Global Stakeholder Platform for Responsible Sourcing of Mineral Raw Materials
The project will set up an international platform on responsible sourcing (RS) that: 1. facilitates the development of a globally accepted definition of RS, 2. develops ideas for incentives facilitating responsible business conduct in the EU, supporting RS initiatives, 3. enables exchange of stakeholders for information exchange and promotion, 4. fosters the emergence of RS in international political fora, and 5. supports the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials.
To achieve the above mentioned objectives, the platform will connect experts and stakeholders by means of a physical element (“Platform Spaces”) and digital element (“Digital Ground”):
The Platform Spaces will allow practitioners (i) to gain a hands-on and peer-to-peer learning experience in workshops and site visits to exchange and learn from enabling factors, instruments and tools facilitating RS initiatives and business conduct for practitioners, and (ii) to engage with stakeholders at international conferences to further the concept of RS on the global political agenda.
Duration: 11/2019 – 10/2023
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (Chair of Mining Engineering and Mineral Economics), Oeko-institut E.v. – Institut fuer Angewandte Oekologie, World Resources Forum Association, Tallinna Tehnikaulikool, MH Intelligence (Uk) Ltd, Stichting Onderzoek Multinationaleondernemingen, Rcs Global Upstream Ltd, WWF Deutschland, EIT Raw Materials Gmbh, Lulea Tekniska Universitet, Ahk Business Center Sa
Rare earth reduction in high performance permanent magnet electric machines
Duration: 1/2020 – 12/2022
The highest torque densities for motors in EV vehicles are obtained with Neodymium Nd magnet. But Nb is considered to be a critical material for Europe due to two reason.
• The Forecast of the demand predicts that it will exceed the production in the following years
• The production is out of Europe
This is why it is extremely interesting to look for alternatives to these magnets based on material which are not as critical as Nd. In this context, implementation of Cerium (Ce) substituted alloys could alleviate the need for Nd raw material up to 6-10 %. However, Ce-based magnets are known to be less performant than Nd magnets, therefore, it becomes mandatory to redesign electrical machine in order to optimize the implementation of these new magnets.
In LowReeMotors projects, two different electrical machines will be designed manufactured and tested based on Ce magnets that will substitute an existing equivalent Nd based motors.
The design will be developed focusing for mass production. In that way, the aim of the project is to develop two new motor products based on that topology.
In order to show the vast contribution towards the SDGs done at Montanuniversität Leoben, RIC Leoben has compiled a list of projects relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals. This list is updated yearly and shows which chairs contribute to which SDG
Enhancing the skills of ESEE RM students towards the AchievemenT of SDGs
Duration: 01/2020 – 12/2021
The project consortium of “ENhancing the skills for the AChievemenT of SDGs”, EnAct-SDGs, will cooperate in order to develop an Action Plan that will act as a driver to modernize the RM education practices to ensure the incorporation of the Sustainable Development principles in the educational programmes of the ESEE Universities, strengthen the skills and increase the capacity of University graduates and RM professionals.
During the project a number of actions will take place and methodological tools will be adopted so as: (a) to build a dynamic self-sustained network between the Industry, Academia, Researchers and Professionals of the RM sector; (b) to initially assess the existing Educational programmes of the Beneficiary Universities; (c) to take into account the needs and views of the stakeholders from the RM network, Policy makers and NGOs; (d) to identify the areas that need improvement; (e) propose a road map for the modernization of the educational programs of the Beneficiary Universities that could be then transferred as a Best practice to other Universities of the ESEE Region; (f) to organize pilot activities for the implementation of the new proposals.
The EnAct-SDGs project will cooperate with the existing and developing ecosystems of different EIT RM Innovation (RC Leoben and RC Freiberg) and RIS (RCGREECE and RCKOSICE) HUBs represented by the Consortium. The RM industry has already expressed their interest in the project implementation through their Letter of Intent.
Partner: Montanuniversität Leoben (RIC Leoben), AGH University of Science and Technology, Employers’ Organization of Polish Copper, GREEK MINING ENTERPRISES ASSOCIATION (GMEA), Hub Innovazione Trentino – Fondazione (HIT), MYTILINEOS S.A., National Technical University of Athens – NTUA, Panhellenic Association of Graduate Mining and Metallurgical Engineers ( PSDMMM), Technical University of Kosice, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), The National Technology Platform for Research, Development and Innovation of Raw Materials, Università degli Studi di Trento
Green Office is an initiative of RIC Leoben at MUL, which allows employees to assess how sustainable and „green“ their office routine is. Are you working at MUL? Join Green Office and fill in the excel sheet and return it to us to earn a certificate on your contribution to a sustainable planet!
Sustainable Carbon Supply and Energy Mining based on Methane decomposition is seen as a major contribution to a future carbon footprint reduction while maintaining a sustainable supply with raw materials and green energy.
Natural gas is the fossil fuel containing the least impurities with an estimated global resource of around 800 trillion m³. Although the composition of natural gas can vary to some extent, its primary component is methane, CH4. By endothermic decomposition (methane pyrolysis) methane can be split into its components carbon and hydrogen (H2) where especially hydrogen is of interest as a future alternative for various industrial applications. Additionally, there is a high potential for various large-scale applications of carbon, especially in construction and agriculture, if the carbon is available at a lower price than from presently available resources.
Die Initiative shiftTanks ist das erste Projekt in Österreich, das studienübergreifend engagierte junge Menschen aus dem technischen Bereich zusammenbringt, um über disruptive Lösungen zu grübeln, die die globale Gesellschaft Schritt für Schritt einer nachhaltigen Zukunft näher bringen.
Initiiert und aufgebaut wurde das Projekt als Kooperation des Vereins Engineers for a Sustainable Future (www.esfuture.at) und des Resources Innovation Centers in Leoben. Es handelt sich dabei um 5 Thinktanks, in denen Herausforderungen, die der anthropogene Klimawandel aufwirft, behandelt werden sollen. Die Tanks mit den Themenbereichen Awareness, Global South, Resources, Energy und Processes werden dabei mit realen und konzeptionellen Projektideen aus Industrie und Wissenschaft bespielt. Ergebnisse, die bei der Bearbeitung entstehen, werden veröffentlicht und der Allgemeinheit zur Verfügung gestellt.
Die Thinktanks, welche jeweils von Student*innen der Montanuniversität Leoben geleitet werden, bieten die Möglichkeit zur studienübergreifenden Vernetzung, zum aktiven Engagement und zur persönlichen Weiterbildung.
Bereits jetzt bestehen erste Kooperationen mit Professoren der Montanuniversität Leoben, dem Manipal Institute of Technology, Indien, der University of Tokyo, Japan und vielen Expert*innen auf diesem vielfältigen Themengebiet. Zusätzlich werden die Thinktanks von Mentor*innen aus dem akademischen Personal der Universität und aus Studierendenkreisen betreut.
Ein positiver Weg aus der Klimakrise ist möglich, wenn es ebensolche Zusammenschlüsse kluger Köpfe und motivierter Menschen gibt, die in ihrem jeweiligen Wirken dazu beitragen.