04 Dec 11th PROMETIA Scientific Seminar & 10th Anniversary Celebration – A Recap from Orléans, France
The 11th PROMETIA Scientific Seminar, held from 26 to 28 November 2024 in Orléans, France, brought together industry leaders, researchers, and innovators for three days of insightful discussions and presentations. This year’s seminar was particularly special, as it also marked the 10th anniversary of PROMETIA. Here’s a summary of the key highlights from this milestone event.
Day 1: PROMETIA, European Challenges & Opportunities
The seminar began with opening remarks from PROMETIA President Stéphane Bourg and Vice President Alexandra Ribeiro. The event featured testimonies from the association’s first two presidents, Christophe Poinssot and Andrzej Chmielarz, reflecting on the organization’s achievements over the past decade.
A major highlight was the keynote presentation by Peter Tom Jones (SOLVOMET R&I Centre), who addressed the critical question: “To mine or not to mine in Europe?” His talk explored the challenges of European mining, including geopolitical issues, the rise of anti-mining sentiments, and the role of disinformation. Jones emphasized the importance of building trust with local communities and raising the bar on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.
Patrick d’Hugues (BRGM) and Stéphane Bourg then summarized the outcomes of last year’s Scientific Seminar workshop on the challenges and opportunities in responsible processing, refining, and recycling in Europe. They highlighted key action areas presented to the European Commission to guide the future R&D agenda for PROMETIA and, more importantly, for Europe as a whole. These included addressing obstacles and identifying critical opportunities, such as increasing focus on primary resources, advancing sustainable practices, especially in water and energy efficiency, more R&D on dry processing approaches, increasing the use of recycled materials, and exploring opportunities for innovative and disruptive solutions. Strengthening collaboration across industry, research, and policy will also be crucial.
The day also featured valuable insights into European lithium production, with presentations from Tanja Pavkovic (Rio Tinto), Grégoire Jean (Imerys), Christophe Petit (Sibanye-Stillwater), and Romain Millot (Lithium de France). These discussions focused on advancing sustainable practices in lithium mining and its role in Europe’s energy transition.
Additionally, the Canadian delegation, led by Jacques-Henri Gagnon from the Embassy of Canada in France, presented innovative approaches in critical raw materials (CRM), sharing We were honored to welcome Jacques-Henri Gagnon from the Embassy of Canada in France, along with a distinguished Canadian delegation, who presented innovative approaches in critical raw materials (CRM). The delegation shared valuable insights into their operations and strategies, with contributions from Neil Barrett (2S Water), Ebrahim Alizadeh, P.Eng., Ph.D. (Advanced Energy Minerals), Jean-Nicolas Beaudry (enim), Chowdary Meenavilli (NTWIST), Brent Lyon, PEng (NORAM Electrolysis Systems Inc.), Boyd Davis (Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc.), David Novitski, PhD (Mangrove Lithium), and Ellie Ardakani, PhD., PGeo., Thierry Weissenburger, Delphine Bonzon, Konstantin Volchek, Mejda Benali, PhD, and Sriraj Meenavilli.
Find the full photo gallery of day one here.
Day 2: From METNET & Processing Activities Towards Zero-Waste & Recycling
Day 2 of the 11th PROMETIA Scientific Seminar was dedicated to sustainability and innovation in the mining sector, focusing on new technologies and collaborative approaches for resource recovery and mineral processing. The day began with Christa M. Nimbona (Metnet, Elkem) introducing the Metnet network, which aims to accelerate innovation in mineral processing by bringing together industry leaders and research centers. She outlined the network’s objectives and pilot projects designed to enhance sustainability and efficiency in the sector. Bernard Vanderheyden (CRM Group) followed with a presentation on preprocessing techniques in pyrometallurgy, emphasizing their role in the circular economy and showcasing pilot-scale applications that support sustainable resource extraction. Xianfeng Hu (Swerim AB) shared his work on piloting sustainable practices in mining, underscoring the importance of green transitions within the industry.
