PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian government has pledged a further A$6-million in funding over the next four years to the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia to enable it to progress research for the mining industry.
In addition to the work already underway on the Net Zero Emission Mining and Green Steel Challenges, applications are now open for research proposals that find technology solutions in the critical minerals sector, to enable security of supply for international markets and increased downstream processing; in the precision and low impact mining sector, to reduce waste and footprint of the sector; into alternative uses of tailings and waste from mineral processing, leveraging the principles of circular economy; and for the uptake of clean energy technologies to support growth in minerals.
“While the Western Australian mining sector has continued its strong performance, an opportunity exists to support the advancement of solutions that reduce processing costs and improve environmental outcomes,” Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston said.
“Western Australia should not just be a trusted supplier of commodities, but also a world leader in innovation and technology. Setting an example for other countries by helping to reduce a mine site's environmental footprint and instilling low impact mining is essential to delivering change.”