3 and operator-assist systems for copper solvent extraction and electrowinning — demonstrating that AI value creation in processing is now measurable and substantial. Track 2: Process Innovation, Circularity and Recovery The second-largest track addresses the technical heart of extractive value creation: how ore becomes metal, and how the full chain from comminution to refining can be made more efficient, more sustainable, and more circular. Eight sessions span process optimization, digitalization, copper processing, sustainable water and tailings management, circularity initiatives, bioleaching, and concentrator capital and reliability. Process Innovation, Digitalization and Transformation: Presentations examine integrated mineto-flotation optimization, digital transformation of drilling operations, and the application of dynamic simulation to debottleneck low-grade phosphate concentrators. The session makes a strong case that digitalization delivers measurable throughput and cost improvements when implemented with rigorous operational discipline. Copper Processing Innovation and Extraction: Flash flotation in regrind circuits, new developments in heap leaching, in-situ copper recovery, advanced flotation strategies for rare earth ores, and zero-waste copper extraction processes are presented. This session responds directly to the global demand signal for copper that the energy transition is generating. Circularity and Waste-to-Value: Multiple presentations address the conversion of tailings, waste rock, and process residues into valuable materials or construction inputs. Topics include uranium removal using natural biosorbents, iron tailings valorization, arsenic removal and stabilization, and the carbon footprint of precious metal recovery from electronic waste — an emerging area that blurs the boundary between primary and secondary mining. Concentrators, Capital, Reliability and Sustainability: Large copper concentrator design evolution over three decades, grinding mill failure prevention, life-cycle-based carbon footprint metrics for mineral processing, and dynamic process simulation for capital optimization are examined, with a consistent emphasis on the interplay between capital efficiency and environmental performance. Sustainable Water and Tailings Solutions: Filtered tailings implementation, commingling of tailings and waste rock, solar water decontamination for remote areas, and integrated water-energy-tailings optimization (Mine to Tailing 4.0) are presented, reflecting the growing recognition that water management is both a critical risk and a competitive differentiator. Track 3: Environmental Stewardship Environmental stewardship represents perhaps the greatest legitimacy challenge facing the mining industry today, and this track addresses it comprehensively across six sessions. The range of topics — from real-time hydrogeological modelling and tailings geotechnics to mine closure governance, decarbonization pathways, and biodiversity — reflects an industry that has moved well beyond compliance toward genuine integration of environmental thinking into operational and strategic decision-making. Digital Water and Environmental Intelligence: Advanced hydrogeological modelling, water stress projections for global mineral production, cemented paste backfill optimization, and integrated water resources management are examined. The session reflects the growing recognition that water scarcity is among the most material risks facing mining operations in arid and semi-arid regions. Tailings, Waste, Water and Closure: Seepage analysis for filtered tailings in high-precipitation Andean conditions, in-pit tailings storage as a sustainable closure solution, geosynthetic advances in closure covers, and waste rock commingling at Antamina are among the presentations. The Antamina case study, from one of the world's largest copper-zinc mines, located near the congress venue, is of particular relevance to the host country audience. Mine Closure and Post-Mining Reclamation: A legal governance framework for post-mining territories, the conversion of the Águas Claras pit into a world-class sports venue in Brazil, and the
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