The EURARE Project: Development of a sustainable exploitation scheme for Europe's rare earth ore deposits

Efthymios Balomenos, Panagiotis Davris, Eimear Deady, Jason Yang, Dimitris Panias, Bernd Friedrich, Koen Binnemans, Gulaim Seisenbaeva, Carsten Dittrich, Per Kalvig, Ioannis Paspaliaris

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

31 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Numerous European industries are heavily dependent on imported rare earth element (REE) raw materials. This has created a need for the European Union (EU) to ensure a sustainable supply of REE minerals, as well as develop from the ground up the currently non-existent European REE extraction and processing industry. In order to support this, the European Commission, through the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) scheme, funded the EURARE project which runs from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2017. Through the EURARE project, selected European REE deposits have been researched and in certain cases identified resources were successfully processed for REE production. Several REE deposits across Europe have been the focus of detailed geological field and laboratory work. Mineral concentrates obtained from the Norra Kärr deposit in Sweden, the Kringlerne deposit in Greenland and the Kvanefjeld deposit in Greenland, Rødberg ore from Norway and bauxite residue from Greece were tested from laboratory to pilot scale by means of conventional and innovative metallurgical processing. The novel technologies developed provide efficiency and selectivity in various steps of the metallurgical processing, from ore beneficiation to metal production. A road map for sustainable REE production in Europe is now being developed, which includes an evaluation of the environmental benefits and risks of the EURARE technologies.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)142-153
Number of pages12
JournalJohnson Matthey Technology Review
Volume61
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2017

Programme Area

  • Programme Area 4: Mineral Resources

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