US company Transition Metal Solutions has raised $6 million to develop technology that can increase copper recovery from low-grade sulfide ores by activating natural microbes without changing mine infrastructure.
A San Francisco company has developed an approach that enhances the work of microbes already present in mined ore. Instead of introducing new bacteria or building bioreactors, operators are offered a chemical additive that can be added directly to existing heap leach systems. This simplifies technology implementation and reduces costs.
Interest in the solution is growing amid a copper shortage. Demand for the metal is accelerating due to developments in power grids, renewable energy, electric vehicles and data centers, while copper grades in new deposits are declining. Global demand is projected to grow by around 50% by 2040.
The technology is based on a detailed analysis of microbial communities in a specific ore body. After this it is selected chemical composition, which supports those groups of microbes that accelerate the oxidation of sulfides and the transfer of copper into solution. This increases metal mobility and recovery.
Laboratory tests have shown an increase in copper recovery from approximately 60% to 90% on low-grade ores. In more complex types of raw materials, the speed of processes turned out to be several times higher than usual. At the same time, mines do not need to change technological schemes or obtain additional permits, since new organisms are not introduced into the system.
The attracted investments will go towards the transition from laboratory work to industrial testing. In the first half of 2026, the company plans column tests, which should confirm the stability of the result and the compatibility of the technology with existing production processes.
Developers believe that the approach will allow millions of tons of previously unprofitable ore to be recycled, extend the life of heap leach and improve overall mining efficiency. In the future, the technology can be used not only for copper, but also for nickel, cobalt, zinc, silver and gold.
Source: MINING.COM
Image: Nuton
