AVANTIS‘ rationale is that Europe has a multitude of unexploited, low-grade V-bearing titanomagnetite deposits in Finland, Sweden, Greenland, Norway, Poland and Ukraine. However, these deposits have a complex “spiderweb-like” mineral assemblage. Without selective blasting, selective fragmentation and pre-concentration technologies to separate the Ti-rich ilmenite grains from the V-bearing magnetite, these deposits are not economically viable. Supported by a bespoke forensic geometallurgy, AVANTIS will develop a novel selective-blasting approach that allows for rock excavation with increased mineral liberation at the blasting stage, and reduced energy demand in the crushing and grinding stages. Likewise, AVANTIS designs tailored, water-free and water-lean pre-concentration technologies that can produce two distinct pre-concentrates: (1) ilmenite-rich, Ti-pre-concentrate and (2) ilmenite-free, V-pre-concentrate.
The EU is 100% import reliant for Ti (metal), with a strong dependency on China and Russia. For V, this IR could not be calculated by the EC, although it is clearly also very high (once more, China and Russia are the dominant players).
There is no primary V extraction in the EU at present, although there are plans in Finland to recover V from steelmaking slags from 2026. It is estimated that for 2016-2021 the EU imported 1.5 Mt/y Ti (incl. TiO2 pigment, Ti metal) and 12.7 kt/y V. The good news is that, based on known domestic resources, the EU can supply its growing needs for V and Ti.
At present the only large-scale primary extraction of Ti-bearing minerals in geographical Europe is happening in Rogaland province in Norway, where AVANTIS partner Titania AS operates the Tellnes mine, a high-grade ilmenite mine of the magmatic type (grading 18 wt% TiO2, as present in ilmenite, FeTiO3). The Tellnes deposit was discovered in 1954, with production starting in 1960. Tellnes is an open-pit mine, producing 580 kt/y of ilmenite concentrate (data by Geological Survey of Norway8) that is sold for downstream processing. It is one of the largest Ti deposits in the world. There is currently no Ti metal production in Europe.
The high-grade Tellnes ilmenite mine where ilmenite is the main ore mineral and is easy to extract is not representative of the other Ti deposits in Europe, or even the rest of the world. The global reserves of Ti-rich oxide minerals such as ilmenite (FeTiO3) and rutile (TiO2) are about 62 and 880 million tonnes, respectively, while the global reserves of vanadiferous/V-bearing titanomagnetite deposits are 58 billion tonnes: i.e., far more than the reserves of the deposits where Ti is extracted from Ti-rich oxides (ilmenite and rutile). However, at present there is no commercial co-valorising of V and Ti from V-bearing titanomagnetite [Ti-V-Fe-(P)] deposits.
Europe has a multitude of V-bearing titanomagnetite (Ti-V-Fe-(P)) deposits: Finland (e.g., Otanmäki & Vuorokas, Mustavaara, Kauhajärvi), Sweden (e.g., Routivare), Norway (e.g., Lauvneset, Selvåg), Greenland (e.g., Isortoq, Sinarsuk), Poland (e.g., Krzemianka and Udryn), and Ukraine (e.g., Stremyhorodske/Nosachiv and Fedorivske). There are more oxide-rich deposits in France, Portugal, Slovakia, Albania, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania. As highlighted by the USGS, these deposits comprise complex ores that are very difficult to beneficiate with current extraction and pre-concentration methods. This is due to the spiderweb-like mineral assemblage where ilmenite occurs as both (1) large external granules and (2a) sandwich exsolutions and (2b) trellis exsolutions appearing within the V-bearing magnetite gains.
Without novel selective blasting, fragmentation and pre-concentration, it is almost impossible to separate the Ti- and V-rich phases (ilmenite-rich exsolutions and V-rich magnetite) because of the spiderweb-like textures.
Coordinator / Beneficiary
Belgium
Beneficiary
Finland
Beneficiary
Finland
Beneficiary
Norway
Beneficiary
Greece
Beneficiary
Poland
Beneficiary
Spain
Beneficiary
Norway
Beneficiary
Poland
Beneficiary
Finland
Associated Partner
Finland
Associated Partner
Finland
Associated Partner
Australia
The documentary “Made in Europe: from mine to electric vehicle” investigates the challenges faced by Europe as it attempts to set up its own, fully integrated, mine-to-EV value chain.
The film acts as a wake-up call to avoid that Europe’s decarbonisation strategy leads to a nightmarish de-industrialisation. Instead, the documentary shows that Europe’s transition to climate neutrality can go hand in hand with a cleantech-based re-industrialisation. Made-in-Europe.
Will Europe succeed in opening new mines for energy-transition metals by 2030? Or will public opposition throw a spanner in the works? These are the questions addressed in the upcoming EU clustering event in Mechelen (BE) on 9 September 2024.
