MIRARCO Opens Biomining Piloting Facility in Sudbury to Extract Nickel from Mine Tailings
MIRARCO Mining Innovation has opened a 10,000-square-foot piloting facility in Sudbury, funded by a $5 million grant from Natural Resources Canada. The facility will advance biomining processes using microorganisms to extract up to $10 billion worth of nickel from mine tailings. Vale, a long-time collaborator, has pledged $875,000 over five years to support these efforts. The facility aims to develop tailored solutions for various mine wastes and is a step towards a larger Centre for Mine Waste Biotechnology, which is projected to cost nearly $40 million.

MIRARCO Mining Innovation has launched a 10,000-square-foot piloting facility in Sudbury, supported by a $5 million grant from Natural Resources Canada. This facility will focus on bioleaching to extract nickel, cobalt, and copper from mine tailings valued at $8 billion to $10 billion.
Vale has committed $875,000 over five years for collaborative projects at the facility, which currently processes pyrrhotite tailings. MIRARCO plans to expand its capacity for various mining waste solutions, while fundraising for a larger Centre for Mine Waste Biotechnology, estimated to cost nearly $40 million, is ongoing with a potential completion by 2029.




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