Circularity-integrated mining (CINTEM)

Introduction

CINTEM – Circularity-Integrated Mining is a Co-Innovation project funded by Business Finland. In CINTEM, Finnish research institutes and companies work together to develop ways to integrate mining projects into the circular economy already at the planning stage, utilising flows of data from the early deposit models all the way to final mineral products.

The amount of extractive waste and its social and economic significance are considerable. In Finland, mineral waste accounts for 74 per cent of all waste streams and the waste recovery rate is low. This means not only environmental risks for society, but also missed economic opportunities. A sustainable mining industry is possible if operating methods based on separate processes and the linear economy are abandoned and efforts are made to integrate different industries and business models into one profitable entity by utilising digitalisation already at the planning stage. The CINTEM approach is unique. It can reduce waste such as tailings and waste rock, increase the utilisation of mined materials, improve the quality of final wastes, and facilitate the utilisation of old extractive waste facilities, for example as sources of critical raw materials.

CINTEM is divided into work packages that develop the integration of circular data into deposit and mining models, data flows and methods for mining and mineral processing, new mineral products, recovery of new valuable materials, material cycles at mine sites, and the development of new ecosystems and business models to enable economically viable integration into the circular economy. The project involves close international cooperation, e.g. Chile and Australia.

Partners: The CINTEM consortium consists of four universities and research institutes: Geological Survey of Finland (coordinator), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, LUT University, and the University of Oulu. Each of them participates in the activities of several work packages. The companies involved in their own development projects are Tapojärvi Oy and Hannukainen Mining Oy, Sokli Oy, AFRY Finland Oy, Betolar Oy, Lateral Engine Oy and IMA Engineering Oy. In addition, Weeefiner Oy, Normet Oy and LKAB Minerals Oy are participating in the project with in-kind investments.

The coordinator of the project: Geological Survey of Finland

Funding authority: Business Finland

Contact person: Aleksi Salo

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