Next, Jason Yang (Geological Survey of Finland, GTK) discussed the Horizon Europe EXCEED project, which focuses on improving the processing of lithium-bearing ores and recovering critical raw materials to increase efficiency and sustainability in mineral extraction. Sylvain Faure (CEA ISEC) introduced an innovative aqueous foam process for heap-leaching low-grade uranium ore, achieving high extraction rates and demonstrating potential for large-scale applications in uranium recovery. Christa M. Nimbona and Aslaug Hagestad Nag (Norwegian Catapult Centres) highlighted the role of these centers in accelerating innovation, showcasing their partnership with Elkem ASA as an example of how collaboration drives practical, scalable solutions.
Later in the day, Tadeusz Gorewoda (Łukasiewicz – IMN) shared insights from the copper scrap project, which developed a new technology for recycling electric power cables on a pilot line. He also discussed the SILREF project, focused on developing reference materials for the silicon industry. Gro Eide (Elkem ASA) presented on the revitalization of a solar silicon plant in Norway, explaining how the project contributes to sustainable energy solutions by giving the facility a second life. Aisha Kanzari (Eramet Ideas) provided a data-driven analysis of dredge mining at Eramet’s Grande Côte project in Senegal, illustrating how data analytics is improving mining efficiency and driving more sustainable practices.
The afternoon sessions shifted focus to zero-waste and recycling strategies. Florent Sassi (Séché Environnement) showcased innovative waste management solutions and sustainable processing routes designed to reduce environmental impact. Witold Kurylak (Łukasiewicz – IMN) presented regional solutions for managing battery, electronic, and electric waste, while Jose Luis Cortina Pallas (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) shared the REEcovery project, an EIT RawMaterials upscaling initiative that recovers valuable raw materials from acidic mine water at the Aznalcollar open pit. Giuseppe Campo (Politecnico di Torino) discussed the CRITERIA project, focused on recovering critical raw materials from mining tailings within a circular economy framework. Andrzej Chmielarz (Łukasiewicz – IMN) shared innovations in battery metal recycling through the Horizon Europe METALLICO project, offering new techniques for recovering materials from battery waste. Finally, Tadeusz Gorewoda (Łukasiewicz – IMN) introduced the LABnet initiative, which accelerates innovation in mineral processing and resource recovery, supporting the transition to a circular economy in mining.
After a day of insightful presentations, Stéphane Bourg (PROMETIA President) took a moment to reflect on 10 years of PROMETIA, joined by several Tech Tour participants, including those who had attended past tours in Poland (2017) and Belgium (2018), now key members of the association. This special anniversary celebration was filled with memorable stories from past visits, networking opportunities, and highlights from the unique Tech Tour evening programs. The evening concluded with a Gala Dinner at the Château de la Ferté Saint-Aubin in the Loire Valley, providing a relaxed setting for further networking and idea exchange.
Find the full photo gallery of day one here.
Day 3: Advancing Circular Mineral Processing and Hydrometallurgy Strategies
The final day of the seminar began with a Members’ Coffee session, where PROMETIA members discussed new European collaboration opportunities. This was followed by several insightful presentations on hydrometallurgy and resource recovery. Nand Peeters (KU Leuven SOLVOMET Group) explored solvent extraction for lithium recovery, while Antoine Leydier (CEA) discussed material design for extraction. Damien Bourgeois (ICSM) then took us through the recovery of palladium and other precious metals from waste, showcasing innovative approaches developed over the last ten years in spent nuclear fuel reprocessing.
After a coffee break, we participated in the workshop on “Developing Strategies for Circular Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy,” led by Imad Audi (LGI Sustainable Innovation), Vincent Chauvet (LGI Sustainable Innovation), and Marie Bouvet dit Marechal (CEA ISEC). Participants split into three groups focusing on mineral processing, pyrometallurgy or hydrometallurgy. During one hour they identified barriers and opportunities, future actions, PROMETIA’s involvement and discussed key messages for the European Commission to drive more circular solutions across Europe. Those workshop outcomes will now be collected and analysed for future actions in 2025.
Find the full photo gallery of day one here.
A Successful Seminar
With over 80 participants, the 11th PROMETIA Scientific Seminar successfully brought together stakeholders from across the mining and resource recovery sectors. The event fostered valuable exchanges on sustainable mining practices, technological innovations, and collaborative strategies for a sustainable future. The 10th anniversary celebrations added an extra layer of significance to this year’s seminar, marking a decade of progress and collaboration in the field. We would like to thank all attendees, speakers, and partners for their contributions to this successful event!
