The raw material economy –

An opportunity for the Free State of Saxony

| 03

1. Foreword __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 04

2. Raw materials critical for industry ______________________________________________________________________________ 06

2.1 Raw material mining in the economic value chain __________________________________________________________________ 08

2.2 Developing available raw materials _____________________________________________________________________________ 09

3. Federal and EU strategies (European and national framework conditions) ________________________________________________ 10

4. Raw materials in Saxony ______________________________________________________________________________________ 11

4.1 Local raw materials _________________________________________________________________________________________ 11

4.2 Lignite ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12

4.3 Pit & quarry natural resources _________________________________________________________________________________ 13

4.4 Ore and spar _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 14

4.5 Secondary raw materials – reclamation potential ___________________________________________________________________ 17

4.5.1 Availability and potential for substitution ________________________________________________________________18

4.5.2 Improving the knowledge base _________________________________________________________________________20

4.5.3 Legal framework conditions and competition _____________________________________________________________21

4.5.4 Technological and logistic challenges ___________________________________________________________________21

4.5.5 Waste exports _____________________________________________________________________________________22

4.5.6 Reclaiming rare earths _______________________________________________________________________________22

4.6 Geothermal energy __________________________________________________________________________________________ 22

5. Raw materials expertise as the basis for a modern economy __________________________________________________________ 23

6. Technology transfer – What can Saxony offer? _____________________________________________________________________ 25

7. A need for skilled labour ______________________________________________________________________________________ 26

8. Guidelines and objectives of Saxon raw material policy ______________________________________________________________ 28

8.1 Local primary raw materials: Saxony as a land of mining _____________________________________________________________ 28

8.2 Secondary raw materials: Saxony as a land of secondary raw materials _________________________________________________ 29

8.3 Saxony as a hub of the raw material economy _____________________________________________________________________ 30

8.4 International co-operations ____________________________________________________________________________________ 30

8.5 Saxon raw materials research __________________________________________________________________________________ 31

8.6 Skilled specialists for the raw material economy ___________________________________________________________________ 31

8.7 Saxon administration ________________________________________________________________________________________ 32

8.8 Awareness of raw materials ___________________________________________________________________________________ 32

9. Implementing the Saxon raw material policy ______________________________________________________________________ 33

10. Appendix (maps) ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 36

| 05

Dear readers,

“Everything comes from the mine.” This old German saying not only attests to the pride of

our miners; in its simplicity, it also describes something many people no longer even realise:

that raw materials are an indispensable basis for everything around us that we take for granted

every day.

Many people consider mining to be too dirty and outdated. An ever-developing economy,

though – be it industry, agriculture or trade –, a future-oriented infrastructure, a changing

mobility concept, modern information and communication technology, or even a modern health

system could not exist without mineral resources.

Germany’s reliable supply of raw materials – in terms of quantity and quality, as well as

its ever-changing diversity – is a key pre-requisite for our added value. The availability of

those resources will thus continue to be an important factor for growth and our society’s

wealth in the future.

Given Germany’s dependency on importing a number of raw materials, particularly metals, our

economy needs to come to terms with the global raw material situation, primarily characterised

by the widespread geographic distribution of deposits, growing worldwide demand, and a

dramatically evolving range of raw materials.

Coupled with this are political challenges associated with countries producing these

resources, rising social challenges, and greater requirements placed on the environment by

mining. The complexity of all those factors makes it impossible for them to be totally

controlled. The German economy’s resulting dependencies, which are far from clear-cut, can,

for example, be influenced by clever actions in international raw material policy. Another option

for reducing dependencies – increasing usage of our local raw materials and the expertise of

the local raw material economy, both in mining and recycling – is one within our own control.

Saxony has considerable potential when it comes to local primary raw materials used in a wide

variety of sectors, and the secondary raw materials obtained from waste are also becoming an

increasingly important, if not even indispensable source. Primary and secondary materials from

local sources thus not only help minimise dependencies on international raw material markets

using them also plays a key part in regional value creation and securing jobs.

One source of regional value creation which cannot be overstated is the traditionally strong

degree of networking between numerous stakeholders in both the Saxon and international raw

material economy. Here in the Free State, stakeholders associated with raw material research

and education, as well as our mining administration, make a significant contribution towards

ensuring Saxon raw material economy is focused on the future.

The “Saxon Raw Material Strategy” passed by the Cabinet in 2012 aims to integrate this potential

into an overarching economic scheme for a sustainable raw material economy. It is intended

to serve as a guide for the Free State’s raw material policy, with a conscious focus on primary

mining-related raw materials – such as pit & quarry natural resources, coal, ore and spar – and

secondary materials reclaimed from waste, which can substitute mined raw materials.

The issue of renewable raw materials has purposely not been incorporated into this strategy,

just as the challenges associated with designing production processes in terms of material

efficiency, such as saving raw materials in production processes and product design, have simi-

larly been left undiscussed. This is the subject of other strategic considerations and publications.

The present raw material strategy establishes the guidelines, objectives and tasks of the Saxon

raw material policy, whose main aim is to help devise framework conditions to revive local

mining and further develop the secondary resource industry in Saxony.

Another of our aims is to continue promoting the Free State as a raw material hub, and impro-

ving opportunities for the Saxon raw material economy.

The raw material strategy remains in effect and up-to-date. Initial tasks have been tackled, and

the first results are already visible. One noteworthy example here is the ROHSA, a key project

run as part of the strategy, and which has achieved great success in digitising the existing

geological data for spar and ore and making this accessible to the economy. This has attracted

worldwide attention, and has resulted in around 50 mining permits (exploration and mining

approvals) so far being issued. It gives us confidence that ore and spar mining recommence in

the Ore Mountains in the future.

Implementing the raw material strategy is the responsibility of the entire community. It is

further a particular priority of mine to ensure people are made more aware of the importance

of raw materials in developing our society. A growing, knowledge-based awareness of these

raw materials is just as valuable to our community as clear, economically-based environmental

awareness and social awareness based on human values.

To modify the mining saying I mentioned at the start: “Everything comes from raw materials.”

This has always been the case, and will continue to be so in the future.

Because securing raw materials means securing the future.

As the German miners used to say, Glück auf!

Martin Dulig

Saxon State Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport

Martin Dulig

Saxon State Minister for

Economic Affairs,

Labour and Transport

04 |

< 20 staff

20-100 staff

> 100 staff

Under 10%

10% to under 25 %

25 % to under 50 %

50% and over

0 %

20 %

40 %

60 %

80 %

Percentage companies

Percentage material costs out of total operating costs

06 |

Analyses of company surveys conducted by the Institute for Futures Studies and Technology

Assessment (IZT) found that rising commodity prices pose a problem for 76 percent of

companies, particularly industrial companies (93 percent), as material costs make up more than

20 percent of the total costs, and therefore play a key role in net operating results. There are

also increasing doubts about whether raw materials will be in adequate supply (47 percent). In

the coming years, access to and availability of said raw materials will be critical factors in deter-

mining which regions become home to new industries.

A study by the South-West Saxony Chamber of Industry and Commerce revealed the same results:

Share of material costs in Saxony’s total operating costs

2006

2030

Future technologies (selection)

Gallium

0.28

6.09

Thin-film solar cells, IC, WLED

Neodymium

0.55

3.82

Permanent magnets, laser technology

Indium

0.40

3.29

Displays, thin-film solar cells

Germanium

0.31

2.44

Fibre-optic cables, IR optic technologies

Scandium

low

2.28

SOFC fuel cells, Al alloying element

Platinum

low

1.56

Fuel cells, catalysis

Tantalum

0.39

1.01

Micro-capacitors, medical technology

Silver

0.28

0.78

RFID, lead-free solders

| 07

Source: South-West Saxony Chamber of Industry and Commerce, 2007

The increased demand among future technologies proportionate to today’s worldwide production

will see a dramatic change in the global demand for raw materials.

The IZT study entitled “Raw materials for future technologies” examined how much of the respec-

tive worldwide raw material production in 2006 was made up of selected future technologies,

and how much of today’s worldwide production of the respective raw materials is expected to

be needed for these technologies in 2030:

These selected raw materials from the study show that it is necessary to increase both their

production and their reclamation in order to meet the greater demand of the future. The world’s

growing population and the desire for equal living conditions will also cause commodity markets

to evolve and demand to keep rising.

The “Raw materials critical for Germany” study conducted on behalf of the KfW bank classified

the supply situation for 13 raw materials as particularly critical, since shortages in these ma-

terials have a more serious impact on the German economy compared to other raw materials.

In addition to concentrating mining here on a handful of producing nations like China (anti-

mony, fluorite, germanium, graphite, indium, magnesium, rare earths, and tungsten), South

Africa (platinum metals), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (cobalt), and Brazil (niobium

and tantalum), it found that these could not or could only rarely be used, and that reclaiming

them as secondary raw materials is currently very difficult to justify at an economic level.

