Vale Energy Transition Metals accelerates the commercial recovery of critical minerals
by CM Staff
Vale announced today it has committed C$875,000 over five years to MIRARCO to support a new industrial research chair program in biomining and bioremediation.
TORONTO — Vale Energy Transition Metals, a supplier of nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals, is moving to accelerate commercial recovery of critical minerals from mine waste in partnership with the Mining Innovation, Rehabilitation, and Applied Research Corporation (MIRARCO) at Laurentian University.
As part of efforts to reduce mine waste and capture additional value from mined material, Vale announced today it has committed C$875,000 over five years to MIRARCO to support a new industrial research chair program in biomining and bioremediation. The announcement was made during the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada 2023 Convention.
The industrial research chair program led by Dr. Nadia Mykytczuk will develop, pilot and work towards commercializing bioleaching and bioremediation processes including efforts to recover nickel and cobalt from low-grade pyrrhotite tailings and other wastes.
“This builds on our extensive R&D history and proven track record of lab-to-plant process development and represents a significant opportunity for waste-stream reprocessing here in Ontario,” said Luke Mahony, Chief Technical Officer at Vale Energy Transition Metals. “We see this as a triple-win, with potential to reduce liabilities, accelerate commercial recovery of critical minerals and capture additional value from mined material.”
The Government of Ontario will also contribute C$750,000 through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. to support this industrial research chair program.
“The new and improved Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation is supporting innovative solutions in the resource extraction sector that will change the way we see mining traditionally,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development. “By partnering with Vale and Laurentian University, we are committing to Made in Ontario solutions that will reduce mine waste and enhance value for materials already involved in the mining process.”
Dr. Mykytczuk, president and CEO of MIRARCO, said, “This funding and collaboration will accelerate the development of new tools to help us extract value from wastes, producing the metals we need in an environmentally sustainable way.”
