The CSIRO, University of Chile and the Chile International Centre of Excellence in Mining and Minerals Processing have crated a new mining research centre.
Based in Santiago, Chile, it will focus on the key challenges that both Chile and Australia’s mining industries face.
“Australia and Chile have many common current and future challenges that their mining industries need to address. These include processing lower-grade ores, improving water and energy efficiency in remote operations, and deeper open-cut and underground operations,” the CSIRO’s Dr. Neal Wai Poi, the new director of the Centre for Excellence, explained.
“The Centre of Excellence will have extensive benefits for Australia, including creating new bilateral business opportunities for service companies, improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the industry and advancing scientific research.”
He went on to say that the centre will provide both countries with an opportunity to build partnerships and collaborate.
It will allow “faster access to new and existing technologies in the mining sector, building new and improved technologies and strengthening local capacity to build the services sector through partnership with industry,” he said.
The Centre of Excellence will be co-funded by the Chilean Government and is supported by CICITEM, the University of Antofogasto and leading industry partners including BHP Billiton Codelco, Anglo American Chile, Antofagasta Minerals and Xstrata Copper as well as local Australian companies.