Report from 1st MIN-NOVATION Baltic Network meeting, 25.04.11

Report from the 1^st MIN-NOVATION Baltic Network and 1^st Project Steering Committee meeting –Tallinn, Estonia

Between 11 – 14 April 2011 within the framework of Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007 – 2013 in Tallinn University of Technology in Estonia took place the 1^st MIN-NOVATION Baltic Network (MBN) meeting and the 1^st Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting which have been continuation of MIN-NOVATION kick off meeting from 27 – 28 January 2011. The meeting was organized by Veiko Karu and his colleagues from the University – thank you for great work!

The meeting starts with welcome speech given by Authority of Tallinn University of Technology - Vice-Rector for research Professor Erkki Truve. Then the overview of the University and Department of Mining were gave by Vice-Rector Professor Erkki Truve and Professor Ingo Vagma – Head of Mining Department.

After official part of the MIN-NOVATION meeting the Project Steering Committee proceedings chaired by Professor Marek Cała started. During this session the following issues were presented and discussed:

1.    General rules of the Steering Committee function

2.    Review of the Kick-off Meeting Minutes

3.    Leaders’ tasks and responsibilities

4.    Communication plan between Work packages Leader, project Leader and project Partners

5.    Report of 1^st Project Progress

6.    Budget shifting – flexible rule

7.    Min – Novation meeting timetable

8.    Next tasks and term of the next Steering Committee

All discussed issues were accepted by members of Steering Committee. The timeframe of next SC was fixed – it will take place in November 2011 in Finland.

The aim of the MIN-NOVATION project for year 2011 is to set up transnational network (MBN), which will be consist of 6 regional networks (MRNs) from partners’ countries: Estonia, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland and Sweden. During international meeting in Tallinn the Min-Novation Baltic Network was established with the aim of facilitating the transfer of innovation and good practice in the Baltic Sea region, and in particular in the countries represented in the MIN-NOVATION consortium, in the area of mining and mineral processing waste management. The body running the MBN is a committee made up of representatives of MIN-NOVATION partner organizations. The MBN will be operate in parallel to the MRNs, and will provide complementary activities to that of the MRNs.

The most important points established during 1^st MBN meeting are:

1.    Detailed Work Plan together with Min–Novation meeting timetable (places and organisation)

2.    WP3 organisation (aims, activities, goals and tasks for Min-Novation Regional Network meeting in WP3, goals and tasks for Min-Novation Baltic Network meeting in WP3, specify outputs for WP3)

3.    Draft of catalogue of SMEs

4.    Communications Plan

5.    Activity for WP4.

Each Partners’ Institution were provided presentations at the level of WP3 tasks and outputs.

During MBN session interesting presentation about “Utilization of Waste Rock From Estonian Oil Shale Mining” was given by Tarmo Tohver. It was good introduction to technical tours to the oil shale mines and waste heaps.

Fot. 1. Project Steering Committee meeting chaired by Professor Marek Cała – Chairman of PSC

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 11.04.2011

Fot. 2. Participants of the 1^st MBN meeting at the Tallinn University of Technology

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 11.04.2011

At the end of The MBN meeting in Estonia the very interesting technical tours to the sites of oil shale, phosphate rock, limestone and black shale (uranium) extraction or waste storage took place.

The Estonian oil shale deposits are the biggest in Europe and covers about 3,000 km², from which 425 km² have been mined. The beginning of oil shale extraction at the territory of Estonia dates back to the 1916, and a total of one billion tonnes of oil shale has been mined. There are 4.9 billion ton of oil shale reserves in Estonia (~ 1.4 billion ton of  mineable reserve; ~ 2.2 billion ton of submarinal mineral resource; ~ 1.3 billion ton in protected areas) [1, 2].

The Estonian oil shale is found at depths of 10–70 meters below the surface, they are extracted by both open cast – when deposits lies up to 30 meters below the ground, and by underground mining – when deposits lies more than 30 meters below the ground. The calorific value of the usable oil shale is about 1,900–2,600 kcal (8–11 MJ/kg). Oil shale can be used directly either a fuel for producing energy or synthetic oil. More than 90% of the electricity produced in Estonia comes from oil shale [2].