08 |

| 09

Every value chain starts with a raw material. The old German saying of “everything comes from

the mine” is today just as relevant as ever: no raw materials means no industrial production,

and no industrial products means no service sector. A study conducted by the German Federal

Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources in 2008 found that Germans use between

1,000 t and 1,100 t of raw materials each during their lifetime. Mineral resources, i. e. metals,

industrial minerals, pit & quarry natural resources, make up almost two thirds thereof.

Consumption/usage of mineral and energy resources in Germany during an 80-year lifetime

Raw materials are not renewable, and competing usage interests are often opposed to the

resources being mined. The fears expressed by the Club of Rome in its 1972 The Limits to

Growth study, which claimed that most of the raw material deposits used at the time would

be exhausted by the turn of the century, did not eventuate, as new geological findings and

modified price structures and resource technologies have led to the discovery of new deposits

and enabled known deposits to be rendered profitable. The development of new technologies

has also resulted in increasingly efficient handling of available resources. As things stand today,

the geological availability of most raw materials does not appear to have a short-term or

medium-term limit. Raw material reserves will continue to change depending on the economic

and political climate. The availability of strategic raw materials in the foreseeable future has,

however, been rated as critical.

Economic growth remains focused on raw materials, as evidenced by China. While China has

been an exporter of said resources in previous decades, the tables have now turned. The an-

nouncement to drastically reduce the exporting of rare earths as coveted high-tech raw mate-

rials is not so much the result of a serious shortage, but rather a plan geared around competition

and market dominance.

Using local supplies to artificially favour domestic production and securing the raw materials

necessary for this local production by signing exclusive contracts with the producing countries

has become a strategic trade policy tool. Export taxes on ore, export licences and export bans

will also play a role as possible tax instruments among other providers in future.

It is assumed that the demand for raw materials in so-called “newly industrialised countries”

will continue to grow, and this rising demand intensifies competition and pricing on the commo-

dities market.

In addition to the aforementioned focus on a few producing nations is the fact that many of

these nations lack legal security, infrastructure and investments. As such, they pose a risk in

terms of long-term, reliable supply. Political and social instability in recent years has often seen

existing contracts neglected, investments not secured, additional levies charged, and the owner-

ship structures at mining companies altered. Irrespective of this, the financial expense to explore

and unlock new deposits will continue to grow, due to the fact that these deposits will be more

difficult to access and have lower contents, necessitating added and more cost-intensive technical

expense. In many cases, a raw material is only worth mining if the deposit also contains other

raw materials. If it becomes unprofitable to mine the main product, even the potentially useful

accompanying resource will not be extracted, thereby increasing its shortage on the market. On

the other hand, too many unwanted by-products in the deposits can result in unprofitability.

Source: BGR, 2008

What most people don’t realise is that everything starts with raw materials, as those resources

are mined in other parts of the world and are only processed here. There is an expectation that

“raw materials are commodities which always seem to be available, need to be cheap, and usually

come from far-flung countries.”

The constant availability of raw materials on the global market is no longer a given, and may

have significant impacts on production in the industries affected. The damage potential for

raw material supply shortages and future technologies is classified as very high, because this

can disconnect industry from development and render it uncompetitive, particularly in cases of

heavy dependence. More and more alternative materials are being used in order to consistently

comply with the new requirements, which has resulted in ore (previously deemed irrecoverable/

tipped onto waste dumps) today coming sharply into focus. Whenever there are substitution

options to preserve high-quality production, the unavailability of a replaceable raw material

is classified as uncritical. Nevertheless, this often falls short in terms of technical feasibility or

public acceptance of the substitute materials.

For industry, this means assessing the criticality (availability) of all raw materials used to ensure

suitable measures can be taken to combat any actual risk.

Sand and gravel

245 t

Kaolin

4.0 t

Hard rocks

215 t

Aluminium

3.0 t

Lignite

170 t

Copper

2.0 t

Mineral oil

105 t

Peat

2.0 t

Natural gas (in 1000 m³)

95

Bentonite

0.7 t

Limestone, dolomite

70 t

Zinc

0.7 t

Black coal

65 t

Potash (K

2

O)

0.6 t

Steel

40 t

Sulphur

0.5 t

Cement

27 t

Lead

0.4 t

Rock salt

14 t

Feldspar

0.4 t

Clays

12 t

Fluorite

0.4 t

Quartz sand

9 t

Barite

0.3 t

Gypsum, anhydrite

7 t

Phosphates

0.1 t

Non-metallic resources

Metallic resources

Energy resources

Source: GEOMIN - Erzgebirgische Kalkwerke GmbH

10 |

| 11

Guaranteeing a reliable supply of raw materials is primarily the task of commercial enterprises.

The state’s task is to create the political, legal and institutional framework conditions for an

internationally competitive supply of raw materials. The political challenges affect economic

and environmental policy, as well as foreign, trade and development policy.

Some initiatives have already been taken at a European and federal level to ensure Europe and

Germany are supplied with raw materials over the long term. The German federal government

believes the framework conditions for using local resources should be improved without having

to limit environmental regulations. The federal states in particular are being called on to place

equal emphasis on securing raw materials as part of their land-use plans.

The establishment of a German mineral resources agency in the form of the Federal Institute

for Geosciences and Natural Resources in Hannover in autumn 2010 saw the Federal Ministry

for Economic Affairs create a central raw materials service for the German economy.

The tasks of the German Mineral Resource Agency are:

❚

To establish a raw materials information system in order to increase

transparency on the commodity markets

❚

To directly assist German businesses within Germany and abroad in relation

to raw materials issues

❚

To provide professional support for the federal government’s funding programmes

❚

To examine raw material resource potential within Germany and abroad ahead

of economic trends, and establish national partnerships to procure raw materials

from abroad.

The European Commission updated the previous EU raw material strategy in February 2011. The EU

employs a three-pillar strategy to ensure a reliable supply of raw materials:

❚

Raw materials diplomacy, assisting with investments in developing nations to mine and

transport raw materials, conclude trade agreements, and monitor export restrictions

❚

Promoting a sustainable supply of raw materials

❚

Increasing resource efficiency and recycling

The EU Commission’s initiative also seeks to improve permit processes in member states‘ mining

industries, and improve resource data in the community by strengthening and networking the

State Geological Survey.

The EU Commission’s and German federal government’s main focuses are on international raw

material trade and on reclaiming basic materials from waste.

As a region rich in raw materials, Saxony advocates placing an additional focus on ensuring and

developing the local supply of raw materials (see maps 1 – 3). This is based on organic, intertwined

industrial-economic structures, starting with companies specialising in mining and reclaiming

raw materials, and covering all stages of further processing, production, application and reuse.

Mining enjoys a solid public reputation thanks to its centuries-old history and the ever-growing

wealth brought to Saxony as a result – as also evidenced by the mining tradition embraced

widely across the Ore Mountains. People know the influence mining, industry and trade have on

jobs, prosperity and standard of living. The increased environmental awareness and high environ-

mental standards in Germany do not contradict this. The environment and the raw material

economy must instead continue to be viewed and addressed in tandem, because efficient handling

of raw materials for humans and the environment brings greater benefit for current and future

generations.

Centuries of intensive exploration and mining means Saxony possesses a comprehensive body

of geological and deposit-related information. Using and updating this for known deposits is of

significant economic importance to potential mining investors, as is currently the case with

ore, spar and lignite.

As early as autumn 2006, the Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport

(SMWA) contracted the Geokompetenzzentrum to reassess Saxony’s main ore and spar deposits

based on the conditions at hand. The existing data, e. g. regarding supplies, depth and minerali-

sation, was used to reclassify the supplies in terms of their quantity (small, medium or large

based on a global scale) and quality (geological awareness, feasibility, mineability) according to

UN supply classification criteria, and estimate the manufacturability of the raw materials. The

data was also compared with the raw materials deemed “critical” in multiple recent international

studies and with Saxony’s known deposits. This comparison showed that Saxony has a substan-

tial supply of these “critical” raw materials. As a result, various national and international

companies have increasingly been expressing interest in resuming ore and spar mining in the

Free State. Several licences have already been granted for this in recent years, and initial mining

projects are in the exploratory phase.

It is also worth mentioning that many of the raw materials described by a number of studies as

“critical” have been found in Saxony, such as indium, rare earths, tungsten, tin, fluorite, lithium,

molybdenum and silver.

Saxony is a land rich in raw materials. Solid rock, sand, gravel, all kinds of ceramic materials and

lignite exist in comparatively large quantities, and are mined in around 340 locations. Deposits

of ore and spar are also available in relatively large quantities compared to elsewhere in Germany.

The intensive geological explorations performed across Saxony during the second half of the

20th century have proven to be important sources of information here. In comparison with the

rest of the world, there is excellent awareness of the underlying geological situation and indi-

vidual deposits here, and this can significantly help advance decisions regarding sites and invest-

ments.

