Department of Geology

Project Leader: Siim Veski

Duration: 01.01.2024−31.12.2030

Additional information in ERIS.

Estonian Roots: Centre of Excellence for transdisciplinary studies on ethnogenesis and cultural diversity (TK215U7)

The synergy of Humanities and Natural Sciences allows the Center of Excellence (CoE) to clarify the formation of cultural and genetic diversity in Estonia and neighboring areas. CoE will develop a new transdisciplinary framework for the study of interactions between people, cultures, and environment. CoE focuses on the evolution of peoples and cultures on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea since the first arrivals of people after the Last Glacial Maximum, analyzed in a novel areal and ecological context, allowing to map the impact of abiotic (climate) and biotic (flora, fauna) factors on human cultures and populations. CoE facilitates synergistic approaches in archaeogenetics, palaeoecology, studies of culture and linguistics, enabling detailed syntheses on the development of populations, environment, and culture of this region in the European context.

Project Leader: Andres Trikkel, Coordinator from the Department of Geology: Rutt Hints

Duration: 01.01.2024–31.12.2030

Additional information in ERIS.

Centre of Excellence in Circular Economy for Strategic Mineral and Carbon Resources (SOURCES)

This Centre of Excellence (CoE) focuses on fostering innovation in resource efficiency, promoting circular economy practices, utilizing local resources, ensuring safe material circulation, and educating researchers to reduce environmental impacts. It centers around four key areas: Strategic Mineral Resources (SMR), Carbon-Based Resources (CBR), Circular Technologies Upscaling (CTU), and Circular Business Eco-System and Modeling (CBEM). The SMR group maps critical materials in waste streams, including renewables, for extraction and reuse while minimizing hazardous waste. The CBR group develops eco-friendly pathways for essential chemicals and plastics, also assessing their environmental impact. The CTU group pioneers waste reduction and recycling methods for aqueous, and solid waste, incl. water purification. The CBEM group analyzes sustainable business ecosystems and value chains. This CoE's interdisciplinary approach will benefit both Estonia and Europe by advancing circular economy.

Project Leader: Riina Aav, Coordinator from the Department of Geology: Rutt Hints

Duration: 01.10.2023–31.03.2029

Additional information in ERIS.

The separation, processing, and recycling of rare earth metals (ÕÜF17)

The project focuses on developing technologies for the separation of valuable components from intermediate products of ore enrichment and used magnets that are supplied to Estonia or potentially supplied. The emphasis is on characterizing the best possible raw materials, intermediates, and products during the development of separation technologies. This includes favoring liquid-assisted mechanochemical processes through the selective formation of metal-organic complexes and adhering to the principles of circular and green chemistry.
The objectives of the project are: a) analysis of samples generated from the recycling of ores and their enriched intermediate products, as well as magnets containing metals; b) development and valorization of separation technologies for rare earth metals, utilizing mechanochemical methods and metal-organic complexes; c) evaluating the sustainability of the developed processes using the metrics of green chemistry

Project Leader: Erik Väli

Duration: 01.06.2024–30.11.2028

Additional information in ERIS.

Construction minerals and mineral waste: possibilities for sustainable extraction and circular processing in Estonia (TEM-TA143)

Forecasts indicate an increasing need for construction raw materials, but at the same time, there is growing pressure to reduce the environmental and social impacts of mining. Regionally, a shortage of construction raw materials is emerging, and various waste materials are awaiting recycling. The objectives of the project are to find new solutions for more sustainable mining of construction minerals, optimize the processing methods, explore various uses for secondary raw materials and contribute to the development of alternative construction materials based on local resources. The project is based on a cross-sectoral approach and close collaboration with professional associations and companies. The expected outcomes are a more sustainable and resource-efficient mining sector, implementation of ESG principles, deminishing construction and demolition waste via circular usage of secondary raw materials, and ensuring academic development in the field.

Project Leader: Atko Heinsalu

Duration: 01.02.2025−31.12.2028

Additional information in ERIS.

Iron-manganese concretions of the Estonian marine area: distribution, formation mechanisms and economic potential (TEMTA-122)

Fe-Mn-concretions occur on the seafloor over large regions of the Gulf of Finland, particularly in the areas where there is no modern sediment deposition and the seafloor is affected by seepage of chemically reduced fluids derived from underlying strata. The economic potential of Fe-Mn-concretions and their genesis are however poorly understood, but these aspects are currently being assessed in industry-driven projects in several areas of the Baltic Sea. Fe-Mn-concretions are effective scavengers of phosphorous with concentrations in precipitates exceeding the seafloor sediments by an order of magnitude. Given the sensitivity of Fe-Mn-concretions to redox changes, their dissolution can readily occur during episodes of an expansion of anoxic bottom water conditions or physical disturbance of the seafloor (i.e. ships anchoring) that can change the nutrient budgets and cause eutrophication. Hence any mining project of Fe-Mn precipitates needs to account for environmental consequences.

