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Session 11B | Future Directions

Stream B
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
1:30 PM - 3:25 PM
Mezzanine M4

Speaker

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Mr Rasmeet Singh
PhD Student
University of New South Wales(UNSW) - School of Minerals and Energy Resources

OpenCu: An open-source framework for evaluating renewables integration in the copper value chain

1:30 PM - 1:50 PM

Biography

Rasmeet Singh is a PhD researcher at UNSW working at the intersection of the energy transition, critical minerals, and quantitative decision-making. His research focuses on techno-economic and emissions analysis of “green minerals” value chains-building transparent, scenario-based models that help industry and government understand how costs, emissions intensity, and policy settings interact across mining, processing, and logistics pathways. He holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Panjab University (India) and a Master of Philosophy in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from The University of Sydney. During his postgraduate training, Rasmeet developed a strong foundation in reaction engineering and materials characterisation, with research experience spanning CO₂ capture and catalytic conversion using carbon-based sorbents. At UNSW, Rasmeet develops modular, parameter-driven modelling frameworks (implemented in Python/Streamlit) to evaluate decarbonisation levers such as renewable electricity, electrification, hydrogen, and alternative fuels, and logistics optimisation. A key emphasis of his work is auditable inputs and component-level breakdowns that allow stakeholders to test sensitivities, and compare pathways on a common functional unit. Rasmeet is motivated by turning complex engineering trade-offs into usable insights, supporting investment decisions, project screening, and policy design for resilient, globally competitive low-emissions mineral supply chains.
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Mr Andrew Millar
Principal Process Engineer
Idemitsu Australia Pty Ltd

An investigation into the current leading solid state battery chemistry options; the precursor materials and the processing requirements

1:50 PM - 2:10 PM

Biography

Andrew Millar has over 23 years in the mining industry and is well experienced in the whole project life; from managing metallurgical testwork programmes through to process engineering and plant commissioning. Andrew is currently a Principal Process Engineer at Idemitsu Australia in Brisbane. Andrew's role at Idemitsu includes providing process support and leadership for IA's critical minerals projects, including vanadium, graphite and lithium. Andrew has a bachelors degree in Engineering (Minerals Process) from the University of Queensland and is a fellow and chartered professional (Metallurgy) of the AusIMM.
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Prof Sara Couperthwaite
Professor
Queensland University of Technology

Unlocking secondary resources through mineral spatial mapping and ore sorting

2:10 PM - 2:30 PM

Biography

Professor Sara Couperthwaite is an industrial chemist with more than 17 years of experience in sustainable mineral processing, value-adding mining wastes, and optimising industrial chemical processes. She is based in the School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and is the Director of a Faculty of Engineering research group called STRATA (Sustainable Transformation of Resources for Advanced Technology Applications), providing high impact solutions to industry by integrating sustainable process engineering practices with fundamental science. Her current research is centred on critical minerals and materials characterisation, where she is developing new chemical pathways to build secure, on-shore supply lines for next-generation energy materials used in batteries, LEDs, and emerging solar technologies. She currently leads collaborative research programs spanning extraction technologies, advanced materials development, and end-user performance testing. Her leadership in co-designed industry research projects has been recognised through major national awards, including the 2024 ATSE David & Valeria Solomon Award for outstanding research–industry collaboration and the 2023 AFR Higher Education Award for Industry Engagement. She is committed to partnering with industry to develop efficient, sustainable, and commercially viable processes that accelerate Australia’s transition to a resilient, clean-energy future.
Dr John Outram
Lecturer
Queensland University of Technology

Selective copper, nickel and cobalt recovery from acid mine drainage using ion-exchange technologies

2:30 PM - 2:50 PM

Biography

John is an applied researcher with extensive experience in hydrometallurgical separation and resource recovery, working in close collaboration with Australian and international industry partners. With a strong background in chemistry and chemical process development, he has led multidisciplinary teams across academia and industry to deliver innovative, scalable solutions for complex separation challenges. John’s expertise includes designing and optimising hydrometallurgical systems, implementing analytical frameworks for process monitoring, and applying metal accounting to ensure quality assurance and accurate evaluation of material flows. He has developed specialised experimental infrastructure and contributed to high-impact projects that have advanced industrial practices through robust experimental and modelling approaches. His work reflects a commitment to sustainable process innovation, strategic planning, and effective stakeholder engagement.
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Dr Anita Parbhakar-Fox
Technical and Innovation Lead-Geoscience
KCB

Critical metal inventory of Australia's mine waste - What's next? From aspiration to delivery

2:50 PM - 3:10 PM

Biography

Honorary Professor Anita Parbhakar-Fox research is focussed on mine waste characterisation to improve mine planning and waste management practices across the life-of-mine. Currently, Anita is working as the Technical and Innovation Lead- Geoscience at KCB. In this role, she works across the mining industry, METS sector, and with academia and government stakeholders. Anita has developed new tests and protocols for improving mine waste characterisation and has led signfiicant government and industry funded projects characterising mine waste materials to evaluate the secondary prospectivity in the context of critical metal recovery. She remains at UQ as an Honorary Professor where she is still actively supervising PhD students in the ARC ITTC CCRF. Notably, Anita was the founding leader of Australia's premier secondary prospectivity research group- Mine Waste Transformation through Characterisation (MIWATCH). she was also the deputy director in the Critical Resources for the Future ARC ITTC (collaborating with UWA, ANU and UoA). Most recently, she was the Global Principal Characterisation at BHP.
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Q&A + Discussion

Q&A + Discussion (Session 11B)

3:10 PM - 3:25 PM

Biography

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