Lithium ore | Source: TU BAF

12 |

| 13

The main focus of the Saxon mining industry is on rpit & quarry natural resources, as evidenced

by the 345 companies operating in this sector. These companies are responsible for mining

almost all the raw materials necessary for the regional construction industry. Over half the

active mine sites extract sand, gravel or gravel sand, while the sites mining hard dock, including

carbonate rocks, make up around a third of all producers. The rest is primarily spread over

cohesive resources such as loam, clay and kaolin. Bentonite is not currently mined in Saxony.

Saxony has many different uses for its pit & quarry natural resources, and these can be divided

into three groups:

(1) Hard rock, such as sandstone, gneiss and granite, is used as dimension stones or

processed into bulk goods.

(2) Sand and gravel serve as concrete aggregate, anti-frost layers or drainage layers,

or are used in road-building or glass-manufacturing.

(3) Clay is used as a base material for bricks (loam), for all kinds of ceramic products (clay),

paper, dyes and porcelain (kaolin).

Saxony currently has approx. 30 different mining companies specialising in natural ashlar, which

is essentially used in structures whose design and execution are primarily defined by aesthetic,

technical and economic aspects. The use of local natural ashlar has a long tradition in Saxony.

Local ashlar is indispensable when it comes to constructing buildings and squares and preserving

historic building fabric for heritage structures. The natural ashlar resources have made Saxony

home to several stone-quarrying and processing centres, whose products have gained promi-

nence at a national and even international level. Bulk goods are used as aggregates for asphalt

and concrete, as well as in road-building, rail engineering and civil engineering.

Europe’s first porcelain was manufactured out of Saxon kaolin 300 years ago, and the Elbe

sandstone used to reconstruct Dresden’s Frauenkirche is building material coveted right across

Germany. Modern concrete structures, meanwhile, rely on sand and gravel (and limestone). All

this demonstrates how indispensable mineral resources are in our everyday life.

With its shares in the Lusatian and Central German lignite mining district, the Free State of

Saxony is one of the main lignite mining states in Germany.

The approx. 30 million tonnes of lignite mined here every year makes up around 18 percent of

the total volume mined across the nation. Constituting about 3.5 percent of the lignite produced

worldwide, this quantity is also substantial at an international level. As a comparison, the volume

mined annually in Saxony is equal to that of countries such as Serbia, Canada, Romania and

India, which rank tenth to thirteenth among the world’s top lignite producers.

Saxony’s lignite deposits are as follows:

❚

Central Germany (Saxon part): 13 billion tonnes

❚

Lusatia (Saxon part): 5 billion tonnes

The lignite supplies likely to be used total approx. 6.7 billion tonnes in Central Germany (Saxon

part) and approx. 1.3 billion tonnes in northern Upper Lusatia.

Within the German economy, the lignite industry and its share on the energy market constitutes

an important factor for the energy industry and overall economy, with more than 86,000 jobs

and numerous upstream and downstream sectors capable of benefitting from the innovation

chain of lignite usage.

Until renewable energy developments, network expansion, and energy from wind, solar and

geothermal sources can cover the entire base load, lignite will remain an indispensable element

for ensuring an independent power supply.

Its cheap, extensive and subsidy-free availability plays a key role here. As such, lignite also helps

stabilise electricity prices and secure Germany’s position as an economic hub.

In the context of German and European climate-protection targets in Germany for 2020, lignite

does its bit towards achieving significant energy-saving potentials and reducing the environ-

mental impacts of fossil energy production by virtue of its role in efficient construction and as

a substitute at power plants. The Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and North-Rhine West-

phalia state governments are focusing on highly innovative technologies to reduce the CO

2

emissions generated through lignite use – usage which consequently plays a key role in main-

taining sustainable jobs and creating value regionally.

The guiding vision associated with sustainable lignite use is, however, to further develop from

solely thermal to material use of lignite and its components. This is also expected to generate

synergy effects when developing relevant thermochemical conversion processes, such as gasi-

fication and pyrolysis, for material use of biogenic secondary resources in high-quality products

(e. g. biofuels, chemicals or electricity). The chemical industry’s material processes will continue

to need a carbon source, which, in regions with limited biomass potential – like Europe –, can

only be in fossil form when it comes to large-scale technical production. Carbon chemistry

provides a unique opportunity for Europe to obtain this carbon from local sources, and thus

reduce the unilateral dependence on oil and gas imports. This will ensure potentially greater

value creation, and possibly additional opportunities for growth, employment, and the long-term

survival of chemical facilities in eastern Germany.

Central Germany in particular enables material carbon usage to be integrated into the structures

of chemical parks built in the last 15 years, and whose proximity to sources constitutes a key

locational advantage. The “Innovative lignite integration in Central Germany – ibi” project

funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research has adopted a promising

approach. Initially designed with a regional focus on Central Germany, it seeks to establish a

research initiative at a European level – and this development is also being promoted in Saxony.

Reichenwalde open-cast mine

Source: VEM Vattenfall Europe Mining

Source: State Mining Authority of Saxony

14 |

| 15

The worldwide need for ore as a result of increasing demand and reduced or more cost-intensive

development of new deposit sites has prompted a massive rise in raw material prices since 2003.

Price trends for selected metals

Source: BGR, 2012

The ore and spar deposit sites in the Ore Mountains were, until very recently, an important basis

for Saxony’s industrial development. Excavations sparked innovations in mining, metallurgy, and

the geosciences of mineraology and geology, extending well beyond the state’s borders.

While mining, particularly for tin, uranium, fluorite and barite, ceased with the 1990 economic

restructuring, dramatically increased global market prices have been generating considerable

interest in Saxony’s supplies and the resumption of mining since 2005. An initial mining project

focusing on fluorite and barite is already in its technical implementation phase, with further

projects currently being planned.

Most of Saxony’s ore and spar deposits are located in distinct distribution areas or mining regions

in the Ore Mountains and the Vogtland. Other deposits can be found near Schleife and Weiss-

wasser in Lusatia (North Sudeten Basin), north of Leipzig (Delitzsch Granodiorite Massif), and

the central Saxon hills (Granulite Mountains). Additional, similar sites and deposits are particularly

located at greater depths (>500 m).

Proven deposits in Saxony

(ore & spar – LfULG

database)

Global mining production,

2010 (WEBER et al., 2012),

USGS, BGS, BGR

percentage proven Saxon

deposits out of total global

production in 2010

Proven deposits worldwide,

2010

(USGS, BGS, BGR)

percentage proven Saxon

deposits out of proven global

deposits (reserves)

Aluminium

22,947,550

41,295,381

55.6

uq

uq

Arsenic

55,070

64,132

85.9

N/A

N/A

Barite

1,070,650

7,920,735

13.5

240,000,000

< 1

Bismuth

14,295

9,303

153.7

320,000

approx. 5

Lead

317,170

4,144,495

7.7

85,000,000

< 1

Boron

6,473

4,984,828

0.1

210,000,000

< 1

Cadmium

1,051

23,138

4.5

640,000

< 1

Iron

578,172

1,273,301,060

0.0

80,000,000,000

< 1

Feldspar

0

21,891,325

0.0

N/A

N/A

Fluorite

2,820,617

5,909,912

47.7

240,000,000

approx. 1

Gallium

7

70

9.8

N/A

N/A

Germanium

2

59

3.9

> 450

< 1

Indium

240

609

39.4

N/A

N/A

Copper

161,531

16,114,127

1.0

690,000,000

< 1

Lithium

33,000

44,914

73.5

13,000,000

< 1

Molybdenum

3,017

250,314

1.2

10,000,000

< 1

Nickel

12,435

1,528,766

0.8

80,000,000

< 1

Rubidium

46,000

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Scandium

282

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Silver

354

22,617

1.6

530,000

< 1

Uranium

3,933

53,671

7.3

2,800,000

< 1

Tungsten

53,849

78,551

68.6

3,100,000

2

Zinc

485,088

12,409,028

3.9

250,000,000

< 1

Tin

486,791

319,739

152.2

4,800,000

10

The following table shows an overview of the proven geological deposits of metals and spars

in Saxony compared to worldwide reserves and global production:

N/A = data not available

uq = unquantifiable

BGR = German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources

USGS = United States Geological Survey

BGS = British Geological Survey

700 %

600 %

500 %

400 %

300 %

200 %

100 %

0 %

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

16 |

| 17

While most of Saxony’s deposits may be classified as small or average in size in a global

comparison, they can play a new economic role in the event of growing demand and rising

global market prices. Of particular interest are tin, zinc, copper, tungsten, fluorite, barite, and

other metallic resources existing in profitable supply.

Metals and industrial minerals existing in Saxony and deemed important in terms of quantity

or value can be used in a number of ways in all kinds of industries:

A wealthy society requires a complex economy with a comprehensive value chain. Even a service-

providing society cannot survive without a strong industrial sector. Raw materials mining and

industrial production serve as critical guarantors here. Globalisation will not split labour in

goods production and distribution to an extent enabling Europe to withdraw from the industrial

sectors which impact on the environment. Exiting the raw material economy would lead to loss

of knowledge and capacity in the medium term, and increase dependencies. Investment capital

would inevitably drain away. All this would critically reduce wealth and social standards. Conver-

sely, scarcity and higher market prices in the face of worldwide demand also need to be utilised

to profitably increase domestic mining.

