Europe’s industry and economy depend on a secure access to many commodities. In 2020, the EC updated its list of critical non-energy non-agricultural raw materials (CRMs), based on scarcity of supply and importance to EU industry. Today, the list includes: Antimony, Fluorspar, Magnesium, Silicon Metal, Baryte, Gallium, Natural Graphite, Tantalum, Bauxite, Germanium, Natural Rubber, Titanium, Beryl
lium, Hafnium, Niobium, Vanadium, Bismuth, HREEs, PGMs, Tungsten, Borates, Indium, Phosphate rock, Strontium, Cobalt, Lithium, Phosphorus, Coking Coal, LREEs, Scandium. Securing sustainable access to CRM, is of high importance for the EU economy. However, the EU is confronted with a number of technological and environmental challenges along the entire production value chain of primary and secondary raw materials. NetHelix demonstrates in real life settings a toolbox of new technologies for automating and streamlining the extraction process, taking advantage of deposits through mining and waste deposits processing methods, maximising efficiency, reducing waste production, and increasing environmental and human health and safety. NETHELIX aims to develop a comprehensive technology toolbox to significantly enhance the efficiency and sustainability of mining operations by deploying green and automated machinery and connecting cyber and physical systems and devices to extract valuable insights, in order to improve the overall decision-making processese, better addressing: health and safety aspects, environmental concerns, increased automation, predictive maintenance, resource efficiency and real-time coordination of operations. Several usage scenarios for mining operations for both open pit and underground mining will be demonstrated. The project has received funding from the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under GA 101092365.
