UBC researchers advancing more sustainable future for critical minerals
The University of British Columbia is bringing its expertise in critical minerals to the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials, a US $150-million research endeavour to fundamentally revolutionize how we produce, use and recycle the minerals needed for modern technologies and the clean energy transition.
Experts will work in diverse, interdisciplinary teams together with researchers from Imperial College London, the University of California, Berkeley, the Australian National University and the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, to introduce new processes and technologies that will make critical mineral production and usage more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, while supporting local communities.
“Critical minerals are the foundation for developing the diversified, renewable sources of energy we require to power a decarbonized future,” said Dr. John Steen, Director of the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM) and Associate Professor in the Norman B. Keevil School of Mining.
“UBC has proven time and time again our ability to partner with industry and local communities, to transform innovative ideas into commercially viable solutions that work on the ground. As the sole Canadian institution in the Centre, we are proud to continue UBC’s longstanding relationship with Rio Tinto, and to represent Canada’s expertise in this global effort to meet our critical minerals needs, while protecting future generations.”
The copper challenge
The clean energy transition depends on developing renewable energy sources for electricity—and electricity depends on copper.
In fact, to meet our global energy demands, in 2019 the World Bank anticipated that we need as much copper in the next 25 years as has been mined in the last 5,000.
Copper is also notoriously difficult to mine with conventional blasting and drilling methods. With the average copper grade—amount of metal present in each ton of ore—at less than one per cent, conventional copper mining produces a huge amount of waste.
UBC researchers in the Faculties of Applied Science and Science are co-leading three of the first projects funded by the Rio Tinto Centre for Future Materials, all of which will tackle how to more sustainably mine for copper and reduce waste.
Additional information about UBC’s involvement at the Centre, including future project updates, are available to view on BRIMM’s site.
