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South Australia to welcome BHP-backed clean energy centre

South Australia will host an industry-backed training ground for minerals industry experts in the sensing and data science areas.

BHP, OZ Minerals, Boart Longyear and other stakeholders have supported the initiative with $12.5 million in funding.

The ARC Training Centre for Complex Resources will facilitate postdoctoral researchers and PhD candidates’ education by Adelaide and Curtin Universities and the University of South Australia (UniSA).

Foundation fellow at UniSA’s Future Industries Institute, Marta Krasowska, said the goal of the centre was to increase the value in mining by developing “leaner and cleaner” processing capabilities.

“A major part of our role is to bring our work in advanced sensors for mineral processing into this centre, to connect with data analytics and process control,” Krasowska said.

“The students and researchers we train will learn how to apply cutting edge science, engineering and mathematics to an industry that will underpin the transition to clean energy in the global economy.”

Deputy director of the training centre William Skinner is confident the South Australian universities, together with Curtin, can bring relevant research and development (R&D) training outcomes across the mining value chain.

South Australia has shown rapid developments in new technologies and scientific innovation in the sector that are among the best in the world, according to Skinner.

“This new centre will ensure that culture of sustainable and best practice innovation continues,” he said.

The centre has been supported with $3.7 million from the Australian Research Council and a further $8.8 million in cash and in-kind from Maptek, Orica and Sandvik, to name a few.

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