Scientists at the Siberian Federal University in Krasnoyarsk have begun creating a laboratory of industrial biotechnologies to develop new methods for extracting gold from so-called refractory gold ores — ores in which the metal is hidden in hard-to-reach compounds with harmful impurities. Such ore accounts for up to 80% of the reserves of Russian gold mining companies and about 30% of world gold reserves.
The new technologies are based on bioleaching — the use of special microbial cultures that can safely and effectively extract gold from ores and industrial waste, even in harsh climatic conditions, such as in the Arctic.
This method promises to increase gold production efficiency to more than 90%, while traditional methods yield no more than 10%.
Currently, scientists are selecting suitable microorganisms and preparing technologies for introduction into industrial production. It is expected that by 2027 the biological metal mining market will reach about 3.6 billion dollars.
New methods will also help solve the problem of reclamation of contaminated tailings dumps, which occupy huge areas in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
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