Project Leader: Rutt Hints

Duration: 01.06.2024–31.10.2028

Additional information in ERIS.

Variability of Properties of Associated Resources of Shelly Phosphorite and Opportunities for Beneficiation (TEM-TA100)

Complexes associated with shelly phosphorite contain critical raw materials for energy technologies and essential resources for sustainable agriculture, such as V in graptolite argillite and K-rich minerals in glauconitic sandstone. The development of phosphorite mining depends on the capability to find ways for waste-free mining and generating profits through sustainable co-products. The project explores technologies for valorising graptolite argillite and glauconitic sandstone, focusing on the Toolse and Aseri areas. Based on previous studies, the project advances the hydrometallurgical pathways for extracting enriched metals from graptolite argillite, including perspective high-pressure acid leaching. Secondly, innovative mechanical activation of glauconite for synthesising green agrochemicals is tested. Based on geological and physicochemical characteristics, models are created to predict the properties of the poorly studied glauconitic sandstone.

Project Leader: Siim Veski

Duration: 01.01.2024−31.12.2028

Additional information in ERIS.

Estonian Research Council's Team grant “Postglacial Ecosystem Response to Episodes of Rapid Climate Change” (PRG1993)

Climate change is progressing at an alarming rate. Recent modelling warns that climate tipping points are likely to trigger biospheric response cascades. Identification of pivotal points that lead to these events is crucial. Society urgently needs evidence-based quantitative projections of critical thresholds, the speed of ecosystem response, and the mechanism creating resilience or system breakdown. Past lessons can be useful; we will reconstruct the climate and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem composition of postglacial rapid climate change periods at an ultra-high temporal resolution along major climatic gradients. We will determine response patterns of palaeoecosystems to climatic stress, focusing on resilience, degradation, recovery, and regime shifts, producing Dynamic-Ecosystem-Model-simulated predictions of ecosystem sustainability and possible response scenarios to future climate change. We will ascertain pre-human-impact natural baselines for nature conservators.

Project Leader: Olle Hints

Duration: 01.01.2023–31.12.2027

Additional information in ERIS.

Estonian Research Council's Team grant "From Greenhouse to Icehouse: Reconstructing Ordovician Climate Transitions and Biotic Responses in Baltica (PRG1701)"

Deep-time climate reconstructions help to understand the functioning of the Earth systems and provide insights into the effects of climate changes on the biosphere. This project explores how the Earth transferred from extreme greenhouse climate to icehouse conditions during the Ordovician (443-487 My ago) and how this influenced the diversification of marine life in the Baltica palaeocontinent. We reconstruct regional palaeotemperature trends using oxygen isotope records from conodont phosphate and carbonate rocks, clumped isotope thermometry and sedimentological evidence based on well-preserved archives from the East Baltic. Combining paleotemperature trends with other proxy indicators and biodiversity dynamics of selected fossil groups allows testing the links between climate change and regional biotic turnovers in different ecospaces. The project will advance component-based and in-situ analytical techniques and provide new information on the mineral resources of Estonia.

Project Leader: Urmas Lips, Coordinator from the Department of Geology: Atko Heinsalu

Duration: 22.06.2023–10.06.2025

Additional information in ERIS.

Ministry of Climate's R&D project "Secondary input of nutrients from sediments and estimates of the proportion of internal load in the total nutrient load and definition of maximum allowable loads to the coastal water bodies" (LLMAE23073)

The aim of the project is to estimate the release of nutrients (primarily phosphorus compounds) from seabed sediments into the water column and the share of nutrient flows (internal load) released from bottom sediments in the nutrient balance of the Estonian sea area and its sub-basins. For this purpose, the intensity of release of nutrients is evaluated in different conditions (both hydrographical and physico-chemical conditions, as well as due to different sediment types); the maximum allowed total loads of nutrients (N-general, P-general) are evaluated by coastal water bodies; the maximum anthropogenic nutrient load amounts at which it is possible to achieve a good environmental status with regard to nutrients in coastal water bodies and to prevent the deterioration of the condition class are pointed out; measures or activities are proposed to control the internal load, where it is technically and economically possible and appropriate. The obtained results are the basis for managing pollution loads in the Estonian sea area and for planning and implementing measures in relation to the most important sources of nutrient load.

