Lima, 16 de diciembre de 2024. Walter Tejada, president of proEXPLO 2025, during his participation as a panelist at the Jueves Minero (Mining Thursday), organized by the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP), stressed the need for mining companies to make firm and clear decisions in their commitment to innovation. In this sense, he emphasized that improving the rate of discovery of new deposits is fundamental for the future of mining.

“Our analysis tools can determine high grade deposits versus those that are going to be low grade. And that is important because the exploration success rate is extremely low. Of approximately 1,100 gold deposits discovered between 2008 and 2019, only 1.7% were world-class deposits. So, obviously there is a lot of work that has to be done through innovation,” he said.

Innovation Goals

Tejada also highlighted the relevance of the innovation goals adopted by some of the mining companies such as BHP and Rio Tinto through sustainable technologies applied to mining.

“Both BHP and Rio Tinto, two of the world's largest companies, have public goals. That by 2050 its emissions will be 0% net. That means innovation in your energy matrices, electric fleets, use of solar panels, wind energy. These are public goals that oblige companies to move towards the future of mining. In-situ leaching is another innovation that is coming and will allow in-situ processing of primary sulfides,” he said.

Tejada concluded by stressing that innovation is essential throughout the entire mining life cycle, from exploration and production to mine closure. At each stage, the implementation of new technologies and more sustainable approaches will ensure a more competitive and responsible future for the industry.