Development of conceptual solutions for the rehabilitation of active and inactive mines using the principles of geotechnical environment engineering (RAKORANG)

Development of conceptual solutions for the rehabilitation of active and inactive mines using the principles of geotechnical environment engineering (RAKORANG)

Funding source: Program agreement between the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth and public higher education institutions

Duration: 48 months (from January 27, 2026 to September 30, 2029)

Principal investigator: Full Prof. Gordan Bedeković, PhD

Budget: 59,242.59 EUR

Call for project proposals: Call for funding institutional research projects funded from source 581 - Recovery and Resilience Mechanism from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO) 2021-2026)

Project goal and hypothesis

Project goal

The main objective of the project is to determine conceptual solutions for the rehabilitation of active and inactive mines and sustainable mine management throughout the entire life cycle, which are, on the one hand, aligned with the requirements and guidelines related to the extractive industry in the EU and best global practice and, on the other hand, applicable in the mining sector of the Republic of Croatia, the specificity of which is manifested in the mining of predominantly dimension and crushed stone, which is carried out by a large number of companies in the category of small entrepreneurs. In such specific circumstances, technical solutions that are financially and environmentally sustainable, and adapted to local conditions (geological, environmental, economic and sociological) will be defined. In doing so, the project will predominantly deal with the application of geotechnical environmental engineering, which is included in all phases of the mine life cycle, from the initial phase of determining the initial state of the environment, predicting geotechnical methods for the purpose of preventing negative impacts on environmental components or remediation of contaminated sites, to modeling subsequent long-term monitoring of closed mines. The general purpose of this project is to improve the state of the mining sector in the Republic of Croatia by: reducing the impact of mining on the environment, increasing the value of mining waste through scientifically based solutions, evaluating the compliance of proposed rehabilitation solutions with sustainability criteria, enabling access to "green" financing, supporting the adoption of policies for the sustainable management of active mining facilities and mining heritage.

The specific goals of the project are:

• on the basis of guidelines, norms and best world practices for closing active or inactive mines, to analyze the situation in the Republic of Croatia and assess compliance with relevant documents
• to identify the best available technologies, and analyze existing researches and good practices in mining waste management and remediation of active/inactive mines in the world and the EU, and propose an applicable and sustainable model for their implementation in the Republic of Croatia, taking into account the specifics of the local mining sector
• to develop a digital tool for evaluating compliance with the EU norm for closing mines
• to develop a digital tool for evaluating compliance with sustainability criteria according to the EU taxonomy
• to explore global best practices and guidelines for reuse of mining waste, waste plastics and natural soils in the form of their mixtures
• to determine the composition and properties of mixtures (mining waste/ waste plastic/soil) and the possibilities of their use for remediation (rehabilitation) of active or inactive mines
• to identify and classify the key geotechnical risks that occur during and after the end of mining activities, with a special emphasis on the phenomena of soil instability, collapse, subsidence and erosion
• to develop a laboratory model for simulating soil erosion processes and conduct pilot tests with the aim of better understanding the mechanisms of soil failure during underground mining operations and in complex post-mining hydrological, hydrogeological and geotechnical conditions

Hypothesis (Project summary)

The extraction of mineral raw materials from the earth's crust is a prerequisite for the existence and development of civilization from early history until today, and will continue in the future. At the same time, the types and quantities of necessary mineral raw materials, the methods of their research, mining and processing, as well as the natural, ecological, social and sociological circumstances are changing. With increased demand, and various natural or geopolitical causes that disturb the flow of mineral raw materials in the world, the use of natural and anthropogenic sources, as well as an increase in the amount of various types of mining waste, is predicted in the future. The modern approach to the mining and processing of mineral raw materials requires a transition to "responsible mining" with a focus on environmental protection, social responsibility and ethical management during the entire life cycle of the mine. In the EU, intensive work is being done on the harmonization of the legislative framework, the development of conceptual solutions and the provision of adequate resources to manage the closure of active and abandoned mines, as well as the creation of good practices for sustainable mine management. Geotechnical environmental engineering contributes to the preservation of environmental components and the rehabilitation of locations/objects. The specificity of mining in the Republic of Croatia is manifested in the mining of the so-called development materials, which is done in a number of small companies. In such specific circumstances, technical solutions are needed that are financially and environmentally sustainable, and the best global practices should be adapted to local conditions. With the aim of improving the state of the mining sector in the Republic of Croatia by reducing the environmental footprint, increasing the value of mining waste, evaluating the compliance of proposed rehabilitation solutions with sustainability criteria, enabling access to "green" financing and supporting the adoption of policies for the sustainable management of active mining facilities and mining heritage, the project foresees activities that will result in technical solutions for the rehabilitation of active and inactive mines that are financially and environmentally sustainable.

The rehabilitation of active and inactive mines requires a multidisciplinary approach, since it includes technical (mining, geological engineering, geotechnics, etc.), environmental (geotechnical environmental engineering, chemical engineering, etc.), economic and social aspects. As the focus of the project is on the application of geotechnical engineering for the purpose of safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable closure of mines (surface and underground), the research team was formed so that it predominantly consists of collaborators who have expertise in the field of mining, geotechnics, mineral processing and recycling, and possess laboratory equipment and experience in performing experiments (Laboratory for mineral processing, Geomechanical laboratory - Department of soil mechanics and Chemical laboratory), and is supplemented by team members who cover economic and sociological aspects.

Team members

	Full Prof. Gordan Bedeković, PhD - project manager University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia		Full Prof. Biljana Kovačević Zelić, PhD - deputy project manager University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia
	Assoc. Prof. Karolina Novak Mavar, PhD University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia		Assoc. Prof. Gordana Bilić, PhD University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia
	Assist. Prof. Helena Vučenović, PhD University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia		Assist. Prof. Ivan Sobota, PhD University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia
	Tea Horvat, assistant University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia		Mirela Burečić Šafran, student University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia
	Evelina Oršulić, professional associate University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Croatia		Dunja Perić, PhD, researcher  Kansas State University, USA

Dissemination

Conferences

Published papers

Dissertations, master and bachelor theses