Project Leader: Rutt Hints

Duration: 01.10.2024–30.09.2028

Additional information in ERIS.

REMHub project will create a cutting-edge digital innovation hub propelling EU excellence for Rare Earth Elements (REEs ) and magnets. REMHub will develop test and pilot novel technologies for exploration and primary production of rare earths and recovering rare earths from side streams to enhance supply security of REEs in EU. In addition, Re-X (Recycle, Reuse, refurbishment and repurposing) technologies for rare earths and valuable metals from end-of-life products as well as electric machine design for easier permanent magnet recycling will be developed. The project will also identify and engage relevant stakeholders for developing REE value chain in EU. In addition, in the innovation hub will ensure that the novel technologies developed in the project will be commercialized and offered as services in a digital platform. The project will also have dynamic communication and dissemination with the aim to involve and engage the public to develop trust and awareness related to REEs as well as to build capacity in EU. The hub targets transformative material sourcing for REEs and REE magnets, including traceability, digital twinning, and digital passport. The project partners cover the entire REE value chain starting from mineral exploration, through mineral processing and refining to metal production and magnet making as well as recycling. The project incorporates safe and sustainable by design framework (SSbD) including design for Re-X (recycling, re-use, refurbishment, repurposing) approach integrating easy dismantling and circularity properties. REMHub will significantly improve the supply security of REEs in the EU and with the digital innovation hub considerably accelerate the development of technologies and services to faster and easier market entry.
 

Project Leader: Tony Hand

Duration: 01.10.2024−30.09.2027

Additional information in ERIS.

Recognizing European potential for hosting deep land primary CRM by combining new mineral models and advanced exploration and visualization techniques (DEXPLORE)

DEXPLORE seeks to address Europe’s reliance on critical and strategic materials (CRM and SRM) from non-EU countries by delivering a comprehensive suite of mineral exploration technologies aiming to improve Europe’s understanding of its potential to host deep CRM and SRM deposits—key resources essential for the decarbonisation of the economy.

Focusing on essential materials within extensive geological terrains, such as metamorphic and crystalline rocks, DEXPLORE introduces a holistic innovation package beginning at the surface by integrating cutting-edge geochemical and optical techniques, UAV-assisted in-field mineral detection, and advanced Earth Observation methods, while extending into the subsurface with novel deep-land geophysical techniques capable of exploring depths of at least 600 meters.

The project features three pilot zones in Spain and Estonia, where the ultimate objective is to develop updated ore models using this integrated surface-to-subsurface exploration package. DEXPLORE package is completed with an advanced extended reality (XR) visualization platform able to integrate geological, remote sensing, and geophysical data to improve access to critical information on Europe’s raw material potential. By doing so, it accelerates decision-making processes among technical experts while raising public awareness of the importance of domestic resources in driving the green transition.

Additionally, DEXPLORE aims to strengthen international cooperation by fostering collaboration with strategic partner countries and aligning with other EU initiatives. This includes joint activities and the sharing of results to maximize impact.

In summary, DEXPLORE represents a collaborative effort to advance deep-land mineral exploration, promote sustainable sourcing of critical raw materials, and support Europe’s open strategic autonomy towards carbon neutrality.
 

DEXPLORE Recognizing European potential for hosting deep land primary CRM by combining new mineral models and advanced exploration and visualization techniques (Grant Agreement: 101178897) Call: HORIZON-CL4-2024-RESILIENCE-01 01/10/2024 – 30/09/2027

Project Leader: Veiko Karu, (kuni okt 2024), koordinaator Karin Robam

Duration: 01.01.2024-31.12.2026

Additional information in ERIS.

Educational Platform lIfe Cycle assEssmeNt sTRucturEs (EPICENTRE): PhD Education summer/winter school

“EPICENTRE” PhD winter/summer school on LCA/LCC and new business development address the lack of understanding and communication regarding LCA/LCC analysis and promotes sustainable practices in the Raw Materials sector to support the EU Green Deal. It will be implemented through a comprehensive and dynamic educational platform combining e-learning, simulations and workshops to provide an innovative and engaging learning experience for candidates from industry and academia.

Project Leader: Veiko Karu, (kuni okt 2024), koordinaator Karin Käär

Duration: 01.01.2023–31.12.2025

Additional information in ERIS.

ADMA3 Summer/Winter School - Advanced Materials Doctoral Program with Industry

ADMA3 promotes training of PhD students in academia and industry in the EIT RM field of Sustainable discovery and supply of mineral resources. It tackles challenges in mining industry caused by e.g., energy transition and climate change mitigation. ADMA3 educates experts to industry and academia, gives models and skills to establish enterprises, and helps to foster sustainable development (SD) and businesses, think up innovations, and handle ethics related problem-solving.

