Mining is undergoing a green transformation, with startups leading the charge towards more sustainable practices. The industry has long been criticized for its negative impact on the environment, but new technological innovations are shifting the paradigm. Our platform tracks sustainable mining startups across the value chain; from exploration of mines to recycling of minerals. These five breakthrough sustainable mining startups are worth watching, according to our data.
Rockburst Technologies
Could CO2 be the answer to slashing electricity consumption in mining? Canadian startup Rockburst believes so. Rockburst uses CO2 to break rock instead of drilling and explosives. This significantly reduces energy consumption, particularly during comminution which is responsible for a substantial portion of global electricity use. Rockburst technology saves up to 55% of energy by eliminating the need for grinding media like steel balls or rods. The team is gearing up to launch its first industrial pilot by 2026 and has its eyes set on moon mining.
REECover
In 2023, China provided 100% of the EU’s supply of heavy Rare Earth Materials used in applications such as electronics and electric vehicles. Decreasing the EU’s dependency on China is on top of the agenda and recycling is one way of doing this. Switzerland-based REECover turns e-waste into valuable resources by recovering Rare Earth Elements (REEs) from gadgets. This benefits the Earth in more than one way: it both reduces toxic waste and the need for mineral extraction.
Green 14
Swedish startup Green 14 is reinventing the extraction process of silicon from quartz by using hydrogen instead of coal. This obtains more silicon while reducing carbon emissions since the byproduct is water, rather than harmful gases. Green 14 strives to cut a significant share of the 105M tonnes of CO₂ produced annually from silicon production. Its CEO and founder Adam Podgorski holds an MRes in Nanomaterials from Imperial College London and a Beng in Photovoltaic Engineering from UNSW Australia.
Seloxium
UK-based Seloxium recovers metals from wastewater. Metals being lost in mining operations is a major issue in the industry, both from an economic and environmental perspective. Seloxium uses special agents to bond materials together, making them easier to filter out. The result? A recycling process that minimizes emissions and water contamination. Seloxium received a grant from Innovate UK last year for its efforts to secure the supply of Rare Earth Elements.
Flaxres
As the renewable energy transition gathers pace, the question of waste has entered public awareness. By 2050, up to 60M tons of solar panels could end up in landfills if recycling processes aren’t improved. This is a problem that German startup Flaxres has set out to solve. Flaxres uses high-intensity light pulses (instead of chemicals) to break down solar panels. This allows them to recover critical materials such as aluminum, and silicon, closing the loop on the mining supply chain. This seed-stage startup has already gained investor interest, with automotive manufacturer Hyundai acquiring a stake earlier this year.
The mining industry’s sustainability journey is complex but crucial. With the renewable energy transition accelerating demand for critical minerals, technological innovation plays a key role in aligning resource extraction with the climate agenda. Integrating sustainability into every step of the value chain can drastically reduce its environmental footprint.
