Interview: Turning Waste into Valuable Resources – WasserWert Opens Up New Opportunities for Mining and Water Management
Millions of tonnes of copper slag hold untapped economic potential. The WasserWert EXI project has developed processes that transform this material into materials for water treatment while simultaneously recovering valuable metals.
The WasserWert EXI collaborative project has paved the way for G.E.O.S. Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH to enter the Chilean market. Together with TU Bergakademie Freiberg and Chilean partners, the company developed processes for using copper slag in water treatment and tested them under local conditions in Chile. The project strengthened collaboration with companies, research institutions and public authorities, laying
About Frank Haubrich
Frank Haubrich is a Project Engineer in the Process Development and Biotechnology Department at G.E.O.S. Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH. His work focuses on developing processes that enable the efficient use of mineral resources, the treatment of industrial and mine water, and the recovery of valuable raw materials.
Mr. Haubrich, what challenge did your project aim to address, and what economic potential did you see in it?
Chile is one of the world's largest copper producers. Every year, millions of tonnes of copper slag are generated as mineral residues from copper production. At the same time, contaminants such as arsenic and molybdenum pollute mine water, industrial wastewater and, in some areas, groundwater.
With the WasserWert project, we wanted to demonstrate how this slag can be put to productive use. To achieve this, we developed a process for producing schwertmannite, a naturally occurring iron mineral, from the slag. This material binds dissolved contaminants in water, helping to remove them. The remaining slag residues can also be processed into silica-rich raw materials suitable for applications such as resource-efficient construction materials.
Our goal was to further develop these technologies together with our Chilean partners and make them suitable for a range of industrial applications. In addition to treating mine water, they could also be used in the metals processing industry, for example in steel plants or other manufacturing facilities with metal-bearing wastewater streams. In the long term, we see strong potential for international research collaborations and deployment in countries facing similar challenges.
What new opportunities has the project created for your company?
The project has raised the profile of our technologies in Chile and connected us with key stakeholders from academia, the mining sector and the water industry. Together with our Chilean partners, we further developed the processes under local conditions, enabling us to better understand the technical, regulatory and economic requirements they must meet for future deployment in the mining sector.
Scientific exchange with several universities has resulted in new collaborations. In addition, the state-owned mining companies ENAMI and CODELCO have expressed interest in the technologies developed through the project. Although decisions on adopting new technologies in the mining industry are often time-consuming, the project has provided an important foundation for future research and development activities as well as international technology transfer.
What role did the Export Initiative Environmental Protection play?
The funding and support provided by the Export Initiative Environmental Protection enabled us to bring our processes to Chile and test them under local conditions together with our partners. At the same time, we were able to establish valuable contacts in the target market and gain a better understanding of the potential applications of our technologies.
Where do you see future international applications and market opportunities for your technology?
Residues from metal production are generated in large quantities around the world. At the same time, many countries face the challenge of treating contaminated mine water and industrial wastewater while making the best possible use of available resources.
Our technologies combine both objectives: they enable industrial residues to be recycled while producing materials that can be used for water treatment. The findings generated by the project are already being incorporated into further European research projects, supporting the continued development of these processes. In the long term, we therefore see strong potential wherever large volumes of metallurgical slag are generated and sustainable water treatment solutions are needed.
We hope that the project's results will lead to further collaborations. The processes developed are suitable not only for the copper mining industry but also for other applications where industrial residues can be utilised and contaminated water treated.
Which experiences from the project proved particularly valuable?
The close collaboration with our Chilean project partners was especially valuable. They tested the processes under their own operating conditions and worked closely with us to further refine them. Thanks to their technical facilities, the properties of the materials produced could be analysed in detail.
The silica-rich raw materials derived from copper slag are now also being investigated at additional facilities at the Universidad de Concepción. This demonstrates the successful transfer of technology from Germany to Chile.
For us, the experience gained through the project has provided an important foundation for future research and development activities. Together with our partners, we can build on this knowledge in future projects and continue advancing the technologies.