The RAWMINA project, funded by the European Union, will test new technologies developed by Spanish mining company Cobre Las Cruces (CLC) to extract cobalt, tungsten, gold, and silver from mine waste. These pioneering extraction methods offer benefits such as lower energy and chemical consumption, reduced CO2 footprint, and lower capital and operational costs compared to conventional metallurgical processes.
One of these methods is bioleaching: a hydrometallurgical process that uses microorganisms to extract metals from rocks. This innovative approach will provide critical raw materials that are essential for the energy transition, both for the development of renewable energies and for new energy storage systems such as electric vehicle batteries.
CLC’s Director of Innovation and Environment, Joaquín Gotor, said that this project will enable the company to add new metals to its production portfolio using circular economy principles, contributing to greater environmental sustainability. Marco Lopes, Impact Acceleration Manager at Crowdhelix – a project partner – sees RAWMINA as being at the forefront of mitigating EU critical resource scarcity.
The RAWMINA project commenced in 2021 and is now entering its final phase. It involves an international consortium consisting of 19 specialist partners from 10 countries. By harnessing the potential of mine waste resources through the development of an innovative pilot system, RAWMINA aims to establish a sustainable and efficient process for extracting these essential materials.