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"PRESS RELEASE - 30 JANUARY 2024 09:44
Eco-innovation from Umeå can break new ground for the mining industry
Mining affects ecosystems, topography and vegetation. Now Daniel Pacurar and Boreal Orchards AB are starting a Vinnova- and mining industry-financed project with four large mining companies, VAST AB and SLU.
The goal: Using moss to speed up the restoration of landscapes after mining.
- If it turns out well, it could set a new standard for the mining industry, says project manager Matt Baida, VAST AB.
In May, Daniel Pacurar met for the first time representatives of the mining industry in Luleå at the "Swedish Mining Innovation and Research Day". A little over six months later, he has received a total of SEK 2.8 million, half from Vinnova and half from the participating mining companies for the project "re:moss: Ecological restoration of landscapes after mining with native moss".
Boreal Orchards, the landscape architect agency VAST AB, SLU and the mining companies Boliden, Copperstone Resources, LKAB and Talga participate in the project, which is supported by Swedish Mining Innovation, part of Vinnova's, the Swedish Energy Agency's and Forma's investment in strategic areas of innovation.
The project extends from November 2023 to June 2025, but Daniel, who receives business support from the Umeå Biotech Incubator, has already gotten off to a flying start when he was in Kiruna in September collecting moss. He will now, based on the local moss, produce a moss mixture which will then be applied through "hydroseeding" at two locations, within LKAB's industrial area in Svappavaara and within an area where Talga has carried out trial mining before.
The moss creates a natural basis for restoration
Moss is a component of the biocrust, a protective layer for the soil consisting of small organisms that help the soil stay healthy. It grows on all types of substrates, even stone and rocks, and when the moss attaches to the mining landscape, it creates the conditions for other vegetation to establish itself more quickly and in a natural way.
- The formation of the biocrust is crucial for a successful ecological restoration and moss is a specific and important component in the restoration of the biocrust, says Daniel Pacurar, founder of Boreal Orchards, who explains that the benefits of moss are many.
- Moss creates a first protective layer for the vegetation. It is hardy, does not compete with other vegetation and creates a natural foundation for other plants to build on.
First meeting an aha experience
Landskapsarkitektbyrån VAST AB works with geomorphological design, a design method that takes inspiration from nature to create new landscapes from extraction waste. Matt Baida, CEO of VAST, is project manager for "ReMOSS" describes the first meeting with Daniel Pacurar as an aha experience.
- When Daniel explained what moss can do, it felt obvious, like an eye opener. The mining industry in Sweden is aware of the challenges and is getting better at it, it will be very exciting to see how this works and how other vegetation can establish itself with the moss, says Matt Baida.
The project participant LKAB has high goals regarding biological diversity. For them, sustainable and value-creating finishing is a key to reaching the goals. The vision is to give nature a chance to re-establish itself and then allow, for example, reindeer husbandry and outdoor activities to return to the areas, but LKAB is still looking for tools to reach all the way in the complicated restoration process.
"Extremely important to recreate functional local ecosystems"
- For LKAB, it is extremely important to recreate functional local ecosystems when we leave an area. It's one thing to plant trees but a bit more difficult to get other layers like moss, lichens and rice plants. Establishing an ecosystem from the bottom up with moss feels exciting as it can both help establish vegetation and increase the amount of organic material on barren surfaces, says Camilla Esberg, Development Engineer at LKAB.
Talga is building a battery anode factory in Luleå. To produce their battery anodes, they need graphite, and the company's plans are to extract graphite in its own mine outside Vittangi. The company's plans for anode production are well advanced and for Talga this is an important issue.
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Mining is a temporary land use. It is our responsibility to conduct our business in a sustainable manner. The land will be used for something else in the future and it is our responsibility to prepare for it in the best way possible. Therefore, we have developed a closure plan with guidelines for how we treat the environment in the meantime and how we will do to leave the landscape in good condition afterwards, says Peter French, Environment and Community Manager, at Talga.
Talga sees great potential in the project
Just like the others, he sees many advantages of the moss. In addition to stabilizing the ground and providing conditions for re-established vegetation, Talga also sees an aesthetic perspective.
- When land is mined, regardless of whether it is mining or logging, a different, more sterile, visual impression is created. This project has great potential to use existing materials and technology to help recreate the landscape as the moss lays a green foundation that nature can build on.
THE ARTICLE IN BRIEF
* Daniel Pacurar and Boreal Orchards AB lead a project, financed by Vinnova and the mining industry, to use moss in landscape restoration after mining.
* The "re:moss" project aims to create a biocrust of moss to promote ecological recovery and support other vegetation.
* Local moss is used and it creates a foundation for other plants and contributes to the recovery of the landscape.
* The project involves geomorphological design and may set a new standard for environmentally friendly mining and landscape restoration.
* In addition to UBI-supported Daniel Pacurar, the landscape architect agency VAST AB, SLU and the mining companies Boliden, Copperstone Resources, LKAB and Talga are included in the project."
Ett projekt från Umeå, finansierat av Vinnova och gruvföretagen Boliden, Copperstone Resources, LKAB och Talga, syftar till att använda mossa för att...
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View attachment 55551
Restoring natural ecosystems in mining disturbed landscapes is a crucial yet complex process. A Swedish initiative, that employs moss to accelerate this restoration, is now being tested in a project financed by the Swedish Innovation Agency, Vinnova, and the mining industry.
www.abnnewswire.net