Copper, nickel, and cobalt are vital to the energy transition, yet global supply chains face growing risks from underinvestment and concentration. This presentation shares key findings from the IEA’s 2025 Global Critical Minerals Outlook and the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan, which emphasize diversified production and targeted investment to strengthen mineral security through innovation and policy alignment. SGS will also share practical insights for advancing mineral projects.

What if microbes could help solve the copper crisis? Backed by BHP’s Think & Act Differently program and working with six of the world’s ten largest mining companies, Endolith’s platform uses engineered microbes and AI to extract copper from waste…faster, cheaper, and cleaner. CEO Dr. Liz Dennett shares why biological intelligence is reshaping mineral recovery and what it means for the future of the supply chain.

Impossible Metals addresses the strategic vulnerability of critical metals. Seabed mining offers a vital solution for America's metal needs. Our system utilizes autonomous underwater vehicles for efficient nodule collection. We project rapid scale-up, aligning with national interest in critical metal feedstocks.

ExxonMobil’s Escaid fluids, designed for superior metal extraction, are widely used in mining operations for copper, nickel, cobalt, uranium, and more. This presentation compares diluents, examines how composition and properties influence solvent extraction, while highlighting Escaid advantages in efficiency, safety, environmental impact, and global availability. It provides technical insights and selection criteria, supporting innovation and process optimization for stakeholders in mining operations.

In HPAL autoclaves, agitators play a critical role in achieving rapid and uniform mixing of ore suspension with sulfuric acid. Despite this, deposit formation on impellers and autoclave walls remains a significant challenge, as discussed at ALTA 2024. A promising solution involves an energy-efficient impeller with a specially engineered shape to minimise deposits. This design has been rigorously tested on various scales and is now ready for large-scale implementation

The level control valve (LCV) interposed between the autoclave and flash vessel in HPAL and POX processes is also referred to as the letdown valve (LDV). The two different names indicate multifaceted purposes and natures of these valves and the systems of which they are a key component. The autoclave, isolation valves, water injection, LCV, blast tube, impingement block, and flash vessel are physically interconnected and phenomenologically interrelated. Process control data and instrumentation expands those phenomena to the realms of control theory and statistical process control with attention on reducing process losses and improving equipment life.

Autoclaves and pressure vessels are key equipment in HPAL and POX applications. Surface protection linings within these vessels consist of combined linings using membranes and bricks. Due to temperature, pressure, and chemical attacks, several relinings are necessary during the mine lifetime. We show the latest developments and field experience in relining of pressure vessels in Ni, Co, and Au applications.

The presentation offers valuable insights into the role and efficiency of flash tanks in the High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) process. These vessels are primarily used to reduce pressure from the reactor or autoclave in a stepwise manner, from extremely high pressures down to atmospheric conditions. Over the years, the design of flash tanks and associated equipment has evolved significantly, resulting in systems that are now considered both robust and efficient.

This presentation highlights the breakthrough FM-1500 & BM-1600 coating technologies, designed to enhance the reliability and lifespan of critical equipment in severe service mining. The session will cover their unique properties, successful case studies, and the significant improvements they bring to operational efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Attendees will gain insights into how these surface technologies are transforming asset integrity management in extreme service environments.

This presentation proposes the use of activated carbon as a catalyst with sulfuric acid to enhance the recovery of nickel in a nickel-sulfide rougher flotation tailing. The results show that 98% Ni can be recovered into the solution under certain conditions. The ability of the activated carbon to convert the dissolved ferrous ions into ferric was proposed to be the main reaction for the enhanced metal leaching.

Comminution accounts for ~3% of global energy use, making it a key target for decarbonization in the battery supply chain. Microwave pre-treatment can significantly reduce crushing energy, creating micro-fractures that improve grinding, flotation, and leaching efficiency. This talk explores how microwave-assisted comminution enhances the processing of lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite, supports new low-emission flowsheets, and offers a path to more sustainable battery materials production.

High-Pressure Slurry Ablation (HPSA) is a novel process that uses high-energy particle collisions to liberate valuable minerals without overgrinding. Originally developed for uranium waste, recent testing shows improved copper and nickel recovery through enhanced surface activation and flotation performance. By using the ore as its own grinding media, HPSA reduces consumables and energy use, offering a cost-effective, scalable solution.