Mining

Mining is undergoing a paradigm shift.

Whereas “mining” used to be considered at odds with “sustainability,” the mining community is now deeply engaged with sustainable innovation. This innovation will play a major role as societies pivot towards low-carbon economies.

Products that champion sustainable practices – from solar panels to electric cars – rely on materials that must be extracted and produced, such as lithium, zinc, and silver. The status-quo processes across the mining supply chain must be replaced with new methods that embody sustainable principles.

At the UBC Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, researchers are hard at work moving the mining need towards sustainability.

Research activities under “Mining” at NBK include:

• mine ventilation and mine services
• simulation and optimization
• mining operations research
• rock mechanics and geotechnics
• mine valuation and production economics