EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, SA elected new governing bodies for the term 2016-2018 on 22 June 2016.

The company’s board of directors is now chaired by Rui da Silva Rodrigues, with Mário Jorge Ferreira Guedes and Luís António Pita Ameixa being appointed voting members.

Maria Teresa Vasconcelos Abreu Flor Morais and Maria Manuela Marçal Batista Salvador are members of the board of the general meeting, in the capacity of chairwoman and secretary, respectively.

The acting auditor is António Borges & Associados SROC no 69, represented by Nuno Duarte da Silva Magro, ROC no 1165.

EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, SA participates in the UNEXMIN project, which aims to develop three robot prototypes for 3D mapping and the collection of geodata in flooded underground mines. Unequalled in technology and long-range planning capacity, it is intended that these fully autonomous robots will gather information at much lower risk and with data reliability that would be unlikely to be achieved using traditional human diving techniques.

With an investment of five million euros financed by the European Horizon 2020 research programme, the project, led by the University of Miskolc, Hungary, also includes the participation, on a consortium basis, of 13 more organizations, three of which are Portuguese (EDM, INESCTEC and Geoplano) from six different countries, Portugal, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Slovenia and Finland.

The prototypes of the robots under development should reach the testing phase in March 2018, which will last for one year. First at Kaatiala mine (Finland), then Urgeiriça mine (Portugal), followed by Idrija mine (Slovenia) and finally Deep Ecton mine (United Kingdom). Underground mining activities at Urgeiriça uranium mine took place between 1913 and 1973. The infrastructure includes six vertical shafts and underground galleries extending over a length of 1,600 m on 18 different levels that reach a depth of 500 m. These galleries are accessible by means of the Sta. Bárbara shaft, with a depth of 400 m, which will be used to test the robots. The water is around 10 m below the surface.

This is a cutting-edge project at the service of the mining industry throughout Europe. It represents a first step towards the development of knowledge to support strategic decisions regarding the reopening of former mines which are submerged.

The Map of Mines and Points of Mining and Geological Interest of Portugal presented today at the BTL – Tourism Fair of Lisbon a new digital platform that brings together more than three dozen partners from the north to the south of the country and around one hundred and fifty sites and points of mining and geological interest. Former mines (now decommissioned), sites of unique geological wealth that show the morphological nature of our landscape and also several museums dedicated to mining and geology.

The destinations listed on the Map are interesting both for young students who visit with their schools and for families looking for a weekend activity or a different and inspiring holiday, as well as technicians, scientists and other persons interested in the area of geology and mining.

“Discovering the Value of Mining and Geological Heritage” is the slogan of this initiative, which allows you to plan a visit using the same device, from the sites and places you wish to visit to information regarding where to spend the night or enjoy the local cuisine. In addition to specific sites on this Map, the platform also provides information on other tourist attractions, so that the experience in each region is the best possible.

Available in three languages– Portuguese, Spanish and English – www.roteirodeminas.pt is an opportunity to discover a whole new perspective of Portugal, a country renowned worldwide for its natural wealth.

EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro and ESAN, a company belonging to the Eczacibasi Group, today signed an agreement that will ensure an investment of 7.6 million euros in prospection and research activities over the next three years, in three areas in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (Alentejo).

The contract signed will allow research to be conducted to determine the potential of each of the areas for mining, an investment that may progress to the development of mining operations if positive results are obtained, which will contribute to the socioeconomic development of several municipalities in the Alentejo region.

The prospection, which will take place in cooperation with the technical teams of both companies, is related to the search for deposits of copper, zinc, lead and other associated minerals and will involve various technical phases, namely a detailed geological survey, geophysics works involving different methods and, if any anomaly is found, drilling in order to confirm the identification of any mineral deposits.

Under the agreement, ESAN assumes 85% of the three areas in the Iberian Pyrite Belt, one of the principal mining regions in Europe, and the respective investment, with EDM accounting for 15%.

In the immediate future, this agreement represents an investment and the movement of people into the areas where they will carry out the work, providing significant benefits to Portugal in terms of increasing geology knowledge of the country.

ESAN, a company belonging to the Eczacibasi Group, is engaged in the mining of non-ferrous metal raw materials and owns mines producing zinc and lead, as well as non-metallic minerals, namely feldspar, quartz and special clays and sands, among others. These raw materials are intended for the ceramics, glass, inks and building materials industries, of which the Eczacibasi Group is one of leading suppliers and producers in over 40 countries.

Under Resolution of the Council of Ministers of 21/09/2015, the renewal of the Concession Contract for the pursuit of environmental recovery of degraded mining areas is authorized for a further seven years.

With a view to establishing a partnership for the development of prospecting and metal mineral deposit research activities in three areas located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt in Alentejo – Monte das Mesas, Alcácer and São Pedro das Cabeças, whose rights are in EDM’s name, on 29 May, an announcement was published in two major national newspapers (the DN and the JN) in order to identify companies or investors interested in joining forces with EDM in these 3 projects, as majority partner. A time limit of 30 days was given for any expressions of interest to be communicated to EDM.

On 12 March 2015, at Guarda City Council, the certificate of transfer of the contract for environmental remediation works in the mining areas of Prado Velho, Forte Velho and the former Barracão Radium Factory was signed.

This work has a deadline of eight months and represents an investment of around 2.5 million euros.

Under the Horizon 2020 programme

Portugal participates in pioneering €12.6M project for the underwater exploration of terrestrial mines

INESC TEC, Minerália and EDM are the three Portuguese partners in this European project.

Under the Horizon 2020 programme, Portugal takes part in a pioneering project in the amount of €12.6M, for the underwater exploration of terrestrial mines, which will represent an opportunity to explore the wealth of underwater mineral resources in Europe. The ¡VAMOS! Research & Development (R&D) project (Viable Alternative Mine Operating System), which began last February, will have a duration of 42 months and involves three partners in Portugal, INESC TEC (INESC Tecnologia e Ciência), Minerália and Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro (EDM).
The goal of ¡VAMOS! is to develop a robotic prototype for underwater exploration, as well as associated launching and collection equipment, which will be used to carry out tests on mineral deposits at four different sites within the European Union. Of the four sites, three are submerged mineral deposits on land and the fourth is in the sea.
The prototype is based on deep sea mining techniques, as a result of which it will ensure a safer and more environmentally friendly option for the economic recovery of mineral deposits that are not currently exploitable by means of traditional methods.
“On the one hand, the role of INESC TEC in this project will consist of improving perception, navigation, positioning and spatial awareness technologies in underwater environments, and secondly, ensuring an integrated solution for monitoring, in real time, parameters associated with an environmental impact”, said Eduardo Silva, person in charge of ¡VAMOS! from INESC TEC.
EDM and Minerália are responsible for providing access to two of the test sites in a submersed terrestrial environment in Portugal.

This project receives funding from the H2020 EU research and development programme, under agreement no 642477.

Under the coordination of the BMT Group Ltd and technical management of Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd, the project boasts a consortium of 17 partners belonging to nine European countries – INESC TEC, Minerália Lda and Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro SA  (Portugal), Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd, Fugro EMU Limited, Marine Minerals Ltd (United Kingdom), Damen Shipyards Group and Trelleborg Ede Bv (Netherlands), Zentrum für Telematik eV and Sandvik Mining and Construction GmbH (Germany), Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria), Geological Survey of Slovenia (Slovenia), La Palma Research Centre for Future Studies (Spain), European Federation of Geologists (Belgium), Federalni zavod za Geologijo e Fondacija za obnovu I razvoj regije Vareš (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

For further information:
http://vamos-project.eu/