Transcript DG Enterprise presentation 070713 - Biomine

BioMinE
“Integrated project for the development
of biotechnology for metal-bearing
materials in Europe”
Co-financed by the EU in the frame of the RTD FP6
General Coordinator BRGM – Dominique MORIN
EIDG – Raw Materials Supply Group 13 July 2007
European Base Metal Status
% of EU25 in global production / consumption
Mine production
Metallurgical production
Consumption
30%
20%
10%
Cu
Ni
Zn
Europe’s metal need is highly dependent on importation
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European Resource Assessment
European primary & secondary metal resources
have a significant potential
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Biohydrometallurgy
> Biohydrometallurgy can be defined as the field of
applications resulting from the control of natural
(biochemical) processes of interactions between
microbes and minerals to recover valuable metals
4
A mature industrial activity
Cerro Colorado (Chile)
BHP- Billiton
Kasese plant in Uganda (Cobalt) - BRGM
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Concentrate tank bioleach development
…Steady growth…
1,069 tpd Kokpatas (BIOX)
750 tpd Bogoso (BIOX)
211 tpd Fosterville (BIOX)
120 tpd Laizhou (Mintek)
70 tpd Beaconsfield (Mintek)
60 tpd Tamboraque (BIOX)
150 tpd Youanmi (Bactec)
960 tpd Sansu (BIOX)
158 tpd Wiluna (BIOX)
Industrial scale
40 tpd Harbour Lights (BIOX)
Demonstration
scale
Pilot scale
150 tpd Sao Bento (BIOX)
20 tpd Vaal Reefs (Mintek)
62 tpd Fairview (Gencor)
1 tpd Fairview (Gencor)
Laboratory scale
First tests (Gencor, Mintek)
1970
• Refractory gold sulphide
• Base metal sulphide
1980
250 tpd Kasese Co (BRGM)
100 ktpa Chuquicamata Cu (ACL)
BioNic Ni (Billiton, Mintek)
Penoles Cu (Mintek)
BioZINC Zn (Billiton)
Chuquicamata Cu (Billiton)
First tests Ni (Billiton)
First tests Co (BRGM)
First tests Cu (Mintek)
1990
2000
2010
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Why to support biohydrometallurgy implementation
in Europe?
European Commission is looking for “Radical changes in
the “basic materials” industry (excluding steel) for cleaner,
safer and more eco-efficient production"
> Biohydrometallurgy covers technologies with very
relevant characteristics
> Biohydrometallurgy has reached maturity
> Europe has many resources that look suitable targets
> Europe has many of the required skills
(but scattered and not focused on European targets)
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BioMinE project objectives
> To improve and optimally fit biotechnologies suitable
for treatment of European resources
> To integrate European expertise to achieve
biohydrometallurgical technology breakthroughs
> To develop and demonstrate technologies that can be
commercialized
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BioMinE Integrated Project
> 17M€ budget
> 11.6 M€ EU contribution
> 4 years, from Nov 2004 to Oct 2008
> General Coordinator BRGM
> Reviewed by external experts every year
> Adjustment of the work programme every year
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Partnership
•
•
•
•
37 partners - 14 countries from Europe and South Africa including
13 industrial companies
16 universities
8 research organizations
+
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European Resource Assessment
Neves Corvo
Aitik
Aguablanca
Lubin
Boliden
Aljustrel
Bor
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BioMinE project structure and rationale
Industrial demand and
contribution to workplan
Research and development
WP1 (BRGM)
Characterize resources &
evaluate sustainability of
developed processes
Commercial pre-feasibility
WP2 & 3 (Mintek & Paques)
Assess new concepts of
biotechnological processes
adapted to selected resources
WP6 (Skeria)
Design modern training tools
WP5 (Management Committee)
Assess exploitation
of the innovations and generate
exploitation proposals with partners
Industrial integration
WP4 (Tecnicas Reunidas)
Assess the technical and economic
viability of the new process
options for metal recovery
WP0 Coordination (BRGM)
• Commercial demonstration
• Commercial agreements between partners
(process development and applications)
• Commercial spin-offs (e.g. monitoring tools and equipment)
• ….
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Screening of the European primary resources
WP1
> Known European resources are relatively marginal
in value and in size
> The best remaining opportunities are complex ores
> Biohydrometallurgy which has been developed on
the border of conventional technologies has good
opportunities in Europe
> The potentially suitable (bio)technologies have to be
assessed individually on selected resources
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Progress in bioleaching studies (WP2)
> Performances and optimization of bioleaching
on selected European resources
• Direct bioleaching on copper and copper polymetallic
resources
• Indirect and direct bioleaching on zinc and zinc polymetallic
resources
• Treatment of secondary resources, tailings and slags
> Microbial exploration and studies
•
Selection of suitable microorganisms
•
Better understanding of the microbial processes
•
Better command of the molecular tools
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Metal recovery by biological sulfate reduction (WP3)
• Investigations on energetic
Alternative A
sources and optimization of the
process
• Flowsheet alternatives to increase
the profitability
Sulfide to contactor
for metal recovery
L
Precipitated
metals
Sulfur
production
S
Sulfate
reduction
Influent
Effluent to river
S
L
Alternative B
E-donor
Air
Sulfur
Sulfide to contactor
for metal recovery
Alkalinity recycle
Lime
• Monitoring and quality
assessment of effluent
treatments
Air
Gypsum &
metal ions
S
Sulfur
production
L
Sulfate
reduction
S
Influent
Effluent to river
S
L
L
E-donor
Precipitated metal ions
Air
Sulfur
Alkalinity recycle
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Full process design (WP4)
Zn-Pb-Ag
concentrate
Nutrients
Conditioning
BioLeaching
• Process
evaluations have
been carried out on
innovative sequences
of treatments like
indirect bioleaching
applied to zinc
complex resources
Rich air
Limestone
Zn
Iron
precipitation
Zn-EW
Limestone/
Lime
L
Zn-SX
S
Metal
compounds
to recycle
Solid byproducts or
residues
Bleed
Additives
Bleed
Pb
Recovery
Alkali
Ag
(or other)
Chem/BioTreatment
Reusable liquid effluent
Pb
Oxides
Modified
ZINCEX
process
(or other)
Acid
Reductant
Ag
Recovery
PLINT
Process
Pb, Ag
Leaching
L
S
Leaching
residue
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Progress per objective
1 – Identification of relevant resources in Europe
2 – Identification of biotechnologies relevant to
screened European resources


3 – Testing and optimization of biotechnologies on
European resources
In
progress
4 – Integration of biohydrometallurgical expertise in
Europe

5 – To carry out demonstration operations on
benchmark resources
In
preparation
Stay tuned…. http://biomine.brgm.fr
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