UK-Finland Sustainability Knowledge Exchange 19-21 October 2020

1. Mineral raw materials and
the Circular Economy
DR EVI PETAVRATZI

2. 2
• BGS is world's oldest national geological survey and UK's
premier centre for geological information and expertise.
• Responsible for advising UK government and providing
impartial geological advice to industry, academia and the
public
• Extensive programme of overseas research, surveying
and monitoring, including major institutional strengthening
programmes in the developing world
• A major global geological survey with a staff of around
650 and a turnover of £60 million
• Part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
British Geological Survey (BGS)

3. Decarbonisation and resource management
BGS MINERAL RESEARCH
3
Fe Mn Co crust, Tropic Seamount
Li pegmatite, Zimbabwe
Li brine, Bolivia

4. 4
Circular economy and raw materials
Tercero Espinosa et al., 2020. Resources, Conservation
& Recycling,159, 104718.
A circular economy is a systemic
approach to economic
development.
Looking beyond the 'take-make-
waste' linear model.
Three Key Principles:
• Design out waste and pollution
• Keep products and materials in use
• Regenerate natural systems
Definition by Ellen MacArthur Foundation

5. Global metal production
PRESENT IN FOCUS
5
[2017 Data from: BGS World Mineral Statistics Database]

6. Current production and future demand trends
PAST & FUTURE
6
Extracted over 63 Billion tonnes of iron ore and 6
Billion tonnes of bauxite in the past 40 years!
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
3 000
3 500
4 000 1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
BauxiteMineProduction(Milliont)
IronOreMineProduction(Milliont)
iron ore bauxite
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
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2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Mineproduction(thousandtonnes
metalcontent)
tungsten cobalt lithium
[World Bank, 2018 Global Material
Resources Outlook to 2060]
[Data from BGS World Mineral Statistics Database]

7. Supply from secondary
resources
7
• “As long as global consumption
increases we will continue to need
primary metal and mineral-based
materials.”1
[Graphs from: World Bank, 2020 Minerals for climate action. The Mineral
intensity of the clean energy transition]

8. 8
Resilient and sufficient supply from recycling
Recycling requires:
• adequate quantities of material in in-
use stocks;
• In-depth understanding of the stocks
and flows of different elements;
• technology, infrastructure and
capacity
• economies of scale, development of
global centres of recycling and supply
chains

9. • Transportation vehicles are large
consumers of raw materials and
pose End of Life challenges
• Supply chains currently work in
isolation, and there would be
multiple benefits to identifying
synergies and applying CE
principles
• CENTS considers different
transport systems in a single
outward looking network
9
• Project Leads
• Project partners
• Funded by

10. 10
Research Strands
Circular Economy
Transitions
Material Stocks and
Flows in
Transportation
Whole life design
Circular Economy
Decisions
Digital Circularity
Activities
Roadmapping
Knowledge
Exchange
Small Projects
Events
Funding
Calls
www.circulartransport.com
@CE4Transport

11. What are the next steps?
• Material requirements for transport technologies to 2050. Road map
development.
• Feasibility studies are underway:
– Wastewater derived ammonia: contaminant to carbon free transportation
fuel, Cranfield University
– Learning from history: The impact of extreme shocks on raw material
supply chains for the transport manufacturing sector, BGS
– SMART and Sustainable Coatings, Warwick Manufacturing Group
– Identifying the Potential for Zero Waste Decommissioning of Commercial
Aircraft, University of Strathclyde
– Ecofitting – whole-life design upgrading cars to zero emissions
– Circular Materials for Transportation Machines (CIRCMATE-4-TMs)
• Second call round for feasibility studies to open soon
CENTS ACTIVITIES
11
www.circulartransport.com
@CE4Transport

12. 12
Contribution of geoscience in the Circular Economy
Geoscience in CE
Data
observatories
Resource
Assessment
CE principles
in the Mining
Sector
Analysis;
methods,
techniques,
processing
Challenges in
environment
Track &Trace
Reliance on mining and primary
raw materials will continue for
many years to come.
The question is how can we make
sure that whatever is extracted is
used again and again?
Most importantly, how can we
make sure that sustainability
becomes the key principle upon
which we all operate?

13. 13
20182013
Hanoi city material stocks
evpeta@bgs.ac.uk
THANK YOU