Inspired by natural processes that dissolve minerals, Brokkr Mineral Resources Corporation harnesses electrogenic microorganisms to produce battery metals sustainably.
Benefits
- Decarbonize mineral processing
- Lower environmental footprint
- Low-cost metal extraction
Applications
- Sustainable mineral processing
- Energy Transition
- Electric economy infrastructure
UN Sustainable Development Goals Addressed
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Goal 7: Affordable & Clean Energy
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Goal 12: Responsible Production & Consumption
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Goal 13: Climate Action
The Challenge
Metals such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium are critical to the success of the energy transition and expansion of the electric economy infrastructure. However, current mineral processing and refining practices are inefficient, energy intensive, and environmentally unsound. Extraction operations typically use a high pressure acid leach process and smelting, are carbon-intensive, and have a large footprint on natural ecosystems. The decarbonization of battery metal extraction and refining is key to minimizing the carbon and environmental footprint of the ongoing energy transition.s
Biological Model
Microorganisms like electrogenic bacteria have evolved over billions of years to harness energy by breaking down minerals. In doing so, they release valuable metals like nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper from minerals in surrounding soils and rocks. This natural process has inspired sustainable biological mineral processing, which uses these microbes to extract metals in a way that is more efficient and environmentally friendly than traditional extraction methods.
Innovation Details
Brokkr Mineral Resources Corporation has developed an innovative process for extracting nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and manganese (Mn) from laterite ore that reduces environmental impact compared to traditional methods like acid leaching (using strong acids to break down minerals) and smelting (high-temperature metal extraction). The process uses a patented bioleach, or extraction process, driven by microorganisms called electrogens, which naturally occur in laterite ores. Electrogenic bacteria extract energy by reducing iron (Fe) compounds, a process that naturally dissolves minerals and releases associated Ni, Co, and Mn ions without the use of harsh chemicals or high energy.
Once the metal ions are released, they are purified using a bio-inspired ion exchange (IX) system. This system uses specially designed resins (materials that capture and hold specific ions) made from s, which are short chains of s capable of binding metals. These peptide-based resins mimic natural metal-capturing molecules and outperform traditional chemical resins by being more selective to Ni, Co, and Mn and having higher capacity.
Brokkr Mineral Resources Corporation’s bioleaching process significantly cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, generates less waste, and can recover metals from low-grade ore deposits that are difficult to process using conventional methods. By providing a more sustainable way to access critical materials for energy storage solutions including electric vehicle batteries, Brokkr Mineral Resources Corporation’s technology supports the transition to clean energy while reducing the carbon footprint of metal production.
On a local transport boat, Brokkr's CEO sampled lake water that years earlier had inspired their innovations.
Brokkr Mineral Resources Corporation President, Rachel Simister, with Founder and CEO, Sean Crowe.
The Human Factor
The inspiration for Brokkr’s technology came from years of exploring the role microorganisms play in natural biogeochemical cycles. The specific idea to harness electrogens for mineral processing came from co-founder Sean Crowe’s discovery, nearly 20 years ago, while conducting research in ancient Indonesian lakes that electrogens drive metal re-mobilization from their iron-rich bottom sediments. This was the basis for the bioleach technique that underpins Brokkr’s technology. Additional elements of the technology came from Crowe, co-founders Robert Greene and Scott Dunbar’s research into the capacity for biomolecules, like peptides, to form highly-specific complexes with metals. Greene and Dunbar had previously shown that such capacity could be used to selectively bind minerals, an application that Greene eventually leveraged to produce a new class of medical diagnostics.
Ray of Hope Accelerator
The Ray of Hope Accelerator supports an annual cohort of ten high-impact nature-inspired startups representing various sectors and regions addressing the world’s biggest environmental and sustainability challenges. The accelerator builds upon years of experience as the Ray of Hope Prize (2020-2023), which was created in honor of Ray C. Anderson, a business and sustainability leader and founder of Interface, Inc. Brokkr Mineral Resources Corporation was a participant in the 2024 Ray of Hope Accelerator.
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