Contact

Prof. Dr. Jens Gutzmer
Director
Secretary: Vanessa Tschorn
Phone: 0351 260 - 4404

PD Dr. Simone Raatz
Administrative Manager

Sekretary: Louise Schulze
Phone: 0351 260 - 4403

Anne-Kristin Jentzsch
Press Officer
Phone: +49 351 260 - 4429

Renate Seidel
Secretary
Phone: 0351 260 - 4430

Vorschau-Bild

Foto: Logos Freiberg Short Course in Economic Geology ©Copyright: HZDR, TUBAF, SEG, SGA, DMG

19th Freiberg Short Course in Economic Geology

Critical Raw Materials: A Global Perspective

Foto: SFEG 2024 ©Copyright: HZDR/HIF

The transition to a low-carbon future is likely to be mineral intensive because clean energy low-carbon technologies, particularly solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, and geothermal energy production, are currently more mineral intensive relative to fossil fuel production. Greater ambition on climate change goals, as outlined by the Paris Agreement, requires installing more of these technologies and will therefore lead to a larger material footprint. Recent proposed EU legislation “The Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)” requires that >10% of the EU's annual consumption should be extracted in Europe, >40% of the EU's annual consumption should be processed in Europe, <65% of the EU’s annual consumption of each critical raw material should not come from a single third country, and >25% of the EU's annual consumption must be recycled so as to create a circular economy. Currently, we are far from achieving the circular economy that is needed for sustainable development.

This course aims to provide a better understanding of the deposits with which critical raw materials are related, examples of where and why enrichment has occurred, and the implications of restricted and uncertain supply.

  • When:  9-13 December 2024
  • Where: Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology
  • Registration: The registration form and information about the participant fees can be found here. Registration deadline is 11.11.2024. First come first serve!
  • Lecturers: Prof. Judith Kinnaird and Prof. Paul Nex (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa)
  • Target group: The course is designed for Master students / PhD students / Postdocs, senior scientist and industry representatives preferable with knowledge in geology and/or mineralogy, but also represenatives of other disciplines targeting raw materials and interested in the topic.
  • List of hotels: download here.

 Agenda (updated Dec 2nd)

Monday, Dec 9th

Introduction and Overview of CRM

8:30-12:00 Registration
09:15-09:30 Welcome
09:30-10:30
Lecture D1 L1: CRM for a Greener Economy (JAK)
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-12:00 Lecture D1 L2 Critical Raw Materials: History & Definitions (PN)
12:00-14:00 Lunch break (self organized lunch option in town, e.g. Christmas market)
14:00-15:00 Lecture D1 L3 Coal and Lithium - towards a lower carbon economy (JAK)
15:00-15:45
Lecture D1 L4 Economic aspects of CRM (PN)
15:45-16:15 Coffee break
16:15-17:30 Afternoon Activity ‘Net Zero’ and Discussion (all)
17:30-21:00 Ice breaker party at HIF

Tuesday, Dec 10th

CRM and the electrical industriesCRM and the electrical industries

9:15 -09:30 Introduction into the day (PN)
09:30-10:30
Lecture D2 L 1: Rare Earth Elements (PN)
10:30-11:00 Coffee break
11:00-12:00 Lecture D2 L2 Tantalum & Niobium, (JAK)
12:00-14:00 Lunch break (self organized lunch option in town, e.g. Christmas market)
14:00-15:00 Lecture D2 L3 Tin & Tungsten (PN)
15:00-15:45
Lecture D2 L4 By-product CRM: Germanium Gallium & Indium (PN)
15:45-16:15 Coffee break
16:15-17:30 Afternoon Activity:’In the News’ and Discussion (all)

Wednesday, Dec 11th:

Batteries: The need for CRM

8:45-09:00
Introduction into day (JAK)
9:00 -10:00                       
Lecture D3 L1 Copper (JAK)
10:00-10:30 Coffee break
10:30-11:30 Lecture D3 L2 Types of Battery and CRM requirements Li Co V Graphite Ni (JAK)
11:30-12:30
Lecture D3 L3- Batteries & Electric Vehicles (JAK)
12:30-13:30 Lunch break-catering at HIF
13:30-14:30 Lecture D3 L4 Batteries and Energy Storage (JAK)
14:30-15:00
Discussion (all)
15:00-18:00 Option: walk into town (30 min) for pre- registered partcipants:  guided visit 'Terra Mineralia' (Museum)

Thursday, Dec 12th

CRM Everything Else

09:00-09:15 Introduction to the Day (JAK)
09:15-10:15
Lecture D4 L1 Chromium and PGE (JAK)
10:15-10:30 Group Photo (all)
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-12:00 Lecture D4 L2 Alternative Energy Uranium and Hydrogen (JAK)
12:00-14:00 Lunch break (self organized lunch option in town, e.g. Christmas market)
14:00-14:45 Lecture D4 L3 Antimony, Rhenium, Scandium, Selenium, Silicon, Tellurium (PN)
14:45-16:00 Afternoon Activity: Energy Debate and Discussion (all)

Friday, Dec 13th

Development CRM

09:15-09:30 Introduction to the Day (PN)
09:30-10:30
Lecture D5 L1: Construction CRM (JAK)
10:30-11:00 Coffe break
11:00-12:00 Lecture D5 L2 Bauxite, Coking Coal, Iron/Steel (JAK)
12:00-13:00 Lunch break – catering at HIF
13:00-14:00 Lecture D5 L3 CRM Problems, Solutions and Practicalities (PN)
14:00-15:00 Discussion and Summary (all)
15:00 End

Fees

The basic fee for the course is 110 € (students) / 320 € (PhD students, postdocs, senior scientists) / 500 € for industry participants

These fees cover the course material, icebreaker party, catering for coffee breaks and two lunches (Wednesday and Friday)

The optional guided tour for the Museum 'Terra Mineralia' is 15 € per person.

The DMG (Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft), SGA (Society of  Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits) support this course:

All DMG members get a discount on the course fee of 25€ (reembursed cash on demand at the event), irrespective of their status; DMG student members, who need to travel further can also apply for 100€ travel support at the event.

Also for BCc and MSc students who need to travel from other universities, SGA provides limited number of grants for the student course fees. Application is within the registration sheet to HIF organizer.