Project to clean up contaminated mine water and extract minerals for reuse

The project is aimed at removing harmful dissolved metals from the water and recovering them for reuse.

The removal will be carried out with a combination of microalgae, which supports long- term water remediation, and calcium silicate, a material which sequesters heavy metals such as cobalt, nickel, and copper. These will enable a low-cost approach to the cleaning process, which will help to reduce the environmental impact of mining.

Strathclyde researchers will be working on the project with colleagues from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. The programme is one of five receiving a share of £1 million from the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), through UKRI’s Natural Environment Research Council.

The studies will support closer collaboration between Canada and the UK and boost economic growth and job creation. They will also protect national security interests by strengthening supply chains for critical minerals.

Dr Andrea Hamilton, a Senior Lecturer in Strathclyde’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, leads the project. She said: “Many minerals are essential to the technology required to meet the demands of the clean energy transition. Our research will help to preserve stocks of these minerals and, just as importantly, help create environmentally sustainable practices within the mining industry.

“We are very pleased to be working with our partners in Canada towards our common goals, as well as shared benefits for our countries’ respective economies.”

Professor Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of NERC, said: “We currently rely on critical minerals for our cars, our phones, our energy, our defence and many more areas of life. The new partnerships will help drive new technologies, advance sustainable mining and support research and innovation outcomes that enable economic growth.

“It will also build on our key partnership with Canada, enhancing collaboration, coordination, and sharing our knowledge and skills in this key area of research.”

The partnerships expand five Alliance Missions grants funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which are receiving approximately C$250,000 of supplementary funding to enable the international collaborations. In total, an investment of more than C$4 million is being made to these successful projects.

Professor Alejandro Adem, President of NSERC, said: "International partnerships like this one are essential to tackling global challenges such as critical mineral security. By combining Canada’s expertise with the UK’s, we can accelerate innovation and advance sustainable solutions to drive economic growth, resilience, and environmental responsibility.”