Bioleaching has been part of the mining industry fordecades, using naturally occurring microorganisms to extract metals from ores and concentrates. Yet as demand for copper, critical minerals and strategic resources grows, the technology is attracting renewed attention.

Declining ore grades, rising environmental pressures andvast quantities of historical mine waste are forcing mining companies to rethink how resources are extracted and processed. Advocates argue that bioleaching could help unlock value from lower-grade deposits, tailings andcomplex mineral systems while reducing reliance on more energy-intensive processing routes.

We speak with Priit Joers, Chief Scientific Officer at BiotaTec, BacTech CEO Ross Orr and ekolive founder Darina Štyriaková about the state of the bioleaching sector, the challenges of commercial deployment, the opportunities emerging in mine waste recovery, and what the future may hold for microbial mineral processing.

Alejandro Gonzalez, editor of Mining Technology and MINEmagazine, is the host of this episode of Energy Technology: Industry Insights.

Find more news and strategic insights into all things energyon Power Technology, Offshore Technology and Mining Technology, all free to access. For quick daily updates, make sure to subscribe to our newsletters.

(00:00) Intro

(01:35) Bioleaching: how it works

(05:05) Industrial adoption

(07:10) Downstream and tailings

(11:20) What's next?