In other words, if mining local resources generates employment and income in the local

economy, this must be capitalised on immediately.

The Free State of Saxony supports the current return to ore and spar mining. Exploring deposit

sites anywhere always involves financial expense and risk without guarantee of success. The

decision to carry out such a project must only ever be made in an entrepreneurial spirit, in

keeping with the global market conditions. Although European regulations do not allow aid

programmes aimed at funding the establishment of operational facilities, the Free State of

Saxony is one of the world’s best explored regions from a geological and geophysical perspective.

In this respect, it can provide data and services which spare investors the need to engage in

tedious, cost-intensive exploration work. With optimised permit and approval processes, it offers

legal security over the long term.

Raw materials proven to exist in Saxony

Applications

Lead (Pb)

Rechargeable batteries, alloys, radiation protection

Fluorite

Flux in the metals industry, base material for all fluorochemistry, optics, fillers, impregnating agents

Indium (In)

Solar cells, transparent displays, phototransistors, lasers, alloys, special adhesives, the glass industry

Copper (Cu)

Electric conductors, pipes, boilers, coins, fixtures, alloying element for brass and bronze

Lithium (Li)

Long-life rechargeable batteries, normal batteries, flux in aluminium smelting,

the glass and ceramics industry, lubricants, pharmacy

Nickel (Ni)

Non-corrosive steel, alloys, metal coatings, coins, gas turbines, catalysts, batteries

Barite

Drilling fluid additive, filler in plastics, soundproofing, pigment (white barite)

Rare earth elements (REEs)

Mobile devices, LCDs, permanent magnets (e. g. in generators at wind power plants),

hybrid rechargeable batteries, plasma screens, energy-efficient lamps, glasses, catalysts

Silver (Ag)

Electronics industry, alloys, jewellery, ornaments, tableware, coins, the photo industry

Tungsten (W)

Steel hardeners (tools, plating, bullets), welding electrodes, thermal shields

Zinc (Zn)

Rust protection (galvanising), coins, alloying element for brass

Tin (Sn)

Solder in the electrics industry, tin plates, chemicals, pigments, alloying element for bronze

In addition to Saxony’s primary raw materials, the possibility of reclaiming secondary resources

also provides significant potential here. Sorted waste and mixed waste from all kinds of sources

are today either reused directly in production processes or treated at recycling plants using

innovative sorting and separation technology. Reclamation from secondary resources is becoming

particularly relevant among rare earths, given the local industry’s extreme dependence on

imports in this area.

Saxon recycling industry 2009 (according to the State Bureau of Statistics 2011)

Total waste

disposal

Total waste supplied

for waste removal

for use at waste

disposal plants

for recycling

plants, secondary

resources and products

in [t]

Thermal plants

280,557

96,727

4,412

84,115

8,200

Soil treatment plants

434,917

406,806

28,936

370,000

7,870

Chemical/physical

treatment plants

390,579

283,102

22,700

226,002

34,400

Scrap-car dismantling plants

95,202

54,191

21

51,381

2,790

Combustion plants with

energy recovery

588,507

71,976

534

69,103

2,340

Biological treatment plants

541,858

298,933

7,134

16,631

275,169

Biomechanical

treatment plants

436,123

341,992

87,216

233,042

21,735

Shredding and scrapping plants

886,915

902,437

10,957

383,453

508,027

Sorting plants

1,086,919

1,049,764

4,030

599,911

445,823

Treatment plants for electrical

and electronic waste

21,752

21,658

591

18,527

2,540

Other treatment plants

1

505,950

480,126

12,846

200,760

266,520

Waste dumps

1,029,451

1

1

1

1

1

including dumps insofar as the production plants and systems materially recycle waste oil

This strategy revolves around the primary raw materials obtained through mining. As such, the

focus is on secondary resources capable of substituting pit & quarry natural resources, coal,

ore and spar.

Secondary raw materials from a wide variety of waste (such as scrap wood, used tyres, solvents

and municipal waste), and which could replace lignite as an energy source, are not further

processed here – largely because their small quantities make them irrelevant compared to

other energy sources. Material recycling is generally also the preferred solution over waste

combustion for legal, environmental and, increasingly, economic reasons.

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Secondary raw materials from non-hazardous mineral waste generated through construction,

demolition, thermal processes, waste treatment and municipal waste may be used instead of

rocks and earth (e. g. bottom ash, boiler ash, filter dust, broken tiles/bricks). The Saxon State

Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology estimates the quantity of mineral waste

in Saxony to be approx. 20 million tonnes, corresponding to almost 50 percent of the annual

supply volume of rock and earth (approx. 37 million tonnes). Of this, approx. 40 percent is treated

at Saxony’s nearly 400 plants, while 60 percent of the mineral waste is poured into open-cast

mines to make them useable again.

The secondary construction materials are used as aggregate in technical structures (e. g. road-

building, industrial estates, soundproof walling), although no secondary construction materials

are currently used in structural engineering. Despite their large and therefore highly relevant

quantities, secondary construction materials cannot yet replace primary construction materials.

The aim here is to more intensively foster the potential of innovative treatment processes and

acceptance among users and the public in order to enable secondary construction materials of

an adequately high quality to be supplied at competitive prices.

According to nationwide surveys, 92 percent of mineral waste is recycled, covering a third of

the demand for these raw materials (Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW Köln)), and

the secondary construction materials substitute 10 percent of the total aggregates used (Ger-

man Mineral Resources Agency). Metal waste (scrap) and waste containing metal (e. g. slag,

dust, packaging) is used to substitute ores and spars. Useable data on substitution potential is only

available at a national level (IW Köln, BGR, ZVEI/Commerzbank): almost 50 percent of the crude

steel manufactured in Germany is obtained from scrap steel. Scrap is used in around 56 percent

of nonferrous metal production. And in Germany’s refined sugar and crude steel production

industry, 43 percent of the copper, 60 percent of the aluminium, 69 percent of the lead and 44 per-

cent of the crude steel come from secondary raw materials.

The Free State of Saxony has for years been home to established companies providing highly

innovative treatment technologies to recover metals.

Findings from the Saxon Bureau of Statistics show that the state’s supplies totalled some

917,000 tonnes for a selection of the relevant waste fractions.

EAV-AS

Waste from the iron and steel industry

174,623

10 02

10 07

Waste from thermal silver, gold and platinum metallurgy

602

10 08

Waste from other thermal nonferrous metallurgy

2,025

10 09

Waste from iron and steel-casting

14,017

10 10

Waste from the casting of nonferrous metals

2,474

11 01

Waste from chemical surface treatment and

coating of metals and other materials

34,803

12 01

Waste from mechanical moulding processes and processes

involving mechanical surface treatment of metals and

plastics

442

12 01 02

Iron dust and particles

442

12 01 03

NF metal filings and turnings

647

12 01 04

NF metallic dust and particles

832

12 01 09*

Halogen-free processing emulsions and solutions

31,907

12 01 14*

Processing slurry containing hazardous substances

478

12 01 15

Processing slurry, except those classified

under 120114

1,025

12 01 16*

Blasting-agent waste containing hazardous substances

876

12 01 17

Blasting-agent waste, except those classified under 120116

809

12 01 18*

Metal slurry containing oil (abrasive, honing and lapping slurries)

1,497

12 03

Waste from water and steam-degreasing (except 11)

761

16 01

Various scrap vehicles

(including mobile machinery and waste resulting from the dismantling of

scrap vehicles and vehicle maintenance)

16 01 17

Ferrous metals

43,770

16 08

Used catalysts

15,614

17 04

Metals (including alloys)

523,888

19 10

Waste from shredding metal-containing waste

19 10 02

NF metallic waste

280

19 12

Waste resulting from the mechanical treatment of waste

(e. g. sorting, crushing, compacting, pelleting), not elsewhere specified

19 12 03

Nonferrous metals

23,038

Optimised statistics for the quantities recorded among plant operators and customers would

likely show a higher potential for recyclable waste. The Saxon State Office for the Environment,

Agriculture and Geology (LfULG) has calculated 7,500 tonnes/year or 1.4 kg/inhabitant/year in

unused potential for metal-containing waste generated by private households (e. g. lightweight

packaging, residual waste, excluding bulky items). By introducing a yellow bin for non-pa-

ckaging made from similar materials, Germany is expected to unlock a potential equal to 7 kg of

similar-material products per head, per year (570,000 tonnes annually). Further potential can

be unlocked if metal-containing mineral waste (e. g. dust and slag) generated during metal

recovery continues to be used. Until now, due to lacking profitability, it has primarily been used

as a substitute construction material at waste dumps, or been dumped itself.

