A holistic solution to waste management and CO₂ removal in the mining industry.
CTP captures and permanently stores atmospheric CO₂ through mineralization, offering a scalable solution to industrial emissions and contributing directly to global carbon neutrality goals.
By stabilizing mining waste and eliminating the need for traditional tailings dams, CTP significantly reduces long-term environmental risks such as acid mine drainage and toxic leaching.
Developed and tested in a real mining environment, the CTP pilot plant at Boliden’s Garpenberg site demonstrates seamless integration with existing operations—minimizing disruption while maximizing impact.
The Carbonated Tailings Process (CTP) is an innovative, sustainable solution for the mining industry, developed by Blue Skies Minerals GmbH. It stores excess carbon permanently into mine waste, forming a stable, non-polluting waste repository. The CTP represents a breakthrough in both environmental and economic performance.
The CTP will remove CO2 permanently at large scale: ktonnes/year for underground mines, and Mtonnes/year for surface mines.
When developed and tested in a real mining environment, the CTP pilot plant at Boliden’s Zinkgruvan mine will demonstrate seamless integration with existing operations—minimizing disruption while maximizing impact.
January 2025 – December 2026
Blue Skies Minerals GmbH
Boliden’s Zinkgruvan Mine, Sweden
Tailing-agnostic and binder-flexible technology.
Requires minimal operational changes for integration.
Aligned with ESG, SDG, and EU Green Deal frameworks.
Transforming the Future of Mining
Offset CO₂ Emissions: Through permanent CO₂ storage via mineralization.
Elimination of Tailings Dams: Cemented backfill replaces traditional disposal, avoiding dam failures.
Contaminant Stabilization: Prevents leaching of toxic elements into water sources.
12% Cost Reduction: In tailings management operations.
High-Value Carbon Credits: Monetize carbon storage via certified offsetting.
Faster Permitting: Addresses environmental liabilities during operations, cutting permitting times by half.
A major European mining company providing the mine site and operational expertise.
Start-up based in Berlin focused on environmental innovation in mining. Holds all project IP.
Austria’s top mining university, providing scientific validation and environmental testing.
Greek innovation SME managing sustainability assessment, life cycle analysis, and dissemination.
Pioneering a Carbon-Neutral Mining Process
The Carbonated Tailings Process (CTP) is a breakthrough in carbon capture and waste management for the mining industry. By chemically binding atmospheric CO₂ to mine tailings, it transforms a major environmental liability into a stable, structurally sound meterial. The process offers a scalable, cost-effective, and low-disruption solution compatible with current mining infrastructure.
TRL6 Validated: Proven in a relevant environment, with pilot-scale demonstrations already underway.
Compatibility: Uses existing paste plant infrastructure at the mine site.
CO₂ Utilization: CO₂ capture with capacity to remove over 1.0 Gtons of atmospheric CO₂ by 2050.
Mechanical Strength: Confirmed compressive strength, stability.
CO₂ Capture: Atmospheric carbon is captured, either via direct air capture (DAC) or from industrial exhaust
Carbon Mineralization: The CO₂ is reacted with reactive materials and tailings, forming stable carbonate minerals.
Paste Formation: Carbonated tailings form a cementitious paste that is pumped underground or co-disposed with waste rock.
Long-Term Storage: The resulting cementitious paste fills underground voids or is used to create surface dumps, locking carbon and preventing the leaching of toxic substances.
Blue Skies Minerals (BSM) has developed a robust go-to-market strategy that positions CTP as a high-value solution for mining companies seeking to meet environmental regulations and offset emissions cost-effectively. Our approach is geared towards: first gaining acceptance by the mining industry and then scaling across the globe.
Carbon Credits: Monetization of stored CO₂ through high-quality, verifiable credits.
Waste Management Services: Monetizing superior mining waste management.
Licensing Model: Tailored technology licensing for global mining operations.
Total Addressable Market (TAM): 2,317 mines globally.
Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM): $161–280M/year by 2040.
Carbon Removal Market Value: $18–50 billion annually (mining sector alone).
Building a Cleaner Mining Future, Today
CTP directly addresses some of the most urgent environmental challenges faced by the mining sector—greenhouse gas emissions, contaminant release, and tailings dam failure. By integrating radically improved waste management and carbon storage within the core of mining operations, CTP brings the industry to the forefront of the fight against climate change and provision of sustainable raw materials.
SDG 6 – Clean Water & Sanitation: Prevents leaching of heavy metals and acid generation.
SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Deploys state-of-the-art material stabilization and CO₂ capture technologies.
SDG 13 – Climate Action: Achieves up to 60% reduction in operational CO₂ emissions.
Eliminates Tailings Dams: Co-disposal of tailings and waste rock in a geotechnically stable form.
Prevents Toxic Leaching: Stabilizes sulphide minerals before oxidation occurs.
Carbon Lock-In: Ensures the permanent mineralization of captured CO₂.
Reduces mine permitting time by up to 50%.
Aligns with EU Extractive Waste Directive (2006/21/EC), IFC standards, and the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management.
The Carbonated Tailings Process (CTP) is an innovative method that captures CO₂ from the atmosphere and binds it chemically with mine tailings to form a stable, cement-like material. This material can then be used for safe underground backfilling or co-disposal with waste rock.
CTP provides a permanent storage solution for captured CO₂ by turning it into mineral carbonates. This not only removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere but also offsets emissions from mining operations, helping the industry meet its climate targets.
Yes. The process has been successfully validated at TRL 6 (Technology Readiness Level), meaning it has been demonstrated in a relevant environment. A pilot plant is being implemented at the Boliden Zinkgruvan Mine in Sweden, using real tailings and process water. A commercial plant will be built and operated upon successful conclusion of the pilot campaign.
CTP improves tailings management and reduces costs by approximately 12%, eliminates the need for costly tailings dams, and allows mining companies to generate high-quality carbon credits that can be sold or used to offset their own emissions. It addresses the key problems identified by critics of the industry, thereby improving its social license to operate.
Once the CO₂ reacts with the tailings, it forms stable mineral compounds such as calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). These compounds are chemically inert and do not degrade over time, ensuring permanent carbon storage.
Yes. CTP is designed to meet all relevant environmental and mining regulations, including EU Extractive Waste Directives and global standards for tailings management. It also helps reduce permitting times by proactively addressing environmental liabilities. In fact, it improves existing practices because it prevents contaminant release by design.
Absolutely. The CTP solution is designed for scalability, and the long-term plan includes applying the process to large-scale mines and licensing the technology to mines globally or delivering it as a service in collaboration with major industrial partners.
The Carbonated Tailings Process (CTP) is an innovative, sustainable solution for the mining industry, developed by Blue Skies Minerals GmbH. It transforms mine waste into a stable cement-like paste by capturing CO₂ directly from the atmosphere, offering a breakthrough in both environmental and economic performance.
