Low-carbon mining technologies are fast becoming a primary disruption amid environmental concerns around underground mines.
GlobalData’s Digging Deeper into Sustainability – Key Disruptive Forces in Mining report identifies various low-carbon solutions currently under testing by predominantly Canadian mining companies.
At Ontario’s NORCAT Mining Transformed Exhibition in May, Canadian subsurface intelligence company Ideon launched an in-mine imaging software for critical mineral identification and extraction. While its primary function is to generate high-resolution 3D models to help geologists monitor mineral deposits, analysts believe the software will reduce environmental damage.
In Canada, other recent innovations of note include startup pH7 Technologies’ chemical process solution – which uses a closed-loop system to extract valuable metals without producing wastewater, effluent or off-gassing – and Medaro Mining’s renewably-powered hard rock lithium extraction technology.
While the emissions released by mining are small compared to those released by fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions from global mining and resource extraction inflict roughly $3trn in damages every year.