Mining technology research and development company Mining3 new mining technology and portfolio integration director Dr Alan Tordoir has urged the mining industry to accelerate the development and uptake of innovative technologies to meet the soaring global demand for critical minerals essential to the energy transition.

Speaking at the 2025 BME Technical Summit, in Pretoria, on October 22, he warned that, without a major shift in how the sector explored, extracted and processed resources, the supply of key minerals required for clean energy technologies could fall dramatically short of future needs.

“We need as much copper in the next 22 years as has been mined in all of human history,” he said, adding that the same applies to several other critical minerals driving renewable energy, electric mobility and digital infrastructure.

Tordoir said that, while the energy transition and decarbonisation efforts were reshaping global priorities, the mining industry remained under pressure to deliver higher volumes with fewer environmental impacts.

“Technology adoption is key to bridging that gap. But the challenge is that our industry is slow in taking up new technologies at scale. We need a coordinated approach if we are to meet global demand sustainably,” he said.

He noted that ore grades for many minerals had been declining for decades, while exploration success rates were falling, leading to higher costs and greater energy consumption per tonne of ore mined.

“The cost curve is moving in the wrong direction. We have to mine deeper, process more material and do so with greater precision. That’s where innovation must play a central role,” Tordoir said.

He said that solutions would need to focus not only on efficiency and safety but also on reducing the environmental footprint of operations. He pointed to advances in automation, AI, digital twins and data-driven decision-making as key tools to optimise performance and improve sustainability.

“Technology has the power to help us mine smarter, safer and more responsibly,” he said.

However, Tordoir cautioned that innovation on its own would not be enough.

“We must also change how we collaborate. The challenges ahead cannot be solved by individual companies working in isolation. Partnerships between miners, technology developers, research institutions and governments are essential,” Tordoir said.

He highlighted Mining3’s model of open collaboration as an example of how shared research and development could accelerate progress.

“Our approach is to work across the value chain, bringing together expertise to solve common challenges that no single organisation can tackle alone,” he said.

Tordoir added that regulatory frameworks and investment incentives would play a vital role in encouraging faster deployment of breakthrough technologies.

“If we are to achieve net-zero emissions and meet future mineral needs, we have to align policy, investment, and innovation. That means creating the right environment for new technologies to be tested, proven, and adopted across the sector,” he said.

He noted that, previously, new technologies took between 10 and 15 years to reach widespread adoption in the mining industry. Therefore, he called for a renewed sense of urgency since the industry did not have the luxury of time any more.

“We don’t have decades to wait. The world’s transition to clean energy depends on minerals, and the mining industry must evolve quickly to meet that challenge,” Tordoir said.