The Route of Mines and Points of Interest in Mining and Geology in Portugal (Roteiro das Minas e Pontos de Interesse Mineiro e Geológico em Portugal) promotes the offer of different partners and regions, where educational services and activities directed for schools, are of particular relevance. These are also granted in the several platforms on which the “Route” is currently present.

The 2021-2022 edition of the “Route” is a continuous response to schools’ needs, concerning the organization of field-site visits, and the promotion of other training experiences.

However, due to the extraordinary public health circumstances we are all facing, the organization is largely conditioned for this year.

Nevertheless, the “Guide” for the 2021-2022 school year also details the offer of a set of resources proposing non-face-to-face activities, which can be accessible through the most diverse ways, and be developed in a hybrid classroom context.

The new Guide can be consulted or downloaded here!

Following the launch of the soil’s decontamination contract in the former radioactive mining areas, EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A., publishes the public notices sent to the parish councils of the respective mining regions:

Bica, Cunha Baixa, Vale d’Arca, Castelejo and Urgeiriça.

Researcher Alfredo Martins from INESC TEC – Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science, talked about the UX-1Neo robot in Porto Canal.

In the interview, which was recorded for the program “Mentes que Brilham”, Alfredo Martins explained that the robot was developed within the scope of the European UNEXUP Project, improving the technology already acquired throughout the UNEXMIN project. It also allows the increasing performance in terms of range and depth, acquisition, management and data processing. The UX-1Neo was tested at Urgeiriça Mine (Nelas, Viseu), through a collaboration with EDM, before being tested in Hungary and Ukraine.

For a better understanding of the technology, mostly developed in Portugal, watch the full interview in the video below.

Considering a wider sensibilization regarding the safety rules people must have during the summer holidays, specially, beach time behaviours, EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A. joined Vodafone Foundation in the summer campaign “A Segurança é a sua Praia” – Your Safety, Your Beach. This campaign was present and publicised in Portuguese beaches, from north to south, and had the collaboration of several entities. In a surprise result, there was a huge support from the public. Thank you all for your participation.

These tests had the collaboration of EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro S.A., which is responsible for the Urgeiriça mine, but also from former partners of the European project UNEXMIN, precursor of the current robot.

The UNEXUP project aims to improve the technology previously developed at UNEXMIN making it commercial. The new exploration robot has improved hardware and software, revealing a better performance in terms of range and depth, acquisition, management and data processing.

“It is one of the most advanced underwater robots in the world, with a new modular architecture, high operability and a very broad set of sensors, in a reduced volume (approximately a sphere of 70 cm in diameter). It includes six cameras, laser-based 3D sensing and acoustic imaging and mapping sensors. New capabilities that give exploration missions more reliability and safety, with lower costs”, says Alfredo Martins, CRAS researcher and professor at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP).

This autonomous underwater robot allows the exploration of flooded mines up to a thousand meters deep, obtaining relevant information such as their structural state and mapping (allowing to know if there were landslides or other problems) and important geological information. It makes more possible to determine the existence of mineral resources with economic interest which, otherwise, would be more difficult and dangerous to obtain, or would have higher costs (such as, for example, the need of water removal, lowering the water level).

At the present day there are about 30,000 closed mines in Europe, many of which are now flooded, but still contain important and exploitable mineral resources. With this project it will be possible to introduce a robot on the European audience, capable of producing geological, mineralogical and spatial information in the safest possible way, from flooded mines and other confined underwater environments, filling a specific market need that currently, is not covered.

UNEXUP is funded by EIT Raw Materials with a value near €2.9M and is due in December 2022. In addition to INESC TEC, the project includes the following partners: University of Miskolc (leader) and UNEXMIN GeoRobotics, Hungary; La Palma Research Center and Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain; Resources Computing International Ltd (4dcoders), UK; University of Tampere, Finland; and the Geological Survey of Slovenia, Slovenia.

The INESC TEC researcher mentioned in the news is officially linked to ISEP-Porto.

UX-1Neo junto ao Poço de Santa Bárbara (Mina da Urgeiriça) (Fonte: UNEXUP)

Imagens captadas pelo robô numa galeria do Piso 6 a 140 m de profundidade

Robô UX-1Neo (Fonte: UNEXUP)

Taking into account the current health emergency we are all facing due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A. joins the Directorate-General of Health in the disclosure of confinement rules, asking all for a responsible attitude. Become a public health agent.

