Location
Tellerhäuser deposit is located in the Erzgebirge mountains, Germany.
50°28′11″ N, 12°50′13″ E
Description
The Tellerhäuser deposit is located in the Erzgebirge, Germany and is one of the best explored world class tin deposits. Mining has been carried out in the area already in medieval times. Recent exploration of the Tellerhäuser deposit gave new insights in the polymetallic skarn mineralisation hosting critical and strategic raw materials (e.g. Zn-Fe-Sn-Cu-In).
Saxore is concession holder and is planning a sustainable underground mine. Operation is planned to commence from 2026. Saxore is a junior mining company which will produce sustainable, ethical and reliable tin in conflict free, low political risk jurisdiction. With the “leave no trace” philosophy Saxore will support the current global clean energy and technological transition. Saxore is supporting a decarbonized future and is committed to best-in-class environmental responsibility by setting up local mine-to-metal value chains.
While mining of the main ore body with the conventional methods is economically feasible, metal recovery from low-grade sulfide mineralization is technically challenging. Therefore, bioleaching will be explored as alternative method to recover metals from these sulfide minerals. Tailings, containing significant metal concentrations, will be treated by bioleaching in order to reduce losses of valuable metals. Saxore expects to improve overall process recovery while reducing energy and consumables.
Objectives
The functional requirements for this pilot focus on the development of sustainable and efficient technologies for extraction, processing, and waste management in mining operations involving low-grade polymetallic ores and mine tailings.
Extraction
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Biomining and Precision Mining
Develop and optimize environmentally-friendly extraction methodologies aimed at recovering critical metals from low-grade ores where conventional technologies are either uneconomical or environmentally unsustainable. -
Downstream Processing by Advanced Membrane Technology
Develop and optimize sustainable, purely physicochemical refining and concentration technologies that are energy-efficient.
Processing
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Biomining and Precision Mining
Replace traditional flotation processes used in concentrate production by recovering critical and strategic metals from polymetallic concentrates. -
Water and Waste-Water Management
Integrate electrodialysis into the in-situ bioleaching processes to reduce sulphuric acid usage and waste production.
Reduce downstream processing steps by separating solutes for clean-up and concentration.
Establish closed-loop recycling of leach liquor by recycling wastewater and producing sulphur from sulphate-rich water for reuse in bioleaching.
Waste Management
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Biomining and Precision Mining
Recover metals from tailings, focusing on critical elements where conventional recovery technologies are not cost-effective or environmentally sound. -
Waste Reduction
Reduce the amount of waste used as mine backfill in order to save underground space and improve sustainability.
Available Data Layers
This pilot site provides access to multiple geospatial data layers, combining thematic WMS services with on-demand satellite imagery. These layers support analysis of environmental conditions, vegetation, water dynamics, and soil pollution.
WMS Layers
The platform includes Soil Pollution maps published by the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC). These layers highlight areas where key elements exceed toxicity thresholds in European topsoils.
| Layer | Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenic Excess | P(X > 45 mg kg⁻¹) > 5% |
ESDAC - Arsenic |
| Copper Excess | > 100 mg kg⁻¹ |
ESDAC - Copper |
| Mercury Excess | > 500 μg kg⁻¹ |
ESDAC - Mercury |
| Zinc Excess | > 100 mg kg⁻¹ |
ESDAC - Zinc |
| Cadmium Excess | > 1 mg kg⁻¹ |
ESDAC - Cadmium |
Satellite Products (via Calendar)
On-demand satellite imagery from Sentinel-2 (Level 2A) and Landsat 8 (Collection 2, Tier 1) can be explored using the calendar interface. These layers are generated dynamically and support the monitoring of vegetation, water, mining activity, and soil conditions.
| Product | Group | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ferric Iron | Mining Index | Present in iron-oxide minerals such as hematite and goethite. These minerals often result from the oxidation of transition metals on the surface of soils and rocks. Detects Fe³⁺ions in general. |
| Ferrous Iron | Mining Index | Commonly found in weathered surfaces and its lattice environment determines its specific spectral behavior. It is associated with ferrous silicates and is an indicator of specific oxidation states in mineralized zones. |
| Ferrous Silicates | Mining Index | This group includes minerals like biotite, chlorite, and amphibole. They are often associated with iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG) alteration systems. |
| Alteration (Clays, Carbonate, Hydroxyl Minerals, Kaolinite, Epidote, Laterite) | Mining Index | A broad category representing mineral replacement by hydrothermal fluids or intense weathering. It includes: - Clays: Indicators of argillic or phyllic alteration. - Carbonate: Key components of limestones and reservoir rocks. - Hydroxyl Minerals: Secondary minerals containing OH groups, such as micas and clays. - Laterite: Iron and aluminum-rich soil formed by intense chemical weathering in tropical/arid environments. |
| Ferric Oxides | Mining Index | Similar to the Ferric Iron index but more focused on specific oxides with an emphasis on red. |
| Ferrous Oxides | Mining Index | Similar to the ferrous iron index, but with an emphasis on reduced oxides in general. |
| Iron Oxide Index | Mining Index | Includes minerals like hematite, goethite, and jarite. They are products of the oxidation of ferromagnesian minerals or the hydrothermal alteration of sulfides, forming a critical part of "red beds" and weathered surfaces. |
| Gossan | Mining Index | An iron-oxide and hydroxide-rich cap (such as limonite) that forms by the weathering and oxidation of underlying sulfide deposits. Its presence is a key surface indicator for locating volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. |
| Chlorite | Mining Index | A phyllosilicate typical of low-sulfidation epithermal and propylitic alteration environments. It often replaces original mafic minerals in volcanic rocks. |
| NDVI | Vegetation Index | Normalized Difference Vegetation Index |
| SAVI | Vegetation Index | Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index |
| NDWI | Water Index | Normalized Difference Water Index |
| MNDWI | Water Index | Modified NDWI for better water detection |
| TI | Water Index | Turbidity Index |