Activities

Here we list the activities carried out within the project.

WP1 : Local landscaping in the rehabilitation of mining areas

Field visit for ACG mine closure 2025
After a week of interesting presentations and lively discussions at the Mine Closure conference in Luleå, we headed north for a three-day field visit to mine rehabilitation sites. The areas around Aitik and Kiruna taught us about a variety of issues currently being debated in the face of post-mining reclamation. Insights from indigenous communities, industry representatives, engineers and biologists demonstrated the importance and complexity of reclamation plans - such as technical challenges of geomorphological reclamation, the functioning of cover materials, and land use conflicts, including negotiation and compensation.

Most prominent was the issue of how to manage mine closures amid increasing demand for critical minerals needed for the green transition and EU independence. The Arctic, known for its extreme climate that makes restoration temporally challenging, remains a place with a complex history of resource extraction, colonialism, and geopolitical tensions.

Presentation on tacking for mines in Arctic environments

Abdalla Saafan, PhD student at LTU, presented his work "Assessing the effect of snowmelt on mine covers in cold climates using numerical modeling and laboratory columns" at the 18th International Conference onMine Closure.

The paper examines the challenges of constructing mine covers with the till available in Arctic regions, as well as how to take into account the peculiarities of the Arctic climate - such as the dry winter period that accumulates precipitation which is then released during a short and intense snow melt period - and how this affects the performance of the cover.

• Link to the publication: https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2515_92_Saafan/

WP4 Long-term sustainability and resilience of restoration

The work package focuses on restoring Arctic landscapes affected by mining activities by recreating vegetation adapted to local conditions. The main objectives are to:

• Identify suitable plant species based on environmental conditions, desired ecosystem functions and future land use plans. This will be based on vegetation and soil analysis, environmental DNA (e-DNA) and pollutant measurements across spatial and temporal gradients, as well as on input from both local communities and governmental authorities.
• Assess the role of vegetation in supporting short-term and long-term restoration goals, including erosion control and pollution reduction. Restoration methods will be tested with native species.
• Formulate scalable restoration targets using existing field data, previous studies and input from local communities. Due to slow plant establishment in the Arctic and the timeframe of the project, work will be based on observational data rather than experimental field trials.
• Develop guidelines for plant-based restoration, adapted to Arctic conditions, with recommendations for erosion control and pollution reduction.
• Develop scalable restoration objectives and strategies that can inform future fieldwork and policy development.
• Strengthen collaboration with local communities by integrating local knowledge into restoration planning.

Field expedition at the Seqi olive quarry

July marked an important milestone with a successful field expedition at the former Seqi olive quarry, located in Tasiussarsuaq Bay, a branch of Niaqunngunaq (Fiskefjord) in southwest Greenland.

During the fieldwork, vegetation analyses were conducted in high, medium and low disturbance areas, along with collection of eDNA samples and experimental transplantation of tussock. The site will be revisited during the project period.

In 2027, the team will visit and conduct research at abandoned mines with ongoing landscape restoration and vegetation re-establishment.

Seqi is located in Tasiussarsuaq Bay, a branch of Niaqunngunaq (Fishing Fjord) in southwest Greenland. The nearest settlement is Atammik (175 inhabitants), located at the mouth of the fjord.

Mining at Seqi was carried out as an open-cast mine, where raw olivine was crushed and sorted into different grades depending on its use. The processed material was transported from Niaqunngunaq by bulk carriers with capacities of up to 50 000 tons, mainly to the European market. At its peak, the mine employed around 30 people. The olive deposit was estimated at 150 million tons, and between 2005 and 2009 around 400 000 tons were extracted. Operations ceased in 2010 and the mine was closed.

At the time of closure, no attempt was made to restore the area.

A gravel road of about 2 kilometers connects the open pit with the operating areas and the pier. The gravel road and operating areas are abandoned, with only sparse signs of natural regrowth, despite the fact that 15 years have passed since closure.