EVALUATING AND CLASSIFYING LANDFILL MINING IN ANALOGY TO NATURAL DEPOSITS

摘要

The aim of this study is to apply the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009 (UNFC-2009) to a landfill-mining project to identify the landfilled materials as potential anthropogenic ‘reserves’ or ‘resources’, and to reveal critical factors for the classification of the project. Based on data from a landfill-mining project in Belgium, the focus of the evaluation was set on technological options and the project’s socioeconomic viability. Four scenarios have been investigated, representing different alternatives for the combustible waste fraction’s thermal treatment (on-site vs. off-site incineration) and for specific stakeholder interests (public vs. private). The Net Present Values were found to be negative for all four scenarios, ranging between -197 million ? in the best and -284 million ? in the worst case. Based on required future changes in metal prices, sorting and incineration cost to make the project economically viable, the scenarios resulted in different final resource classifications under UNFC-2009.