As declining ore grades, escalating global demand for critical minerals, and intensified ESG expectations reshape mining economics, Tomra Mining’s sensor-based sorting technologies are fundamentally redefining mineral recovery. These innovations transform once-discarded material into valuable resources, effectively extending mine life and fortifying supply security crucial for the global energy transition.
Global demand drives innovation
A surging global demand for lithium, copper, rare earth elements, tin, tungsten, nickel, and cobalt propels the clean energy transition and electrification. Simultaneously, mining operators face increasing pressures from declining ore grades, rising costs for energy, water, chemicals, and labor, alongside mounting scrutiny of their environmental performance. Against this challenging backdrop, sensor-based sorting emerges as a transformative approach, enabling more efficient mineral recovery while significantly reducing environmental impact.
Maximizing recovery from previously discarded ore
Sensor-based sorting redefines efficiency in mineral processing by tackling one of the industry’s long-standing challenges: how to extract more metal from every ton of ore using fewer resources. By separating barren material early in the process, miners can substantially reduce the energy, water, and chemicals required for downstream treatment, thus unlocking value from previously uneconomic ore. This strategic shift allows operations to recover more from what they already mine, converting lower-grade and marginal deposits into viable resources.
As ore grades continue their decline and operational costs climb, mining companies increasingly need to extract maximum value from every tonne of material. Tomra Mining applies cutting-edge X-Ray Transmission (XRT), Near-infrared (NIR), and Laser sorting technologies to selectively separate valuable minerals from waste rock before processing. This early intervention reduces the need to crush, mill, and chemically treat all mined material, thereby lowering energy and input consumption, increasing recovery rates, and substantially reducing tailings volumes. The result delivers a more efficient, sustainable, and economically resilient operation.
“At its core, sensor-based sorting addresses one of mining’s greatest inefficiencies: we are able to recover more metal from the same amount of material,” explained Rasoul Rezai, global segment manager metals at Tomra Mining. He added: “By rejecting waste early, operators feed higher-grade material into their mills, reduce operational expenditure, and improve overall efficiency. This is particularly crucial for critical minerals, where supply tensions are increasing worldwide.”
This approach has yielded tangible results in mines globally. At Eloro Resources’ Iska Iska Polymetallic project in southern Bolivia, Tomra’s XRT ore sorting tests demonstrated the potential to reject significant quantities of sub-cut-off-grade waste, which dramatically reduces capital and operating costs, enabling the processing of lower-grade ore blocks.
In Europe, Tomra Mining contributes its expertise to the EU-funded Li4Life project, which aims to develop technologies that enable access to lithium from existing mining deposits and tailings, reducing pressure on primary supply. This collaboration highlights the growing recognition of sensor-based sorting as a vital technology for ensuring the long-term security of critical minerals supply chains.
Technology that redefines resource recovery
With decades of pioneering innovation in sensor-based sorting, Tomra Mining continuously redefines how the industry approaches mineral recovery. Its XRT, NIR, and Laser sorting technologies empower operators to identify and separate valuable minerals with precision, even within complex or lower-grade deposits.
Recent AI-powered advancements have significantly expanded the capabilities of Tomra’s XRT sorters. OBTAIN can double sorting capacity without altering the machine’s size and mechanical design, while CONTAIN detects inclusion-type ores such as tin, tungsten, nickel, copper, and sulfides, revealing even the smallest inclusions. Together, they form what Rezai describes as “a new set of wings” for XRT technology. Field trials at Wolfram Bergbau in Mittersill, Austria, clearly demonstrated the transformative potential of these innovations. OBTAIN increased revenue by 12% with the same product quality while reducing water consumption by 40%, all without changing annual tonnage.
David Comtesse, production manager, stated, “It immediately changed the way we think about sorting and processing. This isn’t just an upgrade – it’s a completely new level of performance.”
Another breakthrough, the TS100 precision ejection system, reduces air consumption by up to 70%, lowering operational costs and further increasing recovery. Tomra’s portfolio of technologies allows operators to tailor solutions to the specific characteristics of each ore and deposit.
Beyond the technology, TOMRA adopts a collaborative approach to ensure that every solution is optimized for the unique needs of a customer’s mine and business case. Testing is conducted at Tomra’s global network of Test Centres in Germany, Australia, and South Africa, and the company’s experts work closely with operators on-site to fine-tune performance and maximize efficiency.
Extending mine life and unlocking marginal deposits
Tomra Mining’s sensor-based sorting also helps operators unlock value from previously considered uneconomic ore. By removing waste early in the process, blocks once classified as marginal can be integrated into mine plans, expanding recoverable ore and extending mine life without requiring additional capital-intensive infrastructure.
Rezai explained: “Sensor-based sorting doesn’t just improve processing, it reshapes mining strategy. By increasing the grade of feed to the mill and rejecting waste early, operators can extract more value from the same deposit, increasing both the size and longevity of the mine.”
Facilitating access to financing for advanced sorting technologies
Tomra also collaborates closely with customers to tailor financial arrangements for individual situations. Through partnerships with banks, leasing institutions, and grant programs, Tomra assists customers in securing financing and grants, preparing technical documentation, and optimizing project economics. This support ensures that investment in advanced sorting technologies remains economically feasible, helping operators realize the full value of recovered resources.
Supporting ESG goals and a circular mining economy
Sensor-based sorting is not only economically transformative; it directly advances mining companies’ ESG objectives. By removing barren material before energy-intensive processing, Tomra Mining’s solutions help operators reduce energy use by up to 50%, cut water consumption, and lower greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to decarbonization and net-zero targets.
Tailings volumes are reduced, less land is disturbed, and coarse, untreated waste can often be repurposed in other industries such as aggregates or road construction, thereby supporting circular economy principles. The technology also improves social outcomes by prolonging mine life, safeguarding local jobs, and sustaining economic contributions in a sustainable manner. On the governance side, data-rich insights enable operators to quantify environmental benefits and demonstrate responsible sourcing in line with ESG reporting frameworks.
Driving the future of critical mineral supply
The role of sensor-based sorting in critical mineral production continues to gain recognition across the mining industry. Pioneering projects such as the Pilbara lithium plant in Australia have consolidated sensor-based sorting as a game-changer in critical mineral processing, demonstrating both reliability and measurable economic and environmental benefits.
Rezai concluded: “Efficiency and recovery are paramount in an era of declining ore grades and rising demand.” Through its combination of advanced technology, operational expertise, and collaboration with operators worldwide, Tomra Mining helps to shape a more sustainable and strategic future for critical mineral supply.
