SARMa : The first EU project on Aggregates

by Mimoza A on 08/09/09 at 2:01 pm

SARMa : The first EU project on Aggregates

G.Tiess / M.Allaraj (University of Leoben, Austria)

Relevance of aggregates

In times of increasing globalization aggregates also provide the basis for economic efficiency, development and growth. More than 3 billion tonnes of sand, gravel and crushed stone with a value more than 35 billions € are annually produced in Europe to meet the demands of construction industry. Construction sector is predicted to grow in the Member States, especially in new EU-members (4, 2 % per year).

Primary aggregates can only be extracted where they occur, and quarrying has environmental and social impacts, including inefficient usage of water and energy, air pollution and community disruption. These have given the industry a negative image that is intensified by illegal quarrying, limited recycling of construction and demolition wastes, and minimal use of quarry and industrial by-products. Fulfilling demands require an eco-efficient and sustainable supply chain (planning, extraction, transport, use and recycling), and socio-eco friendly quarrying, to preclude opposition to extraction and restricted growth. The discrepancy in the aggregates management practices and policies among old and new EU member states and candidate countries is large.

Need for research to address these issues at EU-level

A group of experts from South East Europe (SEE) decided to explore sustainable aggregate management and supply issues in the framework of the South East European (SEE) Transnational Programme 2007 – 2013 of the European Union. Project proposal entitled “SUSTAINABLE AGGREGATES REOSURCE MANAGEMENT (SARMa) preparation started in spring 2008, submitted in summer 2008 and was approved (from over 800 proposals SARMa was ranked as 15^th) in spring 2009. Project SARMa started in May 2009 and will end in October 2011. Partners (authorities, universities, geological survey etc.) included in this project are EU members (Austria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Romania) and non-EU members (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia,). Project budget is approximately 1,9 Mio. €.

SARMa objectives and challenges

The main objective is development of a common approach to sustainable aggregate resource management (SARM) and sustainable supply mix (SSM) to ensure efficient management and secure supply in SEE area ,. SSM uses multiple sources, including recycled wastes. Objectives comprise coordination in management of aggregates, its supply by increasing the transfer of know-how, and supporting capacity building in firms, government and civil society. Project partners aim to achieve objectives through the work packages. Project partnership has 15 partners and 8 observers. Project activities will take place on three levels: local, regional/ national, and transnational. At the local level project aim is to:  a) optimize the efficiency of primary aggregates extraction, b) prevent/minimize environmental impacts of quarrying and improve reclamation, c) minimize illegal quarrying, d) promote recycling. At regional/national level project will: a) assess and quantify aggregate resources and relevant transportation links, b) develop SARM-strategies, considering aggregates in land use planning across regions, c) develop guidelines for SSM planning, and at transnational level: goals are to a) recommend methods for harmonizing SARM & SMM trans-regional and trans-national level, b) design a multi-purpose Aggregates Intelligence System (AIS) as a tool for information and know-how transfer. Additionally intention is to prepare a concept for a Regional Centre on SARM & SSM. Project activities will bring together institutional actors, decision makers, policy implementers, economic sector, quarry operators, civil society, and NGOs through workshops and targeted results.

Map of SARMa-countries:

SARMa-Methodical approach

Project partners are have a critical expertise the SEE area with regard to  aggregates R&D.. Project is structured in five Work Packages (WP), two are general and three thematic. WP1 and WP2 are related to the project management (WP1) (Geological Survey of Slovenia, project leader (Dr. Slavko Solar)) and communication and dissemination (WP2) (Technical University of Crete, Greece). WP3 is related to the extraction and demolition site (local) level, and will be coordinated by Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (Greece). WP4 is related to SARM and SMS activities on regional and national level and will be coordinated by the Hungarian Office for Mining and Geology. WP5 is related to South East Europe transnational level activities; work will start in the second part of the project (2010). WP5 lead partner is University of Leoben (Austria).

Project events on local level (13) will take places across the SEE area (IT, GR, SRB, AL, HU). Transnational events will mainly be linked with the project meetings (Bologna (IT), Split (HR), Bucharest (RO), Pella (GR) and St.Pölten (AT)). The last project meeting in Ljubljana (SI) will coincide with final EU conference on sustainable aggregate resource management.

Project progress can be observed on www.sarmaproject.eu.