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underlined the importance of a consistent strategy which can be followed by all ministries – from defence to energy. It forced Germany to radically rethink many fundamental policy fields, such as its energy policy, given that the country used to be heavily dependent on Russian fossil fuels.

The media reported that the government would use the strategy to enshrine a vow to spend 2 percent of Germany’s economic output on defence, which is a NATO target. However, climate change is also set to play a major role. In a speech in March 2022, foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said that the strategy would be aimed at “securing our livelihood, including its foundations”. The climate crisis and its effects on people’s lives around the world would be at the heart of the strategy, she said, calling climate change “the security policy question of our time”. The government is also working on a China Strategy and a Climate Foreign Policy Strategy, which are both intertwined with the National Security Strategy.

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June 13, 2023
Germany Warns of Industry Shutdown If Russian Gas Stops Flowing

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – Yahoo (bloomberg)” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fuk.style.yahoo.com%2Fgermany-warns-industry-shutdown-russian-092102943.html%3Fguccounter%3D1%26guce_referrer%3DaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8%26guce_referrer_sig%3DAQAAAD1STxqbbjfccM0EuUuVX7lQDI6Lh10JGaPJeWYXx_IR–BA5KJIto6lBkCqCzh_TXXSKckdNIyaa_ZFeMKdDaYRtqo6hx1MrhmvKybYU5Kq-tama2hL3QZZRH7u_Za0XDGuX-DmPaUgUZnjUbRFCOdeR1QDJSmmd9heqQkPXs_n|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text](Bloomberg) — Germany may be forced to wind down or even switch off industrial capacity if Ukraine’s gas transit agreement with Russia isn’t extended after it expires at the end of next year, according to Economy Minister Robert Habeck.

Habeck, who is also the vice chancellor, issued the stark warning Monday at an economic conference in eastern Germany, saying that policymakers should avoid “making the same mistake again” of assuming that the economy will be unaffected without precautions to secure energy supplies.

Rules on sharing the burden of potential gas shortages in Eastern Europe would have to be respected, meaning Germany would have to export gas there to offset the deficit and manufacturers in Europe’s biggest economy could have their supply restricted or cut, he added.

“There is no secure scenario for how things will turn out,” Habeck said at the forum in Bad Saarow. Additional capacity — including a planned LNG terminal on Germany’s north coast that has provoked opposition from locals and environmental groups — will therefore be essential to maintain supply to both Eastern Germany and Eastern Europe, he said.

Despite the full-scale invasion of the country by Kremlin forces in February last year, Ukraine is still earning transit fees by allowing Russian gas to flow through its territory to countries like Austria, Slovakia, Italy, and Hungary.

Even if some supply continues beyond 2024, it’s unlikely that the current transit agreement will be extended under similar conditions, given the lack of political support, according to a report by the Center on Global Energy Policy published last week.

“Direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on the extension of the transit contract look highly implausible in the current environment,” according to the reports authors, Anne-Sophie Corbeau and Tatiana Mitrova.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

June 13, 2023
EBRD mulls up to 35 mln euro decarbonisation loan to Bulgaria’s Stomana Industry

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – SeeNews” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fseenews.com%2Fnews%2Febrd-mulls-up-to-35-mln-euro-decarbonisation-loan-to-bulgarias-stomana-industry-825547|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]June 12 (SeeNews) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said it is reviewing a project for a loan of up to 35 million euro ($37.6 million) to Bulgaria’s Stomana Industry in support of medium-term investments in decarbonisation, including the installation of a solar photovoltaic system for own use.

The proposed senior secured loan, with a tenor of up to seven years, would come in two tranches, namely a committed 25 million euro first tranche, with a further 10 million to be offered at the bank’s sole discretion, EBRD said in a project document on Friday.

The total project cost is 57.3 million euro, according to the document.

Stomana Industry, a Pernik-based steel mill, part of Belgium-based corporation Viohalco, will use the loan to finance its decarbonisation strategy, in the areas of energy and water efficiency, quality and cost optimisation measures as well as to rid itself of production bottlenecks. Production equipment and related infrastructure are to be modernised to lower energy consumption, while improvements to the plant’s water sourcing, treatment and recirculation infrastructure are also planned.

Stomana Industry will deploy some of the funds for the construction of a 10 MW solar PV array at its production site, the document also showed.

Founded in 1953, Stomana Industry manufactures flat and long steel products, and promotes the circular economy by exclusively using recycled ferrous scrap for the production of hot rolled plates. Stomana Industry is part of Sidenor Group, the steel production, processing and trading arm of Greece-founded Viohalco.[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

June 12, 2023
Norway opens vast ocean area to deep-sea mining

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Norway is planning to obtain government position to deep-sea mine for battery metals, sparking debates and calls for caution across NGO organisations

Norway is preparing to open an area of ocean nearly the size of Germany to use for deep-sea mining, as it becomes one of the first countries to extract battery metals from the sea floor. In the race for critical mineral sourcing, Norway wants to get ahead of the curve and is preparing plans to submit to the Norwegian parliament, pending approval.

Polymetallic nodules have been found on the seafloor at depths of around 3,500-6,000m containing base metals used in energy transition technologies including batteries. The nodules contain materials like copper, manganese, nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate.

Debates over the global impact of deep-sea mining continue

Those that support the expansion of deep-sea mining believe that the action is central to meeting the increasing demand of mineral growth. The demand for copper and rare earth metals is predicted to grow by 40%, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), which also expects the demand for nickel, cobalt and lithium to grow by 60%, 70% and 90%, respectively.

Amund Vik, State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, told the Financial Times that the government would take “a precautionary approach.” He also stated that deep-sea mining is essential in order to fill the “desperate need for more minerals, rare earth materials to make the transition happen”.

The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, which includes international NGOs such as WWF, Fauna & Flora and Greenpeace have recently called out claims by the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, that deep-sea mining can be done in a way which does not harm natural diversity in the ocean, as published in Norwegian newspaper Bergens Tidende.

These groups have asked for a pause on deep-sea mining plans as a precaution so that scientists can weigh up the risks that this type of mining may pose to both ecosystems and the global climate.

From a geopolitical perspective, Norway is positioned to spark debate if it agrees to begin mining near the Arctic Circle. The International Seabed Authority, as part of the UN, has the deadline of 9th July to put regulation in place before deep-sea mining will be permitted to begin across the industry.

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June 12, 2023
Russian invasion increases challenges, risks for Ukraine coal mines

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][distance desktop_type=”30″][lvs][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_btn title=”Source – reuters.com” color=”sky” i_type=”material” i_icon_material=”vc-material vc-material-perm_device_information” add_icon=”true” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Frussian-invasion-increases-challenges-risks-ukraine-coal-mines-2023-06-09%2F|target:_blank”][distance desktop_type=”30″][vc_column_text]EAST UKRAINE, June 9 (Reuters) – Russia’s invasion has thrown up huge challenges for Ukraine’s coal mines, from the danger posed by air strikes to the departure of miners for the front to fight.

But pits are still producing coal in parts of eastern Ukraine that are not occupied by Russia, an act of defiance that the miners see as vital to the war effort.

“We are faced with new challenges, new problems…Last year there were several times when we had to stop production,” Viktor Kuznetsov, chief engineer at a large mine in east Ukraine, told Reuters. He asked for the mine not to be named for security reasons.

“But nevertheless … we plan to increase coal production at our enterprise, even in relation to the past (before the war).”

Kuznetsov said that more than 400 staff had been mobilised since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, and a total of about 700 since just before the start of hostilities involving Russian separatist proxies in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

Some, he said, had been replaced by other workers, including 436 displaced by the war.

Other problems caused by the war included difficulties with supplies of equipment, missile strikes and the damage caused by Russian attacks.

On one occasion, work at the mine was halted because a local substation was struck during a Russian attack and power to the area was lost while miners were underground.

“During one of the shifts, when we were working underground, there was a hit on the power plant, and the mine lost power. And we had to go out through emergency exits,” said miner Andrii Yurkov.

Yurkov worked in another mine in the Donetsk region before fleeing his home in the city of Maryinka last year with his pregnant wife.

“Well, as they say, the war has come here too…No matter how we try to get away from the war, it slowly gets here,” he said.

He underlined the need to keep working to prevent the mine coming to a standstill.

“Despite the shelling, we continued to work, because we understand that the enterprise will not work without (our) work. And, of course, there will be no light and energy, which is very necessary for our country.”

Kuznetsov said the mine had managed to keep going because it had prepared for various scenarios including the loss of power when miners were underground.

“We were preparing for this. That is, from the moment the war began, probably literally the first two months were just spent on developing all those measures, possible situations that could somehow affect the work of our enterprise because of the hostilities,” he said.

Reporting by Vitalii Hnidyi; Writing by Timothy Heritage; Editing by Christina Fincher[/vc_column_text][distance desktop_type=”30″][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]

June 9, 2023