The oil shale mines which were visited first (April 13) belong to the Eesti Energia – Aidu and Vanaküla. This company is the leading energy company in the Baltic states and the largest company in the world working with oil shale – each year about  15 million tonnes of oil shale are used to produce energy. Nowadays 3142 people are working for Eesti Energia Mines (in two open cast and two underground mines)  [1,2].

Beside the topsoil, which is easily to remove by excavator the overburden contains a big amount of limestone, which needs to be blasted before it can be removed (fot. 4).

Fot. 3. Min-Novation project Participants in the Aidu oil shale open cast mine 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 13.04.11

Fot. 4. Overburden dump at the Aidu oil shale open cast mine 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 13.04.11

Fot. 5. Aidu oil shale open cast mine – separation plant 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 13.04.11

Fot. 6. Vanaküla oil shale open cast mine 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 13.04.11

The oil shale, limestone or phosphorite mining activities provide the large scale of waste, which are very visible especially in “flat” landscape. Only in Ida-Virumaa County the total volume of wastes from oil shale mining is more than 76 million m³ and it covers about 790 ha. They are located on the area of abandoned mines.

We had opportunity to see large waste heap at the Estonia oil shale mine (1,5 by 1,5 km and 50 m high), which is now preparing for new use – track racing (fot. 7).

Fot. 7. Waste rock heap at the Estonia underground oil shale mine

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 13.04.11

Fot. 8. Oil shale semi-coke heap at the Kiviõli mine – with the view point at the top 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 13.04.11

Fot. 9. Oil shale semi-coke heap at the Kiviõli mine 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 13.04.11

Fot. 10. Oil shale semi-coke heap at the Kiviõli mine 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 13.04.11

During the second day of our technical tour (April 14) Min-Novation Project Participants visited the Väo Limestone quarry in Tallinn operated by Limestone Product Factory LLC, which is one of the oldest producers of construction materials in Estonia and holds the leading position amongst the companies producing crushed limestone. During last years the production is based on the waste materials located at the quarry’s bottom. The secondary raw materials will be re-extracted during the next 10-12 years and after this time limestone natural deposit, which lies 1,5 below the quarry’s bottom will be extracted. In 2008 a waste product remanufacturing line was installed.

Fot. 11. Väo Limestone quarry in Tallinn – secondary raw material deposits on the quarry’s bottom – CDE separation 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 14.04.11

Fot. 12. Väo Limestone quarry in Tallinn – CDE separation

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 14.04.11

At the end of the day MIN-NOVATION Partners visited phosphorite rock post-mining area and burned black shale  waste heap in Jõelähtme, close to Tallinn. The phosphorite rock deposits which are located in this region are the biggest in Europe. Some part of phosphorite deposits is mix with clay shale includes organic substance, sulpher and other minerals. Clay shale mixed with air and water causes spontaneous combustions and dangerous gas is emitted to the environment [5].

Fot. 13. Phosphorite rock mined out area 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 14.04.11

Fot. 14. Phosphorite rock mined out area 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 14.04.11

Fot. 15. Phosphorite rock post-mining area 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 14.04.11

Fot. 16. Phosphorite rock post-mining area 

From MIN-NOVATION meeting in Tallinn, 14.04.11

Very good organization of the meeting, which included – besides presentations and discussion on Workpackage 3 related issues – very interesting presentations about mining, current research connected with mining and environment conducting by the University, waste utilization, as well as technical tours gave us the great overview of the mining and waste management in Estonia.

For more information about project
please go to: www.min-novation.eu
                                               Anna Ostręga and Justyna Adamczyk

Sources:

1.    Eesti Energia Mines: „Everything begins with oil shale mining in Estonia”. Power Point Presentation, April 2011.

2.    Eesti Energia Mines: https://www.energia.ee/en/power/oilshale/mining, April 13, 2011.

3.    Information from technical tours, April 13 – 14.

4.    Paekivitoodete Tehas OÜ. Bulletin, 2009.

5.    Rynek budowlany Estonii, Wydawnictwo AO Ůlo & Tiit Siinmaa,Tallinn-1996

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Mining and Mineral Processing Innovation Network for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in Waste Technologies
http://mi.ttu.ee/min-novation/