Don’t let the virus in.

Taking care of yourself is taking care of all!

On 12^th December 2020, we celebrated 5 years of the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement aims to achieve the decarbonization of the world major economies and establishes as a long-term objective, the limit of global average temperature increase, to levels below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A., as well as the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action, with the support of the Portuguese Environment Agency, publish the text of the Paris Agreement, so far ratified by 189 of the 197 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Amendments.

Approved by Resolution of the Assembly of the Republic No. 197-A/2016 and ratified by Decree of the President of the Republic No. 79-M/2016, the Agreement has a first friendly version to readers and all of those interested in the matter.

The Agreement dedicated brochure also includes texts by the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs and the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action.

The brochure also includes an infographic that summarizes the progress achieved in Portugal over the last five years, and recalls the country’s ambitious goals for achieving carbon neutrality.

Paris Agreement 2015-2020 (A4)

Paris Agreement 2015-2020 (A3)

Paris Agreement 2015-2020 – Progress Achieved in Portugal (Infographic)

The Route of Mines and Points of Interest in Mining and Geology in Portugal (Roteiro de Minas e Pontos de Interesse Mineiro e Geológico em Portugal) promotes the offer of different partners and regions, where educational services and activities directed for schools, are of particular relevance. These are also granted in the several platforms on which the “Route” is currently present.

The 2020-2021 edition of the “Route” is a continuous response to schools’ needs, concerning the organization of field-site visits, and the promotion of other training experiences.

However, due to the extraordinary public health circumstances we are all facing, the organization is largely conditioned for this year.

Nevertheless, the “Guide” for the 2020-2021 school year still offers a set of resources proposing non-face-to-face activities, which can be accessible through the most diverse ways, and be developed in a hybrid classroom context.

The new Guide can be consulted or downloaded HERE!

The World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5th of June, and this year it will be dedicated to Biodiversity.

One of the missions from EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A. is the environmental recovery and valorisation of old mining areas, left to abandonment. As an agent of its consequent monitoring and control, we just could not join the celebration. Please follow our work as we continue to stablish an equilibrium for a new and more sustainable world, where Geodiversity and Biodiversity can be hand-in-hand.

#juntosagimospelanatureza

Even at a construction site, EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A., doesn’t stop.

As SARS-CoV-2 obliges all to stay put, some of us still need to get things ready for when everything comes back to normal. Because it will happen! In EDM- Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A., safety conditions and environmental qualities are assured in all the environmental rehabilitation jobs.

As such, today we present you the testimony of Edgar Carvalho, engineer at the company supervised by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action. In this short video Edgar explains (in Portuguese) how health safety procedures can help minimize COVID-19 propagation risk in EDM.

Please, do follow Directorate-General of Health of Portugal instructions. For your safety, for the safety of your family and friends #StayHome. Become an agent of Public Health.

Learn more in

https://covid19estamoson.gov.pt/.

— Environment and Climate Action – Ambiente e Ação Climática PT (MAAC), May 2nd, 2020

As COVID-19 changes everyone’s lives, at EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A., we don’t stop, making sure security and environmental conditions are guaranteed for all workers.

Today we share the testimony of Rui Pinto, worker @EDM, company supervised by @ambiente_pt as he explains the importance of keeping Urgeiriça facilities.

The mining areas, which are under EDM’s responsibility are secured.

Please, do follow Directorate-General of Health of Portugal instructions. For your safety, for the safety of your family and friends #StayHome. Become an agent of Public Health.

Learn more in

https://covid19estamoson.gov.pt/

@DGSaude

#wereON #wedontStop

— Environment and Climate Action – Ambiente e Ação Climática PT (MAAC), April 23rd, 2020

Given the current pandemic situation caused by the COVID-19 disease, EDM-Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A., has implemented a Contingency Plan which, among other measures, favors remote working of its employees.

Despite the constraints that these measures might bring to the company’s activity and those involved, its regular activity is maintained with the assurance of safety, as well as the compliance of the guidelines shared by the Public Health authorities.

Contacts with EDM during this period must be made via the email address: edm.mineira@edm.pt