The BioLeach project will develop innovative bio-treatment of raw materials
On 13 March 2019, a new innovation project BioLeach officially kicked off at the premises of UVP TECHNICOM, led by Ing. Darina Štyriaková, PhD, Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies of the Technical University of Košice.
- Innovation project BioLeach team
- Prof. dr hab. Zygmunt Sadowski, Politechnika Wroclawska, presenting raw materials deposits in Poland
- Dr. Yolanda Sánchez-Palencia, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, presenting kaolin deposits in Spain
- Ing. Darina Štyriaková, PhD, Technical University of Košice, talking about benefits of biotechnology
The EIT RawMaterials funded project brings together universities, research institutions and industrial enterprises from eight European countries. Furthermore, the ekolive s.r.o. start-up supported by EIT RawMaterials is also involved in the flexible application of bio-solutions to local mineral deposits. The aim of the project is to develop biotechnologies to achieve ecological exploitation and improve the quality of local minerals. Cooperation between research and practice will ensure the transfer and application of knowledge to the industrial sector. The innovation project will result in a reduction in the European countries’ dependence on imported minerals, support for local entities and overall strengthening of the economies of the participating countries.
- Chris Murray, Trinity College Dublin, introducing team of Dublin university in BioLeach project
- José Almedia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, talking about their courses
- Margit Balazs, Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research, showcasing biotechnologies at their department
- Roberto Braga, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, presenting their WP in BioLeach project
The BioLeach innovation project was initiated to create an impact on the local ecosystem by and along development/improvement of the technology and especially by engaging the relevant local players. Technology will be applied to local deposits to obtain raw materials appropriate for industrial utilisation. While currently used technologies are very expensive, low cost and ecological method of bioleaching are suggested. Bioleaching is an alternative way of improving deposits via the activity of bacteria, which induce changes of chemical and structural features of rocks and minerals. The challenge of the project is to improve this effective, economical and innovative method for specific local sources.
The aim of the BioLeach innovation project is also related to greater utilisation of local sources. Effective bacteria can be used industrially for treatment of metallic raw materials to extract critical raw materials, rare-earth elements and metals, but also for the treatment of non-metallic raw materials, whose commercial value is decreased by impurities limiting the area of their application. Therefore, the BioLeach project will test and evaluate local minerals as new potential sources, whose increased industrial value was obtained by bioleaching.
Improvement of efficient biotechnology, recovery of valuable components as well as refinement the features of deposits, will contribute to the regional development of Slovakia, as well as other RIS countries.
- Sabine Kutschke, HZDR, discussing raw materials production
- Santiago Rosado, Gomez Pardo Foundation, talking about their laboratories
- David Bolonio Martín, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, discussing dissemination of BioLeach project results
- André Filipe, Sifucel – Sílicas, on their Parapedra group
Would like to know more about the BioLeach innovation project? Meet Darina Štyriaková at the Raw Materials Summit 2019! Darina will be one of the speakers on Day 1 at the Parallel Session dedicated to Minerals Processing and Materials Recycling. Check the Raw Materials Summit 2019 programme here.
Members of the innovation project BioLeach consortium:
- The Technical University of Košice, Slovakia (Lead Partner)
- Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, Italy
- Bay Zoltan Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research, Hungary
- Caobar, S.A., Spain
- ekolive s.r.o., Slovakia
- G.U.B. Ingenieur AG, Germany
- Gomez Pardo Foundation, Spain
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V. (HZDR), Germany
- Najpi a.s., Slovakia
- Politechnika Wroclawska, Poland
- Sifucel – Sílicas, S.A., Portugal
- Trinity Dublin College, Ireland
- Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa – Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FCT NOVA), Portugal
- Università degli Studi di Milano – Bicocca, Italy
- Zeocem, a.s., Slovakia
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