Round One of DPI's 2025 Mining Innovation & Research Battlefield (MIRB) saw the shortlisted finalists take to the virtual field for an electrifying battle, presenting their best pitch to our judging panel of industry experts on 29 November 2024. The diversity, range and number of MIRB entries continues to grow year-on-year, reaching new heights this year. This trend affirms that innovation and determination to change the mining industry for a better world is alive and well in researchers, entrepreneurs and enterprises all over the world.
Our Round One judges were drawn from all parts of the mining sector, representing a wealth of experience in the tailings industry:
- Cindy Kroon, Head of Responsible Tailings Management, Anglo American
- Phil Newman, Lead, Tailings Innovation, Anglo American
- Satish Rao, Managing Director, Clareo
- Norman Mukwakwami, Global Head of Responsible Sourcing, Trafigura
The Battlefield challenge around innovative approaches to tailings management attracted a diverse range of entries, giving us a glimpse of the innovation and deep thinking emerging around tailings management.
Our Round 2 finalists who’ll present live on stage at Mining Indaba, Cape Town, are:
Mwiza Muwowo, BioCarbonX
‘Reclaiming brownfields and rehabilitating mine sites’
BiocarbonX focuses on cleverly re-purposing mine tailings two ways - both decarbonisation of the atmosphere, and recarbonisation of the biosphere. Through innovative chemical and physical processes, the end product, engineered Biochar, is a versatile, carbon-rich material that has outstanding properties. BiocarbonX is on a mission to transform ‘waste product’ into useable, valuable forms that will contribute to profitability and sustainability of mining operations.
Vitor Louriero Gontijo, University of Queensland
‘Waste-to-Wealth Tailings Processing’
Vitor has pioneered a method of co-processing uranium and copper tailings for rare earth elements (REE) and cobalt extraction using waste-generated acid. This innovation is a circular process, using existing waste to produce the acids required for the beneficiation of tailings, thus reducing traditional processing costs dramatically.
Critical rare metals for the energy transition which have been too costly or difficult to extract from tailings become available with this processing method, creating new product streams for the mines, and improving tailings management outcomes across the board.
Lisa October & Resoketswe Manenzhe, University of Cape Town, Diana Kasymova, Metso
‘Transforming Tailings with Innovative Water Solutions’
Arguably Africa’s most precious resource, water is an integral part of every mining operation, particularly in beneficiation of raw materials and increasingly, in extracting maximum value from tailings. So innovative water management that protects the ecosystem while improving mine production values is a great step towards better system-wide tailings outcomes and less waste effluent.
Lisa and her team are focusing their research on the close interplay of water and tailings, taking an ecosystem approach to the use of water as an enabler. They’ve pioneered a method for distributed water circuitry to maximize flotation performance while improving tailings management - and up to zero water effluent waste.
The winner of the US$25,000 Innovation Grant, sponsored by Anglo American, will be revealed on Tuesday 4 February, after the Round 2 Final of the 2025 Mining Innovation & Research Battlefield.
The final round of the Battlefield is fast and furious - each contestant has only a few minutes to pitch their idea or research. The format makes for a lively hour that sparks the imagination for what is possible in the tailings management field. If you’re planning to be at Mining Indaba, be sure to include the Battlefield in your schedule.