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Are there any examples in the world of this type of mining?

Finland’s Terrafame project

Yes, safe extraction of critical raw materials from alum shale is possible when modern mining techniques and strong environmental regulations are applied. Finland’s Terrafame project is a good example: on 18 June 2024, Terrafame began recovering uranium from black shale at its Sotkamo mine in Talvivaara, northeast Finland. This makes Finland the only European Union member state currently producing uranium.

The uranium recovery plant was commissioned after the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) confirmed its safe operation³. Terrafame’s process allows uranium present in very low concentrations (about 17 mg/kg) in the ore to be recovered as a by-product of zinc and nickel production through bioheap leaching. In comparison the uranium concentration in the Viken alum shales is appromately 150 to 200 mg/kg. By 2026, the facility is expected to reach full capacity, producing about 200 tonnes of uranium per year. Enough for nine months of fuel at Finland’s Olkiluoto-3 nuclear reactor which can be compared to Oskarshamn 3, Swedens largest reactor.

Safety and environmental risks are considered minimal. Radiation levels remain at natural background levels, and uranium concentrations in discharged water are far below legal and drinking water thresholds. This shows in practice that uranium recovery from black shale deposits like the alum shales can be done both safely and effectively under strict environmental oversight.

Kupferschiefer

Internationally, similar black shale formations, such as the Kupferschiefer in Germany, have been mined for centuries for metals like copper, vanadium, and zinc. While these formations differ somewhat in composition, they share key features: fine-grained sedimentary rock with dispersed metal content requiring advanced processing techniques like leaching and hydrometallurgy. These methods have been modernized to minimize environmental impacts and maximize recovery efficiency.

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