SUSTAINABLE PHOSPHATE ROCK MINING

Abstract

The paper discusses ecologically and economically s ustainable possibilities for phosphate rock mining al Toolse deposit in Estonia. The mining technologies studied include only tho~e which guarantee safe treating of dictyunema argilli le. In the case of open-cast mining, dictyonema argillite will be sealed. Mining production is estima ted at 0.8 to 1.1 million tonnes of phosphate rock per year, yielding 52 to 72 thousand tonnes of phosphate concentrate per year with P20 5 content of 33 per cent. Mining might be profitable if the price of phosphate rock concentrate reaches 300 USD per tonne in the world market, which is three times higher than predicted today or for the near future. No efficient ecological methods are available for mining Estonia's phosphate rock today. Moreover, ii is concluded that the phosphate rock of the Toolse deposit is not suitable for mining.