Geological Survey of Finland introduces the MintecRobo to realise the green transition of the mining industry

Malvern Panalytical, a leading supplier of analytical systems and services that help customers to create a better world, have teamed with the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) in a project to help the mining industry in Europe to achieve net zero carbon mining by enhancing the green transition and digitization of the industry.

Finding minerals and metals is becoming increasingly more difficult. Not just in quantity, but also in density and quality. Companies need to go to more dangerous and remote places to extract minerals and they need to recycle them throughout the process to reduce waist. As part of GTK’s mission to develop the most efficient ways to extract ores and support a circular economy, they have selected Malvern Panalytical’s MintecRobo. The MintecRobo improves the accuracy of the mining process while simultaneously speeding-up the mineralogical analysis, making the extraction process more efficient, as well as improving a safer environment for miners.

The MintecRobo can be used to maximize the speed and accuracy of sample preparations as it allows sample trials with different parameters to be run; providing more control over the extraction process than ever before. The MintecRobo is a smart instrument which can adjust its method of extraction during the mining process according to environmental conditions. The MintecRobo will provide real-time information about the changing ore compositions and the processing conditions during the extraction process. This will help mining companies save energy, increase recovery rates and the profitability of the whole mining operation.

“By having a fully automated instrument at GTK’s Mintec Mineral Processing Pilot Plant we can tackle many issues in the mining and address circular economy research. Ore grades are dwindling, and only small quantities of valuable minerals are available. Automation has helped us extract even the smallest amounts effectively and, that way, be more sustainable,” says Jouko Nieminen, Head of Unit at GTK.

“The need for metals is on the rise while their availability is decreasing, which is why it is so important to extract all the valuable minerals from the materials being processed, anything lost in this process must be recovered to reduce spillage. The collaboration between GTK and Malvern Panalytical has helped to digitize the process in support of this great goal,” says Kimmo Tiilikainen, Director General at GTK.

“Automation and real-time monitoring of ores are mandatory for the transition towards net-zero carbon mining. The MintecRobo automation in combination with GTK Mintec’s mineral processing pilot plant will give mining companies a unique opportunity to test new procedures and processes to make mining operations not only more efficient and competitive but also ensure that mines fulfill its ESG commitments. Malvern Panalytical is proud to be part of the journey with our customers towards sustainable and net-zero mining.” says Dr. Uwe König, Business Development, Mining and Metals, Malvern Panalytical.

The MintecRobo will be part of the new facilities at the beginning of 2024, as part of GTK Mintec’s development to enhance the transition to green technologies.

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