Project Leader: Veiko Karu, (kuni okt 2024), koordinaator Karin Käär

Duration: 06.03.2023-31.12.2025

Additional information in ERIS.

EIT RawMaterials RIS Innovation Hub Activities 2023 -25: EIT RawMaterials Baltic Hub

EIT RawMaterials RIS Hub Baltic main partners are Riga Technical University (Latvia), Kaunas Technical University (Lietuva) and Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia).

EIT RawMaterials RIS Hub is a “physical hub”, established by the KIC and forming part of its structure, in a Member State or in an associated country targeted by the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme. The RIS Hub serves as the focal point for the KIC’s activities and for the mobilisation and involvement of local knowledge triangle actors in the activities of the KIC. KIC's RIS Hubs form the backbone of the EIT RIS’ “place-based” innovation approach and, have the core mission of contributing to the EIT’s objectives and KPIs, especially those directly related to the EIT RIS while also rationalising the EIT Community’s on the-ground presence. EIT RawMaterials RIS Hubs are the ambassadors of EIT RawMaterials KIC (with appropriate connections) in specific regions that are of strategic importance for the KIC.

Project Leader: Veiko Karu, (kuni okt 2024), koordinaator Karin Käär

Duration: 01.08.2022–31.07.2025

Additional information in ERIS.

Agile Exploration and Geo-modelling for European Critical Raw materials (AGEMERA)

New environmental, economic and societal requirements in the EU’s transition to a low-carbon and digital economy call for innovative methods, technologies and techniques to be developed and applied in mineral exploration. To unlock the CRM potential in Europe, AGEMERA will conduct local state-of-art geological and geophysical surveys over a total of ~4,700 km2 in order to detailly map CRM resources in 6 EU countries and 1 third country (Zambia). The geophysical field trial surveys will demonstrate three novel non-invasive survey methods (at up to a TRL5) based on remote sensing and related data analysis: 1) passive seismic methods, 2) multi-sensing drone system combining magnetic, radiometric and electromagnetic sensing, and 3) muon-based multidetector density detection system. The project will use data from open-access databases (e.g., European Geological Data Infrastructure, EGDI), the data collected from the field by project geoscientists, and various geophysical survey methods to refine and improve the genetic mineral system models of the various deposit types known to contain lithium, cobalt, molybdenum, vanadium, PGMs, niobium, tantalum, bauxite and REE. The project will introduce the existing guidance for the application of UNFC for mineral resources to the partner countries through stakeholders, courses and public events. The project will survey citizens in the project countries, create a CRM educational package targeting schools and universities, publish an online CRM serious game, organise public events, as well as online news flashes, with the aim to reach 5,000,000 citizens by 2030. The project will create an open-access SoftGIS analysis and database on people’s social, cultural, environmental and economic concerns related to mining and mineral exploration. These data enable the creation of socio-economic potential maps to be used in parallel with the geological potential maps, consequently ensuring a basis for socially accepted and sustainable exploration and mining.

Project Leader: Veiko Karu, (kuni okt 2024), koordinaator Olle Hints

Duration: 01.01.2023–30.06.2025

Additional information in ERIS.

PhD Schools on Sustainable Materials for RIS region: PhD BalticTeach

The latest tendency in academia shows that being a successful PhD student is not always related to publishing. Throughout graduate studies, it is important to consider not only the growing importance of research and obtained findings but also to identify the needs of modern society and implement the practical use and commercialization aspect of the dissertation project. The project "PhD BalticTeach" will organise activities for PhD students in order to identify the PhD students in the Baltic States in cooperation with supporting partners from RIS regions. After the project activities, PhD students will increase their knowledge and experience, improve their networking in-between academic fields and industry on how to bring the research results to the market and do the commercialization and upscaling. This project will make a direct impact on RIS regions by improving academic excellence, career opportunities, and qualification for PhD students by using a system thinking and challenge-related based learning approach in cooperation with industry partners.

Project Leader: Alla Shogenova

Duration: 01.09.2022–28.02.2025

Additional information in ERIS.

Zero Emission Network to facilitate CCUS uptake in industry (VHE22029)

The overarching goal of CCUS ZEN is the accelerated deployment of CCUS throughout Europe, which will be achieved by:

• Sharing knowledge and disseminating information important for stakeholders to make informed decisions on CCUS;

• Developing specific and actionable plans for the development of CCUS value chains.

