Mirarco’s new northern Ont. facility aims to eliminate mine waste

Mirarco Mining Innovation is launching large-scale trials to transform mine waste using green tech at its new facility in Greater Sudbury.

Scientists, mining executives and government officials gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Mirarco Mining Innovation’s new facility in Greater Sudbury last week, heralding it as a critical step toward a more sustainable future for the industry.

The organization aims to leverage decades of research to transform mine waste by launching larger-scale trials to make tailings greener and less wasteful.

Vision for zero waste

At the heart of Mirarco’s mission is a challenging goal: eliminating mining waste entirely by extracting valuable minerals and chemicals from tailings.

Dr. Nadia Mykytczuk, Mirarco’s CEO, explained the core objective to CTV News.

“Can we extract them using sustainable green technologies and at the same time, clean up those materials and repurpose them? So there’s no mine waste going back into the environment. That would be the ideal scenario,” Mykytczuk said, acknowledged the complexity of the task.

“It’s not as easy as that sounds. Every single mine site, every single material is going to be different.”

Collaborative advantage

Originating as a non-profit branch of Laurentian University, Mirarco is deeply embedded in Sudbury’s unique ecosystem. This collaborative spirit was highlighted by Sudbury MPP Jamie West.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to create jobs,” said West.

“But the sort of the magic of Sudbury is that everyone kind of knows everybody and so you’re able to pull together, so, you know, Vale donated some valuable equipment here.”

Mykytczuk noted on how fitting it was for the facility to be in the city.

“It’s really fitting to talk about innovation and sort of the future of sustainable mining in a place like Sudbury that is surrounded by that mined waste legacy,” she said.

Driving innovation and employment

The new facility is poised to be a significant asset for both the industry and the local workforce. Gord Gilpin, Director of Ontario Operations for Vale Base Metals, emphasized its importance.

“The future of mining is going to depend on a lot of innovation,” said Gilpin.

“This is just a huge asset. Perfect example of the type of innovation that we need to, you know, remain competitive, and continue to get better at mining responsibly.”

Dr. Lynn Wells, President of Laurentian University, added that the partnership ensures graduates gain “great hands-on experience,” preparing them to secure “good jobs and to take the industry to the next level.”