MIRARCO Mining Innovation celebrated the grand opening of its new piloting facility in Sudbury, Ontario, which will serve as a hub for applied research in bioleaching and bioprocessing, with the goal of extracting valuable critical minerals from legacy and emerging mine wastes while minimizing ecological impact, ensuring a more sustainable mining future.
“With this new piloting facility, MIRARCO is helping shape the next era of mining innovation—one focused on clean technology, critical minerals, and training the workforce of tomorrow. This space connects research, industry, and community partners to deliver real solutions that will drive sustainable growth across the North and beyond,” said Nadia Mykytczuk, president and CEO.
Prior to this facility expansion, MIRARCO was housed at Laurentian University. The two organizations continue to maintain their long standing partnership.
Canada’ mining university
“Since MIRARCO’s inception as a subsidiary organization of Laurentian University, we have been proud to support its ongoing evolution and its mission of mining innovation, education, and leadership. This grand opening marks the beginning of the exciting next phase of MIRARCO’s bright future. Our relationship with MIRARCO will continue to be an important aspect of Laurentian University’s standing as Canada’s Mining University,” said Lynn Wells, president and vice-chancellor of Laurentian University.
“Vale Base Metals is proud to celebrate this milestone with MIRARCO, a long-standing partner in innovation. This new facility represents a bold step forward in our shared commitment to sustainable mining and circular economy solutions. Together, we are transforming mine waste into opportunity—advancing technologies that not only recover critical minerals but also reduce environmental impact for future generations,” noted Gord Gilpin, director of Ontario Operations at Vale Base Metals.
This expansion is part of a larger vision of scaling up and establishing a novel research center: the proposed Center for Mine Waste Biotechnology.
MIRARCO also announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Taighwenini Technical Services Corporation (TTSC), the economic development arm of Wahnapitae First Nation.
Through this partnership, MIRARCO and TTSC will collaborate on joint commercialization of biomining and bioremediation technologies, youth training programs in mineral processing, microbiology, chemistry, automation, and process control, and industrial demonstration projects focused on reclaiming legacy mine tailings.
The launch of the piloting facility was made possible through the support of multiple partners and funders, including NOHFC, CanmetMINING, Cambrian College, and the City of Greater Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC).