Rare earths and precious metals are found in a variety of production waste, consumables

waste (e. g. electronic and electrical waste), used batteries, scrap vehicles, and large-scale

applications such as solar panels or wind turbines. One tonne of disused exhaust emission

catalysts can generate 0.5 kg of platinum metals, and one tonne of mobile-phone scraps can

produce up to 340 g of gold. This substitution has already reached a substantial scale in some

cases (e. g. secondary metals from catalysts, electronic scraps etc. already cover more than half

of global demand for platinum metals and palladium). But there is still considerable need and

potential for optimisation, particularly for rare earth metals and precious metals.

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It is worth noting that the work associated with extracting secondary raw materials involves

intense regulatory controls compared to mining primary resources. This ranges from concrete

specifications in the individual usage stages and processes (e. g. extent of draining or dismantling

of scrap vehicles or electrical waste), to target usage quotas, to extensive requirements for

analyses and sampling, and not least concrete criteria for determining when a product is no

longer waste, and mandatory regulations for manufacturing new materials or products (e. g.

EU chemical law). The waste framework regulations implemented through the Closed-Loop

Waste Management Act have provided initial ideas for obtaining more raw materials from

waste, but these need to be intensified. This comparatively tight legal corset limits leeway for

flexible solutions and innovative developments. The state government is always focused on

ensuring balanced regulations at an EU and national level, which take into account both environ-

mental requirements and raw material targets. Unlike for primary resource mining, the disposal

market also traditionally sees private companies pitted against the municipal authorities as

waste management utilities. Insofar as waste provision obligations apply, private companies

are initially denied access to this waste. These companies are dependent on the collection

procedures of public waste management utilities (e. g. electrical waste) or are bound to the

additional specifications stipulated by the public waste management utilities as their clients.

But waste is becoming less of an environmental hazard and more of a solution for raw material

supply shortages. Given that the process of reclaiming resources, particularly metals and rare

earths, from waste involves highly complex procedures and investments in high-tech systems,

it pushes the limits of municipal capabilities. Regardless of clear framework regulations and

controls, this field clearly belongs to the private economy. Reorientating it requires getting all

stakeholders onboard, and exhausting legal capacities at a national and EU level. The amended

Closed-Loop Waste Management Act does not meet these needs.

Even more so than for mineral waste, recovery processes for metal-containing waste face the

tremendous challenge of tackling elaborate material compounds, hybrid component structures,

the wide range of materials per product, and correspondingly complex, non-homogenous

waste flows. A broad range of options exists for researching and developing innovative processes

which maximise potential and prevent system losses for secondary raw materials through irrever-

sible changes. One of the greatest challenges associated with mineral-based secondary resources

lies in developing technologies which enable adequately high quality at competitive prices

compared to the primary construction materials, and establishing an effective quality assurance

scheme. Logistics is another area providing considerable potential for optimisation: For example,

waste collection must be optimised for subsequent recycling processes/uses to ensure certain

options are not discounted right from the outset. This requires an appropriate information ex-

change between stakeholders in the value chain (manufacturers, suppliers, consumers, recyclers).

Additional value can be created by ensuring the technical know-how acquired through treating

and processing primary resources can also be used for secondary raw materials. Experience to

date shows that corresponding technological synergy effects are principally anticipated in re-

lation to coal (technologies associated with the material usage of lignite, e. g. gasification,

pyrolysis), ore or spar (selection and smelting using recovery technology processes). The creation

of networks, as well as researching and conducting training to develop and secure connections

between the production of primary and secondary resources, pose particular challenges for the

future.

The knowledge base necessary to assess the specific, available raw materials potential to be

gained from the Saxon economy extracting secondary resources must be improved. When it

comes to pit & quarry natural resources, a material flow analysis for both secondary and pri-

mary construction materials is essential in order to create optimum conditions for sustainable

raw material usage. This requires clarifying questions such as:

❚

Which secondary raw materials available in Saxony can quantitatively and

qualitatively be used to substitute primary raw materials?

❚

What specific quantities of recyclable waste are generated in Saxony itself,

or can be acquired from external sources?

❚

To what extent can Saxon facilities be expanded/new facilities be set up to treat

this waste?

❚

What technologies are available/must be developed, and, if applicable,

how must these be funded?

❚

What factors need to be taken into account (e. g. demographic change, economic

activity, market barriers, environmental framework and approval requirements);

Can these be managed or configured in order to achieve the raw material targets?

Stock-takes of this kind have so far been subject to statistically strict limits, including by the

framework set by the Environmental Statistics Act. No other regular surveys are conducted in

Saxony. Waste quantities recorded for commercial and industrial fields in particular are sketchy

at best. The fact that there is no specially “classified economic sector” makes it difficult to gain

a comprehensive overview of the Saxony-based companies and plants operating in the secondary

raw material economy.

A specific distinction from other industries and between companies actually implementing

recycling processes and providing associated services (e. g. recording, transportation) or the

necessary technology is urgently required.

Coupled with this is the fact that many companies have dual fields of activity (e. g. mining

mineral resources while simultaneously accepting, treating and recycling mineral waste). The

register of waste disposal plants in the Free State of Saxony

contains 836

facilities. While permitted plant capacities provide some indication of the raw material potential

(e. g. capacity for 173,000 scrap vehicles and 78,000 tonnes of electrical waste per year), the

available data for this is from 2007. Information on specific, reclaimed materials or material

fractions is indispensable when it comes to assessing economic development potential. State

government initiatives will also help organise networks for co-operations, knowledge transfer,

and joint product and process technology developments.

If nothing else, improving the knowledge base includes a complex, comprehensive study of

entire value chains, and this is further impeded by interdependencies between primary and

secondary resource flows (e. g. rehabilitation obligations for mining primary raw materials –

corresponding flows of secondary construction materials intended for fills, corresponding removal

of material for better quality treatment). Comprehensive analyses of material flows are required

in order to devise solutions suitable for the overall economy.

There is thus a general need to collect information on the latest supplies, disposal facilities, and

secondary resources actually available.

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The exporting of metal-containing waste in particular (e. g. scrap, electrical waste, scrap vehicles),

which does not undergo any high-quality recovery processes in the importing country, results

in large quantities of secondary raw materials being lost. Around half of these are illegal exports

from the EU. But even legally exported waste prevents secondary raw materials from accessing

the German economy through unreliable re-importing options. As such, fewer than 50 percent

of rejected vehicles are reused in Germany.

EU regulations should eliminate the ongoing uncertainties associated with distinguishing

between waste and functional products (already in existence for some electronic devices). This

will cut out legal grey areas which otherwise encourage illegal exports. Framework conditions

which either make domestic recovery processes more attractive than exports, or which ensure

high-quality recovery abroad, with the option of re-importing the secondary resources, also

need to be created.

Rare earths are frequently widespread and exist in very low concentrations. During conventional

recycling processes, they end up irretrievably lost in shredder fractions or waste combustion.

Instead of processes aimed at mass metals (recycling quotas), there needs to be efficient collec-

tion systems and treatment techniques which can be used to reclaim the small percentages of

high-quality elements. And these must be perfectly co-ordinated. If, for example, only 50 per-

cent of the used products are collected, even a 95 percent recovery quota in a high-tech process

will be unable to compensate for the losses incurred during collection.

Recovering rare earths requires specific know-how, complex processes (especially chemical

processes) and elaborate equipment. Very few systems and technologies around the world have

so far been capable of this. Self-developed recovery processes are often not profitable for

commercial use due to the great time and expense involved with dismantling, and the intense

energy requirements. Research and development in this area are particularly important, as is

the need for financial support (very large, risky investments). The Free State of Saxony must

acknowledge and foster the resulting opportunities provided by a new, meaningful high-

technology industry. A critical initial step has been taken with initiatives such as the “Life

Cycle Strategies” innovation forum in Freiberg and the research activities performed by the

Helmholtz Institute of Resource Technology, Freiberg. Saxon companies can be supported in

their efforts to develop new, highly effective recovery and treatment technologies and

associated specific machinery, systems and equipment, including in co-operation with university

or non-university research institutes, as part of Saxony’s technology funding programme.

Geothermal energy is gaining prominence as a renewable energy source, and harbours considerable

potential for environmentally friendly energy use, including for Saxony, given the current situation

in the raw material and energy industries. Geothermal energy, which is located close to the

surface and also covers mine-water geothermal energy, unlocks potential to depths of 400 m,

and is used exclusively for climate control in buildings. Shallow geothermal energy currently

operates approx. 900 geothermal power plants in Saxony, with an installed total heat output of

approx. 107 MW. Saxony’s flooded mining caverns provide a previously underused potential for

climate control (heating and cooling) in buildings. Current cases of geothermal energy being

used in Saxony can be found in Marienberg (aquamarine), Ehrenfriedersdorf (secondary school),

and Freiberg (Schloss Freudenstein, Steigerhaus Reiche Zeche). Deep geothermal energy is one

of the environmentally friendly future prospects for power and heat generation. Unlike other

states, Saxony’s geology means only petrothermal energy can be used. Temperature models reveal

values between 105 and 190°C at depths of 5 km. Generating power by drilling to depths of 5 km

to use the energy stored inside the earth appears to be a feasible option in Saxony in almost all

of the areas examined.

