Where is the ‘sweet spot’ for modular mineral processing?
Whilst there are different predictions on the pace of growth, analysts predict demand for minerals for the green transition will grow significantly over the next decade.
In particular, demand-supply gaps are being predicted for copper, a key enabler of electrification – from generation (solar panels), transmission, and use (EVs, data centres, and electronic products in demand from growing economies).
With grades declining and time from discovery to development being long, there are a multitude of challenges when considering how to meet this demand from both existing and new mines. This article explores whether alternate approaches alongside traditional large-scale operations (such as modular processing) can find a role to play. There is likely a mix of solutions required, and the best solution will be bespoke to each orebody – and consider local community and owner priorities.
Modular mineral processing means using equipment designed to be delivered and set up with minimal onsite construction, and suitable for relocation. The throughput of these facilities is generally limited by the footprint of comminution equipment able to be transported without disassembly.
Emerging comminution technologies and their ability to reduce power and water use were explored in the February 2025 ‘Think and Act Differently’ (TAD) Comminution Cohort challenge whitepaper (Think and Act Differently (Powered by BHP), 2025), which was supported by Sedgman. This TAD challenge created a collaborative cohort of innovators in the comminution space, aiming to address some of the biggest challenges facing the mining industry. Some of these technologies are more suitable to modularisation, providing higher throughputs with lower footprint and energy requirements.
Traditional design approaches are being continuously challenged to match requirements of the changing world. In 2022 the TAD Scalable & Adaptable Mining initiative simulated novel adaptable mining and processing solutions with a focus on flexibility to suit high penetration of renewable energy to a small remote orebody (Think and Act Differently, Oz Minerals, 2022). A collaborative paper on this approach was awarded the 2023 CEEC medal for technical excellence (Powell, et al., 2023).
A number of characteristics and drivers that indicate a modular approach could be suitable include orebody size, grade, location and local environmental and community considerations. These are outlined below, grouped by three key themes – orebody characteristics, regional and community drivers, and market drivers.
Orebody characteristics
Scattered multiple orebodies near existing operations: Pre-concentration of ores at a satellite orebody prior to transporting to a centralised processing facility can make otherwise uneconomic deposits attractive and allow extension of existing facility life. Small modular ore preconcentration can support economic extraction by reducing costs for the transport of waste to an existing or centralised processing facility. Preconcentration facilities can be remote from services, so are particularly suitable for flexible design options that can adapt to variable power availability from renewables.
Small high grade deposits: Higher-grade small deposits can support the use of relocatable modular processing, and may be suitable for emerging selective mining approaches. For example, the BHP TAD Scalable & Adaptable Mining initiative, included a surgical mining technology (Think and Act Differently, Oz Minerals, 2022). This particularly can reduce waste brought to surface for smaller narrow vein deposits. Relocatable mining and processing equipment and facilities can be utilised progressively for a number of smaller deposits to support payback of investment.
Anticipated changes to orebody over life of mine: Where changes to the orebody are anticipated over time (such as moving from open pit to underground, or transition between oxide and sulphide), using relocatable facilities or modular processing units can provide the flexibility needed to adapt the flow sheet accordingly.
Recovery of minerals from wastes: As demand for some critical minerals outstrips supply, higher commodity prices may drive an increase in reprocessing of historic mine waste. This is simpler at operating sites, through modification of existing flowsheets, although in some cases economics can support a new project. In some cases, additional fines modules can be added to existing circuits to support reprocessing of tailings. In some cases, this can provide the opportunity to dewater and store tailings more safely and thereby reduce environmental impact and associated liabilities. Extracting critical minerals from currently permitted sites shortens project timelines and can have sustainability benefits.
Regional and community drivers
Remote location: Prefabricated modules are able to support faster construction times in remote locations where experienced construction labour is scarce. In addition, modular construction also has the benefit of improved construction safety though reducing on-site work hours. Remote sites often do not have access to decarbonising grids, or a long enough mine life to justify investment in wind, solar and energy storage assets.
