SUMAD

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

The objective of the SUMAD project is to develop methods for the revitalization of post-mining waste heaps based on knowledge and experiences from various EU countries. Addressing the challenges of heap revitalization requires collaboration among experts in multiple fields: geotechnics, sustainable development, environmental protection, risk management that considers social and economic aspects, and long-term management of these areas.

Advanced methods and tools for risk management, monitoring of previously revitalized sites, and physical and numerical modeling will be utilized to develop sustainable revitalization schemes, with a particular focus on technical feasibility for renewable energy infrastructure development on these sites. Input data for the project will be provided by site operators, businesses, and authoritative bodies to ensure their substantial impact on the project outcomes. Several sites will be prepared to validate the project’s results.

The goal of the SUMAD project is to determine methods for optimizing post-mining waste management. This goal will be achieved through the following actions:

• identification and characterization of post-mining waste heaps in Europe based on established criteria, and selection of specific areas for project use case implementation;
• geotechnical and environmental assessment of selected heaps;
• identification of potential revitalization activities in collaboration with key stakeholders;
• assessment of social, economic, and political constraints related to heap revitalization;
• development of a methodology for physical modeling of waste materials;
• development and testing of systems for selected heaps;
• selection and refinement of a model to simulate waste material behavior;
• validation of a numerical modeling tool and use of the model to examine the impact of site-specific parameters;
• investigation of soil revitalization techniques that will enable the installation of more sensitive monitoring equipment on the heaps;
• development of site monitoring techniques;
• development of a global risk management tool based on information gathered in the project;
  introduction of the concept of reliability in the geotechnical sense, considering the diverse behavior of waste material to achieve a more accurate geotechnical risk assessment.

The primary outcomes of the project will be:

1. Acquired knowledge on the revitalization processes of studied post-mining sites, applicable on a broader European scale
2. A map of post-mining waste sites along with their characteristics
3. Selected methods for site monitoring
4. Numerical models of soil
5. Identified properties of waste materials through simulation studies, physical testing, and long-term site monitoring
6. Developed methods for improving the properties of waste material to expand its usability
7. Tools that enable precise assessment of geotechnical risk.
8. An advanced risk management tool designed to support decision-making in the revitalization process.
9. Information exchange and collaboration with stakeholders: business owners, facility operators, local residents, academic researchers, regulatory authorities, etc.

CONTRIBUTION OF EUROPEAN FUNDS: EUR 294,355.50

The project participants include:

University of Nottingham (UON) – coordinator, and partners: “Poltegor-Instytut” Open Pit Mining Institute (POLTEGOR); Výzkumný ústav pro hnědé uhlí a.s. (VUHU); Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH); INSTITUT NATIONAL DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT INDUSTRIEL ET DES RISQUES (INERIS); Institute of Mining Technology (KOMAG); Łukasiewicz – Institute of Innovative Technologies EMAG; Central Mining Institute (GIG); Public Power Corporation (PPC); Lubelski Węgiel BOGDANKA SA (LWB).