The subject of underground mining and its advantages were presented to the General Secretary of Energy and Mineral Raw Materials, Aristotelis Aivaliotis, by the executives of the companies Iktinos and Nordia, in the context of a visit organized by the Association of Mining Enterprises to the marble mining center in the area of Volakas, Drama.
Aivaliotis had the opportunity to ascertain the advantages of underground marble mining in Volakas and the challenges faced.
During the briefing by the executives of the IKTINOS and NORDIA companies, the applications of innovative technologies in the underground marble mining of the area, the particularly high level of expertise and technical training of the working staff, as well as the maintenance of competitiveness, despite the difficult conditions encountered, were highlighted in relation to the demands of the international market.
The method of exploitation followed in the underground marble construction sites is that of chambers and pillars with inverted steps. The environmental footprint compared to classic, surface marble mining is particularly low. The operation of high specification equipment, digital systems for continuous monitoring of work phases and ventilation offer high quality work.
The big problem that needs to be solved is the modification of the existing regulatory framework for the operation of underground farms within nature protection areas, in accordance with the provisions of the European directive “Natura Guidance for Extractive non-Energy Activities”. The implementation of this directive ensures the minimum possible impact on the natural environment and the intended species, by imposing, in parallel with the conditions for the extraction and utilization of the mineral resource, measures to deal with the effects of the extraction on the protected species.