Having broad expertise in raw materials can make Saxony a leading innovator in the field.

Business and scientific capacities provide unique potential for sustainable value creation in the

Free State of Saxony, and enable good opportunities for development. Saxony has excellent

expertise and substantial capacities in research, business and administration, covering the

entire life cycle from raw material mining, to treatment, refinement and processing, to recla-

mation. As Germany’s engineering hotspot, the state is able to provide qualified workers to

meet companies’ needs for specialists and managers. Additional expansions in Saxon raw

material research helps ensure it retains its top position at an international level. Of equal

importance is Saxony’s scientific know-how and business acumen in the field of materials re-

search. New materials gained as a result of reclamation or substitution will replace or supplement

traditional materials. This involves changes in manufacturing processes, tool and machinery

requirements, and thus mechanical engineering innovations.

Freiberg is Saxony’s scientific hub for geoscientific, geotechnical and geo-economical matters,

land-use planning, regional planning, resource usage/safeguarding, and economically sound

usage of the geosphere. A number of establishments and initiative exist for this purpose. The

, as Saxony’s university specialising in resources,

teaches and researches in four main fields – geosciences, materials, energy, and environment –

along the value chain to facilitate sustainable materials and energy industries. Since its founding

in 1765 as the world’s oldest mining university, it is closely affiliated with mining and the

metallurgical treatment of mineral resources. Its scientists are not only focused on uncovering

new deposits, but also on developing alternative energy technologies, new materials, and modern

recovery processes.

The plans to extend the existing “Reiche Zeiche” educational and research mine, in close

co-operation with the Helmholtz Institute of Resource Technology in Freiberg, into the world’s

first “green” mine are also set to reinforce and further develop the very successful approach of

horizontal networking through the raw material value chain and vertical networking of the

idea through laboratory testing and the pilot plant. In consultation with Saxon, German and

international research partners and industrial companies, they also aim to develop and test

methods and processes which operate efficiently in terms of raw materials, the environment

and resources to sustainably obtain raw materials under in-situ conditions.

of Resource Technology, sponsored by the Freiberg University of Mining and Techno-

logy and the Helmholtz Centre in Dresden-Rossendorf, pools research expertise to ensure the

German economy can be adequately supplied with raw materials. One of the initial main tasks

is to mine and recover high-technology metals such as gallium, indium, germanium and rare

earth elements, which are indispensable in the fields of renewable energy and electromobility.

Founded on 1 July 1542, the

is Germany’s oldest mining authority, and

was the key source of the mining-law developments which were then applied in other mining

regions of Europe. The term “sustainability” was coined by chief mining administrator Hans Carl

von Carlowitz as early as 1713, and, since 1991, the Saxon Mining Office has been the competent

authority for occupational health and safety, environmental protection, and resource sustainability

in Saxony’s mining industry. It concentrates primarily on open-pit mining for lignite, pit & quarry

natural resources, as well as land rehabilitation and an old mining tradition spanning centuries.

stores and preserves official Saxon mining and metallurgical

documents and mining company documents dated up to 1990. Its archives provide insights

24 |

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Framework agreements and supply contracts are just one important step towards accessing and

using other nations’ raw material stores. They cannot guarantee protection against commodity

market distortion on their own. Regardless of the resources available, many countries take

measures to manipulate price trends, protect their own industry, and control exports. On the

other hand, Third World countries in particular lack the experience and knowledge to efficiently

mine their raw materials. Only with increasingly mutual networking can mutual trust and insight

into common interests grow. This requires intense cultivation of business and contacts at all

levels.

Saxony’s mining companies and experts boast impressive knowledge and experience here. The

state has a centuries-old tradition and latest knowledge of the raw material economy, making

it highly regarded in resource-rich countries, especially in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Its

experience in the complex field of ore mining, sustainable mine rehabilitation, and expertise in

alternative excavation methods, smelting and resource reclamation in particular is gaining in

demand worldwide.

Saxony is a hub for geoconsultants, exploration companies, active mining companies, and

highly specialised firms operating in the area of mine rehabilitation. Saxony has an efficient,

powerful raw material economy with some 5,000 companies employing around 75,000 staff.

In addition to the companies mentioned above, Saxony is also home to a number of firms

supplying the technology required to extract and treat raw materials. Many businesses have

purposely established bases near the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology in order to

collaboratively develop new machinery, system technology and treatment processes. Highly

complex open-cast mining systems from Saxony – ranging from bucket-wheel excavators to

bucket dredgers to conveyor bridges – transport raw materials around the world.

Companies operating in the fields of environmental and reclamation engineering with leading

innovative technologies, particularly for recovering ferrous and nonferrous metals from various

types of waste, have established themselves in the Freiberg region, based on the raw materials

industry which has emerged there.

The region also serves as the hub for a strong industry with a growing demand for strategic raw

materials (e. g. photovoltaic industry, supply industry for microelectronics, foundry industry etc.).

International co-operations make state institutions open to raw material-rich countries seeking

long-term collaborations with German companies, both as research centres and training centres

for their specialists. This lays the foundation for ongoing partnerships and co-operations exten-

ding beyond single projects.

into mines and underground caverns, revealing information on deposits, safety issues as part

of old mining projects relating to exploration and storage measures, and the impacts of mining

history on Saxony as a region.

Saxon Geological Survey is performed by the

. Based in Freiberg, the Geology department is the central port of call for applied

geoscientific matters such as resource geology, hydro geology and engineering geology. Calcu-

lating Saxony’s resource potential, including all deposits and supplies, enables important

technical bases to be established for studies and analyses in resource geology. Other tasks include

geological surveying and assessing geological risks such as earthquakes. The State Office for

the Environment, Agriculture and Geology acts as the main authority here for administrating

and providing all geological data (e. g. drillings and other exploration), and this information

plays a major role in the lead-up to business activities aimed at exploring raw materials.

Additional research establishments in Freiberg, such as the Fraunhofer Technology Centre for

Semiconductor Materials, non-profit research institutes, and private companies round off the

knowledge and performance capacities across all aspects of mining.

The

was founded in March 2002 with the direct involvement

of the Free State of Saxony. It is a network of more than 170 members from business, science

and administration, pooling the region’s varied expertise in the fields of geology, the environ-

ment, mining, and the extracting and recovery of raw materials. The centre’s primary focus is on

developing new quality in the issue-driven collaboration between science, research, administ-

ration and business, while interdisciplinary work groups from members’ and partners’ fields

formulate requirements for the market or project.

The co-operation between state institutions and businesses from the relevant industries combines

the existing capacities for further research and development. The businesses are offered state

partners to provide scientific assistance for projects. The Freiberg University of Mining and

Technology, the Mining Office, and the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology

all have access to practical research and information from other mining regions – a concept which

must be constantly deepened and developed into a central hub for geosciences and mining.

Reiche Zeche in Freiberg | Source: Heymann – SMWA

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Studies and training in mining professions have a long tradition in the Freiberg region as a

result of its 800-year mining history. In order for the area to be further developed, companies’

needs for skilled specialists and managers must be reliably met. This will be one of the biggest

challenges over the coming years.

Raw material production in particular requires training and practice to be closely intertwined. The

is one of Germany’s three classic training insti-

tutions for young students of the extractive industry. Its results in rankings and external funding

consistently demonstrate a high quality of research and teaching. Its solid profile has given it top

future prospects in a highly competitive university landscape, and seen it continuously grow

every year. The Freiberg University of Mining and Technology is today Germany’s only university

to offer training options in all mining and geosciences subjects. Its seven institutes provide a

comprehensive package of Bachelor and Masters courses under one roof:

❚

Mining and specialised foundation engineering,

❚

Drilling technology and fluid mining,

❚

Geology,

❚

Geophysics,

❚

Geotechnics,

❚

Mine surveying and geodesy, and

❚

Mineralogy

The Freiberg University of Mining and Technology also offers a number of training options in

the recovery of secondary resources from waste (e. g. “Chemistry and physics”, “Mechanical

engineering, process technology and energy engineering”, “Materials engineering and techno-

logy”) at several of its faculties.

This is supplemented by the services at the nearby

, particularly in its science and

engineering faculties (e. g. Institute for Waste Management and Contaminated Sites, Chemistry

Department, Institute for Process and Environmental Technology, and the United Nations Uni-

versity Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNUFLORES),

specialising in the secondary resources industry).

In anticipation of a revival in Saxon mining activities, mining training courses have been

offered since 2004 through a joint initiative by the Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs,

Labour and Transport, the

, and the State Mining Autority of Saxony. Germany’s only recognised trade of miner and

mining machine operator provides graduates with excellent opportunities to join the profession

and start their career.

The

is the supervisory authority appointed by the state

government for the course, and has for many years been continuously training aspiring

teachers preparing for higher civil service. This training is offered in the subjects of mining and

surveying. The preparation phase is geared around subsequent employment in the state mining

administration. The knowledge acquired also opens up a number of opportunities to work at

companies in and outside of the mining industry. For qualified surveying engineers, successfully

completing the preparatory phase simultaneously serves as a basis for becoming a recognised

surveyor later on.

