Innovation takes centre stage at CTTW2025 

Innovation took the spotlight as delegates gathered for Innovation Hour, a highlight of the Copper to the World 2025 program hosted by Austmine on behalf of the South Australia Government.  

Sponsored by Fleet Space Technologies, the session showcased the cutting-edge ideas that will shape the future of copper mining and processing. Six finalists across two categories, Deep Copper Mining and Smart Copper Processing, presented breakthrough solutions designed to tackle some of the industry’s toughest challenges.  

The judging panel, featuring BHP (ASX: BHP) copper South Australia head of technology Vicky Whiffin, Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) R&D chief advisor Saskia Duyvesteyn, Orion Industrial Ventures managing partner Mark Frayman, Gavin Yeates Consulting principal Gavin Yeates Consulting, Fleet Space Technologies geological client manager Brooke North and Austmine chair Dr Dallas Wilkinson, assessed the finalists on innovation, impact and potential to scale.  

Finalists: Deep Copper Mining  

• Titeline Drilling: ULT-R hands-free drilling system, a robotics-driven breakthrough to remove workers from hazardous underground drilling zones. 

• Orica Australia: In-Place Recovery (IPR), an underground leaching method enabling copper extraction from deep, low-grade deposits with reduced environmental impact.  

• Nome Services: RockMonitor, a real-time strata monitoring system that transforms underground safety with instant alerts and proactive hazard detection.  

Finalists: Copper Processing  

• Purium Metals: A novel leaching reagent that rejuvenates passivated chalcopyrite heaps, lifting recoveries from 50% to more than 90%.  

• Loop Hydrometallurgy: Halion Loop™, a clean, low-carbon hydrometallurgical process delivering highpurity copper and critical metals at mine sites.  

• Banksia Minerals Processing: Chloride-based electrochemical processing of concentrates, reducing energy use by more than 50% and enabling decarbonised copper production.  

Winners Announced  

After much discussion, the judges selected two strong solutions as the winners of the Deep Copper Mining and Smarter Copper Processing Solution challenges.  

• Deep Copper Mining: Titeline Drilling  

• The Judges were unanimous that Titeline’s automated drill was a breakthrough in safety and practicality. It tackles one of mining’s toughest challenges head-on by removing workers from high-risk underground exploration environments, while also boosting efficiency and creating a platform for future data capture. They saw it as a solution with immediate impact and significant potential as it moves toward full commercialisation. 

• Copper Processing: Banksia Minerals Processing  

• Banksia’s chloride leaching solution stood out for its smart, modular design and CAPEX efficiency. Judges highlighted how it offers a realistic pathway to unlock complex and lower-grade ores, making it a processing innovation that could be rapidly scaled and widely adopted across the industry.  

The winning solutions represent more than technical breakthroughs — they address some of the copper industry’s most urgent challenges. From making deep underground mining safer and more efficient, to unlocking new pathways for processing lower-grade or complex ores, the finalists demonstrated how innovation can help the industry meet the growing global demand for copper more sustainably and productively.  

By shining a spotlight on these pioneering companies, Innovation Hour not only recognised individual achievement, but also underscored the strength of the Australian METS sector in delivering world-class solutions with global impact. The strong response from delegates highlighted the appetite for new ideas and the vital role of collaboration between miners, METS and innovators in driving progress.  

Austmine chair Dr Dallas Wilkinson says Innovation Hour demonstrated the ingenuity and ambition driving the industry forward.  

“What we experienced at Innovation Hour is that Australia has the capability, talent and creativity to take on the toughest challenges in copper mining and processing,” he said. 

“These solutions developed are not just incremental improvements, they are game-changing technologies that can reshape how copper is mined and produced to power the future.”