From resource potential to reliable mineral supply
Demand for critical minerals and raw materials is growing as electrification, industrial transformation and changing supply chains reshape the global economy.
For mining and mineral processing companies, meeting this demand means making the right decisions across the entire mining lifecycle – from evaluating resources and developing viable projects to improving recovery, ensuring reliable infrastructure and optimizing operational performance.
With AMC Consultants and Reta Engenharia now part of AFRY, we bring together strategic mining advisory, mine planning, engineering, mineral processing, project delivery and operational expertise to help clients unlock greater value from their resources, improve efficiency and build resilient, commercially viable operations.
Our capabilities include:
- Mining advisory and strategic mine planning
- Resource evaluation and feasibility studies
- Environmental studies and permitting
- Mineral processing, metallurgy and process design
- Project and construction management
- Engineering and EPCM
- Commissioning support, operational and asset optimization
- Resource efficiency, water and tailings solutions
- Digital solutions and performance improvement
- Power systems and electrification for mining and mineral processing
Four challenges shaping future mineral supply
- Developing future mineral supply
- Scaling critical mineral processing
- Getting more from existing resources
- Building resilient mining operations
Developing future mineral supply
Growing demand for minerals such as copper, nickel, lithium, cobalt and graphite is increasing pressure to develop new resources into processing capacity.
Yet moving from a mineral resource to an operating mine is complex. Technical, economic, environmental and operational decisions made during early development can have consequences throughout the entire project lifecycle.
AFRY supports mining companies from early studies, mine planning, process route evaluation, and permitting through engineering and project implementation, helping develop robust projects with a clear path from resource to production.
Explore our work in mine development below.
Scaling critical mineral processing
Finding the resource is only part of the challenge. Minerals must also be processed efficiently and at the scale and to the specifications required by downstream markets.
Moving from laboratory and pilot-scale concepts to reliable industrial production requires the right process design based on representative testwork, which is the critical bridge between discovering a resource and delivering market-ready products, engineering, and operational expertise. Recovery, energy use, product quality and plant performance all influence whether additional mineral supply can be produced competitively.
Transforming laboratory and pilot-scale concepts into reliable, high-performing industrial operations demands rigorous process design choices, cutting-edge comminution and physical separation technologies to hydrometallurgical or pyrometallurgical processing, and deep operational expertise. Metallurgical recovery, specific energy consumption, water and reagents use, product quality and waste management directly determine whether a mineral supply remains globally competitive.
AFRY puts advanced mineral processing expertise at the core of its multidisciplinary engineering and project delivery. We seamlessly integrate process metallurgy with full-scale industrial plant design to help clients develop, expand, and optimize their processing capacity, balancing recovery, product specifications, reliability and long-term profitability.
Explore more about critical mineral processing below.
Getting more from existing resources
Future mineral supply will not come from new mines alone.
Significant value can also be unlocked from resources and operations already in place. Better orebody knowledge, improved recovery, smarter mine planning and stronger operational performance can increase the value generated from existing assets. At the same time, tailings, waste streams and by-products can offer opportunities for further resource recovery and new applications, where technical, environmental and economic assessments support their use.
AFRY helps mining companies identify opportunities across the operation – connecting strategic mine planning, mineral processing, circular solutions, technical expertise and engineering to improve resource utilization and long-term performance.
How much more value could your operation unlock? Explore below.
Building resilient mining operations
Mining assets operate over decades, while commodity markets, ore characteristics, technology and operating conditions continue to change.
Long-term competitiveness therefore depends on more than optimizing individual processes. Mining strategies, infrastructure, processing, energy systems and operational decisions need to work together throughout the asset lifecycle.
By combining strategic mining expertise with engineering, digital and operational capabilities, AFRY supports clients in evaluating development pathways, optimizing existing operations and making investment decisions that strengthen long-term asset performance.
Expertise across the mining lifecycle
AFRY has supported the mining and metals industry for more than 100 years.
Today, the expertise of AMC Consultants and Reta Engenharia as part of AFRY further strengthens our ability to support clients throughout the mining lifecycle – from the earliest strategic decisions to project implementation and operational improvement.
AMC Consultants strengthens AFRY's capabilities in mining advisory, geology, mine planning, feasibility studies and strategy optimization.
Reta Engenharia strengthens AFRY's project and construction management capabilities and delivery platform in Brazil.
Combined with AFRY's engineering, mineral processing, environmental, digital, energy and project delivery capabilities, this creates an integrated offering designed to support mining companies from resource evaluation to resilient operations.
Explore perspectives from our mining and mineral processing experts on the challenges shaping future mineral supply, and see below how we support mining and mineral processing companies in developing resources, improving operations, and expanding production.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How can mining companies get more value from existing mineral resources?
- How can mineral processing improve critical mineral recovery and production?
- What should mining companies consider when moving from feasibility studies to project implementation?
- How can tailings, waste streams and by-products contribute to mineral supply?
- How can mining companies improve the performance of existing operations?
- What services does AFRY provide for critical minerals and mining projects?
Mining companies can unlock additional value through better orebody knowledge, optimized mine planning, improved mineral recovery and stronger processing and operational performance. Tailings, waste streams and by-products may also offer opportunities for further resource recovery and new applications. Combining strategic mine planning with mineral processing, engineering and operational expertise can help identify where the greatest opportunities exist across an operation.
Mineral processing and metallurgy play a key role in determining how much value can be recovered from a resource. Recovery, throughput, product quality, energy and water use, process stability and overall plant performance can all influence production and commercial performance. AFRY supports clients with mineral processing expertise, process design, engineering and operational optimization to improve performance and support increased production.
Decisions made during early studies can significantly influence project economics and later execution. Connecting resource evaluation, mine planning, feasibility studies, environmental and permitting considerations, process design and engineering early in project development can help create a more robust path toward implementation.
With the expertise of AMC Consultants and Reta Engenharia now part of AFRY, our capabilities span early-stage mining studies and strategic mine planning through engineering, project and construction management, implementation and operational optimization.
Future mineral supply does not have to come exclusively from newly mined resources. Improved recovery, more efficient use of materials and water, and opportunities to recover valuable materials from tailings, waste streams and by-products can contribute to better resource utilization while creating additional value from existing operations.
Mining operations need to continuously adapt to changing ore characteristics, commodity markets, technologies and operating conditions. Strategic mine planning, operational data, process optimization, digital solutions and targeted engineering improvements can help identify bottlenecks, improve productivity and support stronger asset performance over time.
AFRY supports critical minerals and mining projects across the mining lifecycle, from early-stage studies, resource evaluation and strategic mine planning through mineral processing, engineering, project implementation and operational optimization.
With the expertise of AMC Consultants and Reta Engenharia now part of AFRY, we combine mining advisory and specialist expertise with multidisciplinary engineering, project and construction management, and operational capabilities to support projects from resource potential to resilient operations.
How well is your mining operation performing against the five key levers?
Turn mineral potential into long-term value
Whether you are evaluating a new resource, developing a mining project, expanding processing capacity, or looking to improve the performance of an existing operation, our experts can help identify the right path forward.
