STOICISM · Sustainable Technologies for Calcined Industrial Minerals in Europe

Europe is a major global producer of industrial minerals. Around 180 million tonnes per year of products are extracted in the EU, with an estimated contribution of €10 billion to European GDP and offering direct employment to some 42,500 people. A secure supply of sustainable mineral products is essential to maintaining the European mining, mineral and manufacturing industries.The main objective of STOCISM is to enhance the competitiveness of the European industrial minerals industry by developing cleaner, more energy efficient extraction and processing technologies. STOICISM is an industry-led project with a specific focus on calcined industrial minerals which are presently energy intensive to produce. Most calcining uses the direct combustion of fossil fuels, contributing to up to 85% of their carbon emissions.To meet the overall aim, three key calcined industrial minerals have been identified: diatomaceous earth; perlite and kaolin. The processes implemented can also then be directly transferable to many other industrial minerals. In global terms, the EU produces one third of the world’s production of perlite, 20% of calcined kaolin and 20% of diatomite. Key markets for these minerals are beverage filtration, coatings, plastic, rubber, cosmetics, insulation and construction materials. STOICISM will research, develop and demonstrate a range of new innovative technologies along the industrial minerals value chain. This will include developments in extraction, beneficiation, drying, calcining and waste recycling.STOICISM is expected to impact significantly on the sustainability of the EU’s industrial minerals industry by decreasing the use of natural resources (both mineral deposits and energy resources) leading to the sustainable production of better and purer products with less waste and lower environmental impact.