As CCUS developments around the North Sea (NS) region are relatively mature, CCUS ZEN will leverage these developments as best practices for the development of new CCUS value chains in the currently underdeveloped Baltic Sea (BS) and the Mediterranean Sea (MS) Regions. While CCUS value chains, i.e., the entire pathway from CO2 capture to transport to its eventual storage or utilization, can today be realized, the industry is still in its infancy and many issues must be addressed to achieve the rapid deployment required.

The consortium, consisting of 15 partners, including 2 associations with over 400 members in total, brings together entities with leading expertise on all aspects of CCUS value chains. 40 organisations, representing industry, RTOs, associations, clusters, ports and municipalities involved in the development and deployment of CCUS value chains, will contribute their expertise as networking partners. Starting from an analysis of the technical and non-technical state-of-play in the BS and MS regions, CCUS ZEN will select at least eight value chains (four in each region) for detailed study and comparison with successful value chains from the NS region. One value chain from each analysed region will then be selected as most promising, with a detailed plan for further development.

Through its knowledge-sharing activities and transfer of best practices from the NS region, CCUS ZEN will provide an information basis for the future CCUS value chains, including policy recommendations and a blueprint for CCUS value chain development, including easily accessible technology and CO2 source mapping, generic technical frameworks and business plan models.

Project Leader: Sergei Preis (Department of Materials and Environmental Technology), Coordinator from the Department of Geology: Karin Robam

Duration: 01.04.2023–31.03.2026

Additional information in ERIS.

Interreg Project "Stormwater purification with construction and demolition waste" (StoPWa)

For each Baltic Sea country, the quality of the Baltic Sea is of fundamental economic, environmental and recreational importance. Contaminated stormwater generated both in coastal areas of the Baltic Sea and the leaching from inland waters produces a risk that should not go unnoticed. However, it is often still overlooked and requires solutions. At the same time, old buildings are demolished in Baltic cities, creating huge amounts of construction and demolition waste (CDW) which is difficult to recycle and often ends up in landfills. However, CDW may be used as stormwater filtering material, with very low cost. The StoPWa project develops and tests multilayer stormwater filtration systems using CDW. The filters will be made of waste fractions perfectly meeting the criteria ideal for stormwater purification.

The filtration system will be expedient, cost-efficient and sustainable. The filters will be tested both in laboratory environments and in field tests where full-scale stormwater filters will be constructed in Lahti (Finland) and in Harju County (Estonia). The result of the StoPWa project is a tested solution for using CDW in stormwater filters. This type of filter has not been applied before, so the mindset and solution are novel. The new filter will benefit SMEs across borders in creating a business idea and opportunities, as well as cities and municipalities with a new, climate-friendly solution to stormwater treatment. To be replicable in different cities from local CDW, waste-based filters in their design and implementation require cross-border cooperation between municipalities and researchers in the Baltic Sea region. The project partnership is: City of Lahti, LUT University, University of Helsinki, Tallinn University of Technology, Union of Harju County Municipalities and Smiltene municipality.

Project Leader: Leeli Amon

Duration: 01.10.2024–30.06.2025

Additional information in ERIS.

Estonian peat valorization (GFALGLA24)

Estonia's significant mineral resource, peat, is currently mainly extracted and exported as growth substrates for European agriculture. We offer technological solutions to produce high-value materials from by-products/residue of peat production. We are exploring two different experimental chemical valorization directions for peat.  Firstly, the production of carbon nanomaterials (carbon nanoparticles, carbon quantum dots CQD), which have a wide range of applications from biomedicine to optics and electronic components. Examples: bioimaging applications, portable sensors, solar panel components etc. The application of CQDs is rapidly developing and new start-up ideas appear often. Secondly, the production of chemically modified biopolymers as high-performance alternatives to petroleum-derived products such as construction panels, packaging containers or conventional adsorbent materials. The resulting products contribute to long-term carbon sequestration, helping to balance the carbon footprint of the peat industry.

Estonia's significant mineral resource, peat, is currently mainly extracted and exported as growth substrates for European agriculture. We offer technological solutions to produce high-value materials from by-products/residue of peat production. We are exploring two different experimental chemical valorization directions for peat.  Firstly, the production of carbon nanomaterials (carbon nanoparticles, carbon quantum dots CQD), which have a wide range of applications from biomedicine to optics and electronic components. Examples: bioimaging applications, portable sensors, solar panel components etc. The application of CQDs is rapidly developing and new start-up ideas appear often. Secondly, the production of chemically modified biopolymers as high-performance alternatives to petroleum-derived products such as construction panels, packaging containers or conventional adsorbent materials. The resulting products contribute to long-term carbon sequestration, helping to balance the carbon footprint of the peat industry.