Mining & Processing working group founded
On 4.11.2021, approx. 30 participants met for the inaugural session of the new Mining & Processing Working Group of the GKZ (Geocompetence Centre) Freiberg. “The linking of both topics corresponds to the complexity of today’s raw material valorisation,” Dr. Wolfgang Reimer, management of the GKZ, explained. The GKZ also brings together experts from various disciplines and specialisations in geomontane management from industry, specialised administrations and science, also in order to achieve synergy effects.
The four columns of GKZ
© GKZ
The heads of the working group, Dr. Marco Roscher, SAXORE Bergbau GmbH, and Prof. Lieberwirth, Institute for Processing Machines Recycling Systems Technology at the TU BA Freiberg, went over the most important developments in the field of processing and mining. Thus, energy consumption is crucial for the the effectiveness of a mine, and this should be as green as possible. Moreover, against the background of the current alternative energy and mobility concepts of the federal government, questions arise not only about their provision, but especially about securing the raw materials that generate them and the possibility of also covering the demand with domestic deposits.
To this end, Dr. Reimer summed up – in keeping with the motto of a party at the last federal election (“There has never been so much to do”) – the global challenges and framework conditions at producer and consumer level that favour the valorisation of domestic battery metal deposits.
Stefan Loth, Managing Director of Volkswagen Saxony, spoke on the topic of “The Electrification Strategy Volkswagen Saxony”. The step-by-step modification of the VW plant in Zwickau took place in a record time of only 2.5 years. Around 1.2 billion € were invested to make the Zwickau plant the first large vehicle plant to be completely converted to the production of electric cars. Extensive training measures were initiated for the around 8000 employees to make them fit for the new production processes. The plenary lecture was followed by a lively discussion, including how the updating of the Saxon Raw Materials Strategy can optimise this process in Saxony.
Further information on the GKZ, its work and membership at www.gkz-ev.de.
Autor/Author: Dr. Petra Strunk