The traditional Beflissenenausbildung or training for registered mining students sees

geoscience students learn practical mining and surveying skills and knowledge from a variety

of mining sectors to equip them for subsequent employment.

The various training options offered by vocational colleges and universities in Saxony are not

just designed to meet the local demand for young talent. They can also include training for

students from other countries in need of skilled labour.

The Saxon raw material economy plays a key role in the Saxon economy. Saxon raw material

policy aims to permanently strengthen the state as a raw material hub, increase opportunities

for value creation in this important sector, and help ensure a sustainable supply of raw materials

for Saxony’s growing industry. To do this, the Saxon state government follows the guidelines

below.

Source: © goodluz | Fotolia.com

28 |

| 29

Saxony will continue to be a land of mining. As such, the framework conditions for mining local

raw material must ensure remains profitable over the long term:

❚

By having land-use plans which protect regions potentially capable of being used

to mine mineral resources and lignite,

❚

By systematically updating existing raw material databases,

❚

By helping companies finance deposit site exploration, and

❚

By adapting the legal framework conditions to the needs of the raw material economy.

Saxony is becoming a land of secondary raw materials. As such, the framework conditions for

ensuring the resources contained in waste are reintroduced to the materials cycle must be

further developed to enable Saxony to become a leading hub for the reclamation industry in

Germany and Europe:

❚

By improving the knowledge base for Saxon companies to assess specific, feasible

secondary resource potential derived from waste,

❚

By paying greater attention to the raw material targets in recycling law,

❚

By increasing the quantitative and qualitative (e. g. rare earths) material usage

quota in waste disposal,

❚

By providing the option of reclaiming raw materials from current and

future waste,

❚

By increasing the attractiveness of recovering materially reusable waste within

Germany instead of exporting it/by encouraging high-quality recycling processes

and the necessary infrastructure (e. g. separate collection) abroad,

❚

Through better co-ordinated collection and recovery processes based on networked

expertise in the base-material-processing industry and recycling industry,

❚

By helping to research and develop new separation and treatment technologies, and

develop specific mechanical and system technology

❚

By supporting innovations and investments in the field of resource recycling,

particularly for high-technology processes and systems designed to recycle rare earths

❚

By strengthening competition in the disposal industry, and

❚

By raising social perceptions of the recycling industry as part of the raw material economy.

Source: Fluss- und Schwerspatcompagnie EFS Geos GmbH

30 |

| 31

The current technical, economic and environmental challenges faced by the raw material eco-

nomy require intensive scientific assistance. This means strengthening the existing structures at

universities and non-university establishments, networking them closely with one another, and

expanding them in accordance with current requirements to make Freiberg a mining hub:

❚

By gearing the university landscape, particularly the Freiberg University of

Mining and Technology and the TU Dresden, around the requirements of a

sustainable raw material economy,

❚

By supporting the establishment of other research institutes, particularly in places

where expertise already exists,

❚

By developing business-related research at companies,

❚

By intensifying application-oriented resource research at all stages of the value chain,

including specific mechanical and plant engineering,

❚

By creating the nation’s and Europe’s only research environment for raw material

production by developing the Reiche Zeche educational and research

mine to become the world’s first sustainable mine,

❚

By more intensively integrating Saxon resource research into European and

non-European networks,

❚

By developing technologies which economically enable the mining, treatment and

processing of local raw materials, ensure extensive, profitable recycling of raw materials

generated by waste, better network the two fields, and utilise synergy effects, and

❚

Through effective technology transfer of the specific know-how existing at universities

and research institutes, and the relative results, to Saxon businesses.

The (continued) training of skilled specialists in the field of raw materials is a traditional forte

of the Saxon education system. To perpetuate this tradition, Saxon must further develop its

leading role in this area:

❚

By intensifying the (continued) training of local specialists and managers,

❚

By training foreign specialists and managers, especially those from resource-rich

developing nations and newly industrialised nations,

❚

By intensifying resource-related skills at the relevant Saxon universities,

❚

By supporting international contacts and projects at the relevant Saxon educational

establishments,

❚

By adapting the training programmes to the relevant needs of the national and

international raw material economy, and

❚

By networking the various education providers.

The traditional networking between stakeholders of the raw material economy has always been a

key foundation and source of scientific and technical progress in Saxon raw material economy. This

networking must ensure individual stakeholders are able to benefit from it, and must also encou-

rage innovative developments in the industry:

❚

By helping expand and pool existing networks, such as the Geokompetenzzentrum

Freiberg e. V., FIRE e. V., LIBESA etc.

❚

By further developing economic and scientific capacities and expertise in Saxony’s

raw material economy, particularly in Freiberg and Dresden,

❚

By systematically marketing Saxony as a hub of the raw material economy, and

❚

By creating framework conditions which encourage additional stakeholders to

contribute their potential to existing structures.

The Saxon raw material economy has long-time international contacts in resource-rich

countries. These contacts must be developed in such a way so as to ensure Saxony’s expertise in

this field can be marketed better than before:

❚

By cultivating contacts with foreign graduates from Saxon universities, particularly

the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology,

❚

By supporting resource-related partnerships between Saxon universities and

international universities and research institutes in selected countries, for both

primary and secondary raw materials,

❚

By supporting Germany’s resource partnerships with selected countries,

❚

By supporting the Saxon raw material economy during activities abroad, particularly as

part of the Saxon foreign trade initiative,

❚

By marketing specific Saxon resource technologies and resource-related research

results, and recognised reference objects for mine restoration and rehabilitation,

as well as

❚

By helping partner nations create framework conditions for their national resources

industry, based on development tasks and objectives.

Source: BGH Edelstahlwerke GmbH

32 |

| 33

The Saxon administration considers itself a service provider of the raw material economy.

Building on centuries-old (in some cases) experiences, the aim is to constantly gear the existing

structures around the needs of the raw material economy:

❚

By maintaining an independent, efficient Saxon mining administration,

❚

By having Freiberg as the central hub of resource-related administration,

❚

Through continuous dialogue between the administration and business,

❚

By efficiently structuring administrative processes, and

❚

By raising awareness of the raw material economy’s interests at all levels of

administration.

The Saxon raw material economy has traditionally been very well accepted by the public. The idea

of working towards an ideology-free, knowledge-based, not fear-based community awareness

of raw materials must be established as a task performed by society as a whole:

❚

By conveying the notion that the raw material economy is one of the essential bases

of human society,

❚

By teaching solid, basic science at all levels of education,

❚

By systematically teaching facts and practices relating to raw materials to

people of all ages and education levels,

❚

Through an offensive information policy regarding the requirements and opportunities

of a modern raw material economy,

❚

By rehabilitating post-mining landscapes, taking into account both the

traditional regional factors, as well as unlocking opportunities for sustainable

regional development, and

❚

By effectively presenting the work already done to rehabilitate post-mining landscapes

in Saxony

Below is a list of short-term and medium-term tasks which help ensure the guidelines and

objectives are implemented.

It must be constantly updated.

The tasks are aimed at all stakeholders in the raw material economy – companies and associ-

ations, as well as educational and scientific establishments, policyholders, the administration

and citizens.

The purpose of this list is to name/acquire specific tasks and persons responsible for them.

Although some tasks serve to fulfil a number of guidelines, we have endeavoured to allocate

the specific tasks to certain guidelines.

Tasks

Stakeholders

Developing a Saxon initiative at a national and European level to financially

assist with prospecting and exploring local deposit sites

STG, FI, AS

Updating the databases for Saxon pit & quarry natural resources, spar, ore and lignite resources

regardint quantity and quality

STG, LfULG,

AS

Fulfilling the raw material data principles in the regional and land-use plan

SMI, RPA

Formulating a plan to back up raw material data currently existing outside the

state administration

STG, CMP AS

Providing a representative illustration of Saxony’s raw material potential to entice

investors and develop and operate a Saxony-specific, resource-oriented information service

AS, LfULG

Tasks

Stakeholder

Initiating pilot projects to optimise a co-ordinated system to collect recycled materials

STG, PWDA,

AS, CMP

Developing quality-assurance systems for secondary raw materials

STG, AS

Analysing potential for profitable, accessible secondary raw material sources

STG, AS

Analysing material flows for the sustainable use of mineral primary and secondary

construction materials in Saxony, taking into account reciprocal effects and interactions

LfULG, LD,

OBA, STG, AS,

CMP, MC

Developing a “secondary raw materials” network for resource users, recyclers

and authorities

AS, PWDA,

STG, AD

Developing a plan for the future waste-dump industry in order to ensure raw materials

obtained from dumped waste can be recycled profitably

LfULG,

universities,

PWDA, STG

Source: © Picture-Factory | Fotolia.com

34 |

| 35

Tasks

Stakeholder

Developing and operating a Saxony-specific, raw material-oriented information service

AS, AD, CIC

Holding events geared around the raw material economy,

particularly also for material-intensive and material-sensitive businesses

AS, CMP, GKZ,

CIC, TU

Supporting theme-specific networks, e. g. the “Innovative Braunkohlen Integration

in Mitteldeutschland ibi” (coal refining), “Life Cycle Strategien” and

“Geobiotechnologie und Mikrobiologische Verfahren im Bergbau” innovation forums

STG, CMP,

AS, SI, GKZ,

PWDA, TU

Updating the Saxon Raw Material Strategy

STG

Tasks

Stakeholder

Concluding bilateral agreements regarding Saxony’s co-operation with important

resource-rich countries (e. g. Mongolia, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Vietnam,

former CIS states etc.)

STG, AS, GKZ

Creating a programme to internationally market Saxon raw material expertise

acquired from research, business, education and administration

STG, TU, GKZ,

AS, AD

Pooling the student networks of all resource-related faculties at Saxon universities

into one institutional platform

SU, CIC

Tasks

Stakeholder

Developing a Saxon “Sustainable raw material use” research programme

TU, HZDR,

INST, CMP, SI,

STG

Developing practice-oriented raw material research, e. g. through intensified co-operation

between science, administration and business as part of grading work

TU, HZDR,

CMP, SI, AD

Formulating a plan for targeted, practical staff exchange between business,

science and administration

TU, HZDR,

INST, STG,

CMP, SI, AD

Integrating “Saxon raw material” issues into the work of the

Freiberg Institute for Resource Technology

STG, AS,

GKZ, TU,

HZDR, AD

Pilot projects to increase efficiency in obtaining both local raw materials and

secondary raw materials, including networking both fields

TU, HZDR,

INST, AS,

CMP, SI

Re-appointing chairs for processing, mining and surveying at the

Freiberg University of Mining and Technology

TU, STG

Re-appointing a chair for waste management at the Institute for

Waste Management and Contaminated Sites at the TU Dresden

STG, TU

Providing focused support for research and development to recycle local raw materials,

e. g. coal refinement

STG, AS,

TU, CMP,

INST, SI

Providing focused support for research and development to sustainably recycle raw materials

in a resource-efficient and environmentally-efficient at the Freiberg University of Mining and

Technology

TU, SI

Developing the “United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of

Material Fluxes and of Resources” (UNUFLORES) at the TU Dresden

STG, TU

Tasks

Stakeholder

Formulating and implementing (continued) training initiatives for the

Saxon raw material economy and research

STG, AS, CIC

Developing mining and raw material training programmes at the Technical College at the

Julius Weisbach Vocational Training Centre

STG, CMP,

CIC, BSZ

Tasks

Stakeholder

Formulating a continued raw material training programme for

affected administrations

STG, EI,

AS, AD

Formulating a staff-exchange programme between companies and the administration

AS, STG, AD

Tasks

Stakeholder

Intensifying co-ordinated, raw material economy-related PR across all media

STG, CMP,

AS, SI, GKZ,

TU, AD

Formulating a plan to develop and increase social awareness of raw materials

AS, STG, GKZ

Developing promotional projects to increase regional acceptance of specific

raw material projects

AS, GKZ,

CMP, MC

Developing raw material information material for school and pre-school education

AS, EI,

STG, GKZ

More intensively incorporating the issue of raw material into basic science

teaching at all levels of education

STG, GKZ, EI

Reintroducing the school subject of geography as a specialised course

STG, GKZ

36 |

BSZ

Berufsschulzentrum (vocational training centre)

EI

Educational institutions

FI

Financial institutes

GKZ

Geokompetenzzentrum e. V.

HZDR

Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

(sponsor of the Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology)

CIC

Chambers of industry and commerce

INST

Institutes

MC

Municipalities

PWDA Public waste disposal authorities

RPA

Regional planning associations

SU

Saxon universities

STG

State government

TU

TU Bergakademie Freiberg

(Freiberg University of Mining and Technology), TU Dresden etc.

CMP

Companies

AS

Associations

AD

Administration

SI

Scientific institutions

WFS

Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen

❚

Lignite in Saxony

❚

Deposits of pit & quarry raw materials in Saxony

Mineability assessment

❚

Ore and spar deposits in Saxony

Profen

Vereinigtes

Schleenhain

Nochten

Reichwalde

Leipzig

Dresden

Chemnitz

Zwickau

Plauen

Görlitz

Zittau

Delitzsch

Bad Düben

0

20

40

Kilometer

Nochten

Lignite processing (seam thickness ≥ 2m)

Not shown under the cities of Leipzig, Delitzsch, Bad Düben and Zittau

Open-cast mines (abandoned, restored, exhausted, active

mining within the framework operations plan areas)

Framework operations plan areas for lignite with open-cast

mine name

Name of lignite mining district

Leipzig

Dresden

Chemnitz

Festgesteine, 1

Festgesteine, 2

Festgesteine, 3

Festgesteine, 4

Karbonate, 1

Karbonate, 2

Karbonate, 3

Karbonate, 4

Tone, Kaolinite, Bentonite, 1

Tone, Kaolinite, Bentonite, 2

Tone, Kaolinite, Bentonite, 3

Tone, Kaolinite, Bentonite, 4

Sande, Kiese, Kiessande, 1

Sande, Kiese, Kiessande, 2

Sande, Kiese, Kiessande, 3

Sande, Kiese, Kiessande, 4

Lehme, Mergel, 1

Lehme, Mergel, 2

Lehme, Mergel, 3

Lehme, Mergel, 4

Klasse 1

Klasse 4

niedrigste

Bauwürdigkeit

höchste

Bauwürdigkeit

Ausgangsbasis für die Bewertung der Steine & Erden - Vorkommen sind die abgebildeten Rohstoffgruppen.

Jedes Rohstoffvorkommen wird anhand der Parameter:

- „Menge des Rohstoffs (Vorrat)“

- „Mächtigkeit des Rohstoffs“

- „Nutzschicht/Abraum-Verhältnis“

- „rohstoffgeologischer Kenntnisstand“

- „rohstoffspezifische Qualität “

- „Aussagesicherheit zur Qualität“

mit Bewertungspunkten belegt. Über statistische

Verfahren werden daraus die vier Bauwürdigkeitsklassen ermittelt.

0

5

10

Kilometer

The illustrated raw material groups serve as the basis for assessing the deposits of

pit & quarry raw material. Each deposit is awarded points using the following parameters:

– “Quantity of the raw material (supply)”

– “Thickness of the raw material”

– “Top-layer/waste ratio”

– “Knowledge of raw material geology”

– “Resource-specific quality”

– “Reliability of quality information”

The four mineability categories are determined based on these, using statistical processes.

Lowest

mineability

Highest

mineability

Hard rock, 1

Hard rock, 2

Hard rock, 3

Hard rock, 4

Carbonates, 1

Carbonates, 2

Carbonates, 3

Carbonates, 4

Clay, kaolinite, bentonite, 1

Clay, kaolinite, bentonite, 2

Clay, kaolinite, bentonite, 3

Clay, kaolinite, bentonite, 4

Sand, gravel, gravel sand, 1

Sand, gravel, gravel sand, 2

Sand, gravel, gravel sand, 3

Sand, gravel, gravel sand, 4

Loam, marl, 1

Loam, marl, 2

Loam, marl, 3

Loam, marl, 4

0

20

40

Kilometer

Tungsten, uranium, noibum, rare earths

Delitzsch

Fluorite

SW-Vogtland

Nickel

Granulite Mountains

Barite

Brunndöbra

Tin

Gottesberg-Eibenstock

Tin

Ehrenfriedersdorf - Geyer

Fluorite and barite

Central and East Ore

Mountains

Lead

Gold

Copper

Lithium

Nickel

Rare earth elements

Tungsten

Zinc

Tin

Fluorite

Barite

Copper, lead, zinc, silver

Nickel

Tungsten, niobium, rare earths

Alluvial gold

Tungsten, tin, uranium

Tin

Fluorite

Barite

Fluorite and barite

Tin

Seiffen

Tin

Großschirma

Copper, lead, zinc, silver

Schleife - Weißwasser

Nickel

Sohland

Alluvial gold

Elbeschotter

Tin, Lithium

East Ore Mountains

Tungsten, tin, uranium

West Ore Mountains

Fluorite

Niederschlag

Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs,

Labour and Transport

Wilhelm-Buck-Strasse 2

01097 Dresden

Department 46, Mining, Environmental Affairs

09|2012, amended version 08|2017

Ö GRAFIK agentur für marketing und design

© KGHM Kupfer AG, Fluss- und Schwerspatcompagnie EFS Geos GmbH,

State Mining Authority of Saxony, GEOMIN – Erzgebirgische Kalkwerke GmbH,

MIBRAG mbH, KSL Kupferschiefer Lausitz GmbH, Götz Schleser/SMWA

1,000

Lößnitz-Druck GmbH

Central brochure shipping department of the Saxon state government

Hammerweg 30 | 01127 Dresden

Telephone +49 (0)351 2103 672

Telefax +49 (0)351 2103 681

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