Anyone who associates the southern Harz region with gypsum mining probably first thinks of massive conflicts of interest and far-reaching difficulties. This is now set to change.

The "Gypsum recycling as an opportunity for the southern Harz region" project entered its concept phase at the beginning of April. The responsible research team now sees it as a task to involve several partners and interest groups and to create a joint concept through intensive cooperation, e.g. through workshops and excursions, and to look in the same direction with regard to the future of gypsum.
Due to the implementation of the energy transition, the availability of gypsum from flue gas desulphurisation plants (FGD gypsum) is continuously decreasing. The aim of the current research project is to develop concepts that partially cover the associated demand for natural gypsum by increasing the use of recycled gypsum and thereby contribute to securing raw materials. As the natural areas in the Harz region that are worth protecting must not be neglected by the work, an effective contribution is also to be made here. In addition, the project has set itself the goal of creating concepts for a better perspective for securing jobs in the Harz region and beyond.
A first step in this direction is the cooperation between the town of Ellrich as a municipality, the CASEA GmbH plant in Ellrich as a producer and Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, which was sealed on Wednesday with the "Cooperation in education and training as well as in research and development" agreement. The cooperation agreement is based on long-term collaboration in teaching and research in various fields. In addition to mutual support in the realisation of research and development projects and the provision of topics for scientific work, there will also be joint public appearances, trade fair presentations, workshops and publications in the future.
The professional connection between the partners and the focus of their intended work in the field of gypsum recycling form a good basis for meaningful cooperation to complement and deepen each other's existing expertise, knowledge and resources.
Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences is looking forward to working together with the partners on the project goals and creating innovative results in order to subsequently realise the finished concept together in the implementation phase.