Europe funds domestic rare earths mining project I2MINE
By IM Staff
Published: Saturday, 21 May 2016
An EU-funded project has developed innovative deep-mining strategies that are set to cut Europe’s dependence on the imported rare earth elements (RE) within four years, while also curbing environmental damage.
By Andrew Burnyeat
The I²MINE, or 'innovative technologies and concepts
for the intelligent deep mine of the future’, aims
to secure European access to the 15 lanthanides as well as
scandium and yttrium, which are increasingly needed as
materials for smartphones, computers and hi-tech car
components.
Europe is severely...