A. PREPARATORY ACTIONS
A1. Policy and legislation assessment.
An extensive review of the different waste management policies and directives at European, Spanish, British and German level had been performed in order to cover the whole range of legislation that could affect the environmental problem targeted in the DEMINE project. In that sense, policies related to the protection of water bodies and mining directives had been assessed as the main legal framework affecting the environmental problem targeted.
STATE: COMPLETED
Links of interest:
A2. Assessment of the European mining sector. Characterisation of several mining effluents.
An extensive database containing the composition of several mining effluents across Europe has been developed. In particular, the database already contains 5618 data sets from 90 different European mining sites, but it will be extended during the whole project execution. At the same time, a European map showing the location of the mining sites contained in the database has been created to better locate the regions affected by these polluting effluents.
STATE: COMPLETED
Links of interest:
B. IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS
B1. Process design and selection of the operating parameters.
The treatment process proposed will be based upon membranes and electrocoagulation (EC). Both of these technologies are well-known and are established separately for various applications, but it will be the first time that they will be tested together to treat mining wastewaters. Therefore, it is essential to define the optimal operational parameters that are required to specifically treat the mine wastewaters from the selected sites before completing the plant engineering in order to assure robust performance of the new process.
Using bench scale equipment, SWANSEA will test and optimize the different steps involved in the innovative treatment process to define the best operation conditions and to make a first evaluation of the process performance for the three mining wastewaters coming from the two project sites.
Links of interest:
STATE: COMPLETED
B2. Design and construction of the innovative mining effluent treatment process.
The main objective of this action is to construct a Mining Effluent Treatment Process (METP) in order to be tested and then deployed to the two trial sites in the project. ELENTEC, with the support of SWANSEA, will design and construct the prototype.
Links of interest:
STATE: COMPLETED
B3. Implementation and operation of the innovative treatment ptocess in Welsh abandoned mines.
The main objective of this action is to demonstrate METP plant at the first deployment site in Wales, UK. The innovative treatment process will be tested in Welsh abandoned mines. The quality of the final water obtained, as well as the quality of the recovered products will be evaluated.
STATE: COMPLETED
B4. Implementation and operation of the innovative treatment ptocess in German mines.
The main objective of this action is to demonstrate the METP plant at the second deployment site in Germany, EU. The innovative treatment process will be tested in German abandoned mines. The quality of the final water obtained, as well as the quality of the recovered products will be evaluated.
STATE: COMPLETED
B5. Replication and transferability of the obtained results.
This action aims to establish the guidelines to properly transfer and exploit the LIFE DEMINE result.
Links of interest:
STATE: COMPLETED
C. MONITORING OF THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT ACTIONS
C1. Monitoring the project’s sustainability. Design and construction of the innovative mining effluent treatment process.
The first monitoring task will be devoted to analyze the performance of the currently available techniques to treat mining effluents from an environmental and economic point of view, with the goal to determine “best in class” and “worst in class” treatments. This task aims to set up a benchmark to compare the DEMINE technology with the available options.
The environmental impact of the project will be assessed by means of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA will be performed using the methodology and criteria established by the ISO 14040 and 14044. The calculation methodology proposed is ReCiPe (H) at both midpoint and endpoint levels, hence including impact oriented and damage oriented categories. Fig C.10 shows the system boundaries of the environmental analysis.
STATE: COMPLETED
Links of interest:
- D_C.1.1_Summary_Envrionmental and economic impact analyses
- D_C1.3.2_Metodology guide for environmental, social and economic impact mitigation
C2. Monitoring and measuring og the LIFE project performance indicators.
The Action C.2 aims to monitor and measure the identified LIFE project performance indicators in order to quantify the project impact on the environmental problem targeted. This action will be devoted to compile the information needed to update and quantify the performance indicators suggested and enclosed in this proposal.
STATE: COMPLETED
D. PUBLIC AWARENESS AND DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS
D1. Dissemination planning and development of the dissemination pack.
This action aims to disseminate:
-The environmental problem caused by abandoned mine effluents in water bodies
-The main objectives and results of the DEMINE project.
This will be done by creation of a communication strategy and dissemination plan, project website, information boards, Layman’s report, scientific publications, brochures, project promotional video and broadcast in the local media.
Links of interest:
- D_D.1.1_Summary_Communication strategy and dissemination plan
- D_D.1_Brochures_Life Demine
- D_D.1_LIFE DEMINE_Information board / Roll-up Life Demine PRAS / Roll-up Life Demine Elentec / Roll-up Life Demine DGRC
- D_D.1_LIFE DEMINE_promotional video
- D_D1._Report DEMINE tool
- D_D.1.5_Laymans
STATE: COMPLETED
D2. Open days and networking.
The LIFE DEMINE project management will be harnessed by an expert team with several years of experience
in management of national and international projects.
This will be done by performing networking activities with other projects, attending to international conferences, participating in social media and organizing open days.
Links of interest:
- D_D.2.1_Report_Summary of the open days performed_FINAL
- D_D.2.2_Report_Summary of the networking activities_FINAL
STATE: COMPLETED
E. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
E1. Project management.
The LIFE DEMINE project management will be harnessed by an expert team with several years of experience in management of national and international projects.
The After Life+ communication plan will give short detail about the project indicating the innovation and demonstration aspects of the project. The plan will then, detail the Environmental, Social and Economic benefits of the project and showing how the project is relevant to European legislation.
Links of interest:
STATE: COMPLETED