OPTIMAL MINE
Asarel-Medet AD is the only Bulgarian company participating in the international research project OPTIMAL MINE, funded by EIT Raw Materials under the initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. Project partners also include the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy), the University of Zagreb (Croatia), other mining companies from Central and Eastern Europe, and a leading technology company from the United Kingdom.
The first General Assembly of the project partners was held in 2026 at Asarel-Medet. At Asarel Mine, an innovative geophysical software for mine planning and for determining the optimal slope angles in open-pit mines will be tested for the first time worldwide. Expectations are that these new digital solutions will significantly increase the efficiency of European mining companies, leading to savings of tens of millions of euros compared to current standards. Thanks to the automated system, waste will be reduced, while occupational safety, environmental protection, and the utilization of mineral resources will be improved.
AGEMERA
Asarel-Medet JSC is the only Bulgarian mining company participating in the international research project AGEMERA, funded under the European Horizon programme. Its goal is to unlock Europe’s potential for domestic extraction of raw materials that are critical for the low-carbon transition, digital technologies, and defense.
The Geological Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences was also part of AGEMERA, together with the University of Oulu (Finland) and 19 other research organizations, technology companies, and mining enterprises from 10 European countries, including Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Poland.
Over a period of more than three years, experts developed innovative and environmentally friendly methods for non-invasive geological exploration, which were tested at Asarel Mine. These included a state-of-the-art industrial drone, combined with a package of non-invasive and sensor-based exploration methods, featuring the highest level of data automation in geological models.
In 2024, our participation in AGEMERA was awarded the Grand Prize for Innovation Management in the national competition “Innovative Company of the Year”, recognized by the European Commission as a best national practice for promoting business innovation.
X-Mine
Technologies developed under the X-Mine project were tested at Asarel-Medet in 2022. The company gained early access to innovative solutions for early ore sorting and improved utilization of valuable components. These technologies are considered the future of mining due to their significant contribution to sustainable development goals.
Expectations are that X-Mine technologies will lead to:
- up to 20% reduction in transport costs in mines;
- 7% reduction in processed waste rock;
- 10–30% lower energy consumption;
- a reduction in carbon emissions.
The result is improved mine planning and more efficient production processes, with less waste and optimal extraction of valuable elements. Asarel-Medet’s participation in X-Mine earned the company an industry innovation award in 2023.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
At Asarel Mine, a high-precision automated system monitors the stability of pit slopes, ensuring the highest level of safety. Every three minutes, two radars “scan” the mine with 100% coverage and accuracy of up to 0.2 mm.
The automated Wenco dispatching system manages mining equipment to achieve the shortest transport distances, higher efficiency, and a lower carbon footprint.
A Datamine system—unique in the Balkans—integrates the digital geological, structural, and hydrogeological model of the deposit with the drilling and blasting system, ensuring exceptional precision during drilling and reducing mining waste.
The Siemens PCS7 dispatching system provides fully automated control of technological processes in the concentrator plant, while a new expert system evaluates process parameters in real time. Automated dispatching systems also manage the technological processes of the industrial water recirculation system and the company’s treatment plants, ensuring strict real-time control.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dimitar Tsotsorkov, is the first mining company executive in the world to receive the SDG Pioneer Award for the contribution of digital transformation to sustainable development goals.
ULTRA-MODERN REMOTE BLASTING SYSTEM
A modern remote blasting system for the rock mass, manufactured by Orica, was implemented at Asarel Mine in 2021. It ensures maximum process safety and allows remote blasting via radio connection from a distance of 2.6 km.
CATHODE COPPER EXTRACTION AND ELECTROWINNING PLANT
An innovative, industry-leading example of the circular economy is the Cathode Copper Extraction and Electrowinning Plant. It demonstrates how “something can be made out of nothing” by producing a stock-exchange-traded product from waste streams.
Pure 99.99% Cu cathode copper is extracted from copper-bearing solutions and oxide ores that are not suitable for conventional processing. The implemented SX-EW technology, developed in Finland, ensures maximum utilization of mineral resources.
The installation is the only one of its kind in Bulgaria and the most advanced in Europe.
