Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    Projects
    Sustainability
    Product

    Betolar–EcoGraf–GTK Epanko tailings trial: design and risk notes for mine planners

    February 12, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    Betolar–EcoGraf–GTK Epanko tailings trial: design and risk notes for mine planners

    First reported on International Mining – News

    30 Second Briefing

    Betolar has entered a strategic collaboration with EcoGraf and the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) at the Epanko graphite project in Tanzania to test whether mine tailings can be reprocessed using Betolar’s metal extraction technology. The process is designed to enhance metal recovery from graphite tailings while generating secondary raw materials suitable for low-clinker binders and other construction products. For mine planners and tailings engineers, this signals potential shifts in tailings characterisation, storage design and long-term geochemical behaviour if waste streams are repurposed as feedstock.

    Technical Brief

    • Collaboration centres on Epanko graphite project tailings in Tanzania, involving Betolar, EcoGraf and GTK.
    • GTK’s role likely includes mineralogical, geochemical and leaching characterisation of Epanko tailings streams.
    • Betolar’s process targets residual metals in graphite-processing tailings, implying chemical or hydrometallurgical extraction stages.
    • Secondary raw materials are intended for low-clinker binders, suggesting pozzolanic or alkali-activated tailings products.
    • Integration with EcoGraf’s flowsheet will require tailings handling modifications to separate suitable fractions for reprocessing.
    • Geochemical alteration of tailings via extraction may change long-term drainage chemistry and cover design assumptions.
    • Construction-product reuse would demand compliance with leachability and strength standards for cementitious materials.
    • Similar graphite projects could reassess tailings as potential binder feedstock, influencing future mining waste strategies.

    Our Take

    Graphite appears alongside lithium, nickel and rare earths in our database’s critical minerals coverage, and the related Verisk Maplecroft piece (12 Feb 2026) underscores that projects like Epanko in Tanzania will be benchmarked against South American assets on both stability and ESG performance.

    For EcoGraf, which is Australia-based but advancing the Epanko graphite project in Tanzania, demonstrating innovative tailings reuse with partners such as GTK and Betolar could materially strengthen its social licence and permitting narrative relative to other African graphite hopefuls in our coverage.

    Within the 1930 tag-matched pieces on projects and sustainability, there are only a handful where tailings are treated as a potential product stream rather than a waste liability, so any successful tailings valorisation at Epanko mine would place the project at the leading edge of graphite-sector waste management practice.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Mining
    about 12 hours ago

    Boliden Somincor–EDP–Greenvolt solar UPAC: integration notes for Neves‑Corvo mine engineers

    Boliden Somincor has partnered with EDP and Greenvolt to build Portugal’s largest self‑consumption solar generation unit (UPAC) near the Neves‑Corvo zinc mine at Castro Verde, supplying power directly to mine operations. The distributed solar plant will sit adjacent to one of Europe’s largest zinc orebodies, reducing grid dependence for high‑load processes such as hoisting, ventilation and paste backfill plants. For mine planners and electrical engineers, the project signals growing integration of large‑scale on‑site renewables into base‑metal underground operations in southern Europe.

    Mining
    about 16 hours ago

    Aramine AutoNav Tele loader at Reward Gold mine: design and safety notes for planners

    RCT – Powered by Epiroc’s AutoNav Tele automation has been fitted to an Aramine L350D loader to support narrow vein stoping at Vertex Minerals’ Reward Gold mine at Hill End, after the unit was commissioned through Epiroc’s Orange Service Centre in New South Wales. The compact L350D, designed for ultra-narrow headings, is now operated via tele-remote AutoNav control rather than line-of-sight, allowing tramming and loading in constrained drives. For geotechnical and mine planners, this enables extraction in thinner ore lenses while keeping operators out of unsupported ground.

    Mining
    about 17 hours ago

    Bosch Rexroth–MEDATech off‑highway electrification: integration notes for mine engineers

    Bosch Rexroth is partnering with MEDATech Engineering to deliver end‑to‑end electrification packages for off‑highway and mining mobile equipment, combining Rexroth’s mobile hydraulics, inverters and controls with MEDATech’s EV drivetrain integration capability. The collaboration targets full systems from componentry and software through to application‑specific design and build, aimed at OEMs and retrofit projects for haul trucks, loaders and other heavy units. For mine operators, this points to more standardised electric powertrain architectures and a clearer route to integrating high‑voltage drivetrains with existing hydraulic and control systems.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.

    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy