Mining is a notoriously emissions-intensive sector, but as nations eye net-zero targets, the field is undergoing dramatic transformation.
A slew of Canadian startups have launched in recent years with an aim to decarbonize the mining industry via electrification, carbon capturing, and other approaches.
Among those upstarts is Vancouver-based Tersa Earth Innovations.
The B.C.-born firm is developing a clean technology platform designed to eliminate tailing ponds.
“The future of mining lies in sustainable practices,” believes Barinder Rasode, cofounder and chief executive officer of Tersa Earth. “We are setting a new standard for environmental responsibility and industry impact.”
Tersa’s solution cleans up the harmful elements of acid rock drainage, while extracting metals from the waste stream to boost mine production. This can lower risk while also improving outcomes, according to Rasode.
Tersa Earth was recently among seven early-stage companies receiving funding from Natural Products Canada, which provides capital and support to Canadian entities advancing the country’s bio-economy.
The funding followed recognition from The Cleantech Group, which placed Tersa on its latest Cleantech 50 to Watch list, an annual spotlight on innovative companies tackling environmental challenges, as well as from Foresight Canada via the Foresight 50, a ranking of cleantech innovators from across the nation.
Tersa has thus far partnered with several organizations, including a recent strategic collaboration with Precient Technologies, a biotechnology company founded by Bruce Rittmann that enables microorganisms to recover critical materials from waters influenced by mining, refining, and recycling.
Precient’s expertise will complement Tersa Earth’s flagship TersaClean technology, which combines Microbial Fuel Cells, Microbial Carbonate Precipitation, and Bioprocess Engineering to address environmental challenges in mining.
“This collaboration represents a unique opportunity to leverage advanced microbial and biotechnological solutions to tackle environmental challenges in mining,” stated Dr. Rittmann, Director of the Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology at Arizona State University, last year. “By combining our expertise, we aim to create scalable, impactful innovations that benefit both the industry and the planet.”
Tersa has also worked with Washington clean-tech Silica-X as well as the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in Northern British Columbia.
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