EU researchers want to locate critical raw materials in deep rock layers

In the new EU research project UNDERCOVER, participants are paving the way to explore deep raw material deposits. A consortium of 16 partners backs the initiative. It aims to test strategies and sustainable technologies that can be used to locate critical raw materials at depth.

The project name UNDERCOVER stands for ‘Unified Novel Deep ExploRation for Critical Ore discoVERy.’ Launched on 1 January, the three-year EU project aims to contribute to a “responsible supply of raw materials” in the EU, says the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), which coordinates the project. The aim is to utilise knowledge about the subsurface and its mineral systems for the concrete development of individual deposits and thus make the search more efficient.

The 15 other partners come from Finland, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Namibia and Canada. The participants are primarily geological services, universities, research institutions and industry and SME clusters. Case studies in Finland, Portugal, and Namibia, as well as the close cooperation with other EU projects, are planned.

“This collaboration fosters the exchange of knowledge and expertise across borders, aiming at a comprehensive approach to deep mineral exploration. By leveraging the strengths of each partner, the project aims to achieve significant advancements in sustainable raw material exploration,” says Jochen Kamm, Research Professor at the Geological Survey of Finland.

From Germany, the University of Münster, the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology and Supracon AG are participating, as well as the TU Berlin with scientists from the Department of Applied Geophysics, who are “contributing their expertise in electromagnetic measurement methods and the computer-aided analysis of various geophysical processes to the project,” as the university writes. In principle, new geophysical technologies and methods will be used in UNDERCOVER and various measurements that are normally considered separately will be analysed together using newly developed computer algorithms. “Additionally, the use of the United Nations Framework for Classification (UNFC) will be promoted to introduce a more innovative, effective, and socially and environmentally responsible exploration strategy,” the GTK states.

With the project, the participants want to help the EU fulfil the increasing requirements of its 2024 law on securing critical raw materials. According to the project initiators, this will require new approaches to meet the demand for critical raw materials within the EU. The latter funds the project with five million euros.

gtk.fi, ec.europa.eu, tu.berlin (in German)