Duration:  1. 4. 2022 – 31. 3. 2025

Project leader: Assoc. Prof. Zoran Levnajić PhD

Project type: scientific research project

Project description:

Stone blocks such as marble and granite are natural materials with excellent properties and wide applicability. The global market is currently worth € 30 billion and is growing day by day. However, their exploitation in quarries is conditioned by unfavorable factors. First, these ores have naturally occurring fractures and cracks that make it difficult or even impossible to excavate blocks of greater commercial value. Second, this process intensively produces very environmentally unfriendly waste. With growing markets, the risks to the environment will become increasingly serious.

This project aims to improve the above situation. We will combine methods of geophysics, mathematical optimization and artificial intelligence to fill the database with an inventory of major European quarries. This, in turn, will allow for automated planning of mining plans tailored to the specific characteristics of individual mines. This will improve work efficiency and at the same time create a more environment friendly and sustainable way of exploitation. In addition, this is expected to reduce waste generation by up to 25% and reduce energy and water consumption.

The completion of this project represents technological advances in the extraction of natural materials, thus increasing Europe’s competitiveness and protection of the environment. The Slovenian team is represented by the Faculty of Information Studies in Novo mesto, which will tackle the computation aspects of the project, especially the development of more customized optimization algorithms in Work package 4 (WP4).

Financed by: