EDM – Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A., has provided and guaranteed all the access conditions to the Santa Bárbara well, located in the Urgeiriça Mine, as a test site for the robotic platform developed under the UNEXMIN project.

UNEXMIN project is funded by the European Union “Horizonte 2020” program, which brings together 12 institutions from 7 countries, including Portugal.

The project includes the development of three robots which can perform 3D mapping, thus obtaining geological data that could not be achieved in any other way without elevated costs or other associated risks, such as using divers for research. As a result, these robots allow the characterization of flooded mine galleries.

In Portugal, the Institute of Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC) and EDM became partners in this project, since its importance for the stablished mining work.

The first prototype and the technology have already been tested at the Kaatiala Mine (Finland) in June 2018, Idrija Mine (Slovenia) in September of the same year, and at the Urgeiriça Mine (Portugal) in March and April 2019, with positive results. The UX-1 robot is operational and was able to map the flooded areas.

The UNEXMIN platform project will open new scenarios for the prospection of minerals which are essential for industry development. As an example, the platform will contribute for decision-making regarding the reopening of mines previously closed due to the costs of operation at the time, when compared to the number of existent ore. Therefore, the current available technology could allow the reopening of some of these mines at low cost. With UNEXMIN, a strategic opportunity is created to reopen flooded mines in Europe, many of which still contain significant critical raw mineral materials, that can be exploited, benefiting the Portuguese and European economies in a more sustainable way.