Event Details
Date: 23 June 2021; Online
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm (EET)
On 20 July, the Czech company ADVACAM – a company using CERN Medipix technology – was included among the key innovators by the Innovation Radar of the European Commission, and its Spectrometric Transmission X-ray Camera (used in the X-Mine Project) was included among the key innovations. The European Commission’s initiative seeks to identify high-potential innovations supported by European Union sources; it has evaluated the camera, whose equivalent ADVACAM supplies NASA for example, as an innovation with very high market potential ready to enter the market. Among the key innovations it also included devices that ADVACAM cameras use within the X-Mine Project: a revolutionary rock analyser from the Swedish company Orexplore and an innovative sorting line from the Polish company Comex.
The X-Mine Project, led by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, was created to support the European mining industry. The aim of the project is to create new technologies for a more independent, self-sufficient, but also more ecological mining industry in Europe. The project started in 2017, its consortium has 15 members from various European countries, and the European Union has supported it with 9.3 million Euros. So far the project has already resulted in new technologies to reduce the impact on the environment, with lower energy consumption and lower emissions, as well as significantly lower water consumption.
The event will demonstrate how implementation of new XRF- XRT-technology in scanning of exploration drill core, collection of data for 3D-modelling of ore deposits and sorting of minerals can improve the efficiency in exploration and increase the sustainability of mining operations.
Program Agenda
09:00 Welcoming words for session 1: Janne Paaso, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
09:15 Introduction to X-MINE sensor development: Janne Paaso
09:20 Fast single-photon counting X-ray cameras: Stepan Polansky and Jan Jakubek, Advacam, Czech Republic ▪
09:35 High-speed stereovision camera system: Peter Katarzynski, Antmicro, Poland ▪
09:40 Highly sensitive XRF spectrometer: Mikael Bergqvist, Orexplore, Sweden
10:00 Short break
10:10 X-MINE prototypes in the mining value chain: Janne Paaso ▪
10:15 Drill core scanner: Mikael Bergqvist, Orexplore, Sweden ▪
10:30 XRT/XRF data used for modelling in exploration and mining: Ronald Arvidsson, SGU, Sweden ▪
10:45 Sensor evaluation and integration for sorting applications: Pekka Kilpeläinen, VTT, Finland ▪
11:00 Comex research facility and mineral sorting prototype: Jacek Kolacz, Comex, Poland
11:15 Summary and discussion
11:30 End of session 1 ————————————
13:00 Welcoming words for session 2: Janne Paaso
13:15 3D modelling in the X-MINE project, Ronald Arvidsson, SGU, Sweden
13:30 Asarel Medet company presentation: Desislav Ivanov, Asarel Medet, Bulgaria
13:40 Drill core scanner pilot at Asarel Medet: Desislav Ivanov, Asarel Medet, Bulgaria
14:00 Mineral sorting pilot at Asarel Medet: Ventsislav Stoilov, Asarel Medet, Bulgaria
14:20 Short break
14:30 Lovisagruvan pilot summary: Jan-Erik Björklund and Mathias Svenlöv, Lovisagruvan, Sweden
14:45 Hellas Gold pilot summary: TBD, Hellas Gold, Greece
15:00 Hellenic Copper Mines pilot summary: Georgios Kalogeropoulos, Hellenic Copper Mines, Cyprus
15:15 X-MINE exploitation and impacts: Ismo Ruohomäki, VTT, Finland
15:30 Discussion: Expert panel
16:00 Closing words (Representative of European Commission)