Forward plans based on diesel-reliant mine and processing plant operations are raising questions on supply chain and carbon emission tax change risks. For miners seeking alternatives to diesel-reliant mine and processing plant operations, consideration of using firmed solar power also requires more flexibility on the use side to adapt to periods of limited power. With standard comminution approaches, this is not achievable. However, emerging technologies and designs are being developed, that can support throughput ramp up and down based on power cost or availability and so can support increased renewable penetration.
Social acceptance: Many orebodies with promising geology are not being developed because of social acceptance reasons. In fact, research by the Sustainable Minerals Institute in Queensland showed that 54 per cent of critical minerals pipeline of projects are on or near indigenous lands (Owen, 2023). There are a number of promising case studies of community ownership of renewable energy projects that can be considered as models. Canada has quite a number of examples, and a good summary of enabling policy and funding settings has been summarised in a paper released in May 2025 (Joel Krupa, 2025).
In May 2024 the first First Nations-led and 100 per cent-owned Marlinja microgrid was launched in the Northern Territory, bringing the number of Indigenous clean energy equity partnerships in Australia to 18 (Prestipino, 2025). In some cases, smaller modular mining and processing approaches with optionality for increasing production over time may be needed to support different ownership models, and community co-design will be needed to improve community acceptance and unlock undeveloped mines.
Market drivers
Priority development areas for critical minerals: Modular piloting facilities could be used by a number of different mine owners in a region to support acceleration of critical minerals development. As an example of this type of thinking, there are examples of fixed ‘common user’ facilities being developed in target regions, and this approach could be extended to modular facilities.
Speed to production with rising commodity prices: Starting small to limit barriers to approvals, as well as fast construction times, can support bringing forward cashflow and capitalise on rising commodity prices. Small startup with scalability through planned additional modules can be attractive where additional time is required to define the resource more fully.
Conclusion
“No tool is omnicompetent” was the reflection that the historian and philosopher Arnold Toynbee made when looking at the world in an age of technological and social change. This is true for modular mineral processing as well. However, the case where a mine owner has multiple satellite orebodies in a region and is able to leverage a relocatable processing facility and mining equipment across multiple small high-grade orebodies seems to be an ideal use case for modular processing, alongside projects where remoteness supports modular construction.
Would you like to know more? Reach out to the authors if you are interested to explore suitability of modular processing for your project.
References
Joel Krupa, F. B. (2025). Financing clean technologies within Canada's Indigenous communities: Perspectives on sustainable energy transition from practitioners and academics. Science Direct (Volume 322). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2025.134930
Owen, J. K. (2023). Energy transition minerals and their intersection with land-connected peoples. Nat Sustain 6, 203–211. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00994-6
Powell, M., Reynolds, A., McCrae , S., Agnew, J., Bracey, R., Way, D., . . . Manning, D. (2023). Can we shift to a new paradigm of flexibility in mining and processing to build mines powered exclusively by the variable input of renewables? 26th World Mining Congress. Brisbane: World Mining Congress. Retrieved from https://www.ceecthefuture.org/resources/can-we-shift-to-a-new-paradigm-of-flexibility-in-mining-and-processing-to-build-mines-powered-exclusively-by-the-variable-input-of-renewables
Prestipino, D. (2025, January 10). National Indigenous Times. Retrieved from https://nit.com.au/10-01-2025/15694/fn-clean-energy-sector-primed-for-2025
Think and Act Differently (Powered by BHP). (2025, February 14). Retrieved from Think and Act Differently Comminution Cohort Challenge: https://www.thinkactdifferently.com/-/media/project/tad/tad-com-en/imagestadwebsite/tad-comminution-cohort---external-report2.pdf
Think and Act Differently, Oz Minerals. (2022, July). Scalable and Adaptable Challenge White Paper. Retrieved from https://www.thinkactdifferently.com/-/media/project/tad/tad-com-en/imagestadwebsite/220720_scalableadaptable_challenge-whitepaper.pdf