Overview

Join the IChemE Mining & Minerals SIG for our Annual Meeting, followed by two technical presentations showcasing innovative research addressing sustainability and process engineering challenges relevant to the resources sector. The evening will explore the environmental implications of water supply for mining in arid regions and the optimisation of fluidised bed reactor systems through advanced modelling and experimental techniques. Together, these talks demonstrate how engineering innovation can support more sustainable, efficient, and resilient industrial processes.

Talk 1: Desalination for Mining in Water-Stressed Regions: Environmental Trade-offs and Opportunities for Sustainable Water Supply
An assessment of the environmental impacts of supplying desalinated water to mining operations in northern Chile, highlighting key sustainability challenges, infrastructure considerations, and opportunities for improved water management in arid mining regions.

Talk 2: Advancing Fluidised Bed Bioreactor Technology: Lessons from Tissue Engineering and Cell Manufacturing
Insights from fluidised bed bioreactor research, demonstrating how computational fluid dynamics (CFD), flow characterisation, and reactor optimisation can improve the design and performance of multiphase systems, with lessons applicable to both bioprocessing and mineral processing industries.

Speaker

Michael Akindeju, PhD, CEng, CChem, RPEQ, FIChemE, FRACI, FAusIMM, Chair of IChemE M&M SIG

Professor (Adj) Michael Akindeju is a seasoned innovator and multidiscipline visionary, a Fellow of IChemE and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI), as well as a Chartered and Registered Professional Engineer and Certified Business Architect. With more than three decades of cross‑sector experience—including chemical and process engineering, resource and mineral processing, nanoparticle synthesis, management, public sector leadership, policing, and banking and finance—he brings a uniquely integrated perspective to addressing complex challenges and creating value for stakeholders.

Michael is the Principal Consultant at MKPro Group, where he leads strategic and technical initiatives across diverse industries. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor with the Institute of Science, Innovation, and Sustainability at Federation University, Australia.

Becky Ryder, PhD Researcher, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London

Becky is a final-year PhD researcher in Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College London. Her PhD research focuses on assessing the environmental impacts of desalination as a water supply solution for the mining industry, with a particular focus on the Atacama Region in northern Chile. The Atacama Region serves as the case study for this research as it plays a key role in supplying critical minerals for the global renewable energy transition, demanding large volumes of freshwater, despite being one of the world’s most water-stressed regions. Becky will be attending the XXXII International Mineral Processing Congress (IMPC 2026), hosted in Cape Town in October 2026 with the generous support of IChemE. Becky will be presenting her research findings to leading academics and industry practitioners, contributing to the growing conversation around sustainable water use in mining.

Sylvia Charles, PhD Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Bioengineering & Biomedical Technologies (CBio), University of Bath

Sylvia is a researcher pioneering the development of advanced bioreactor technologies for large-scale mammalian cell culture. Her work integrates experimental research with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to optimize bioreactor design, improve process efficiency, and scale up the production of biopharmaceuticals and cell-based therapies, with a particular focus on shear stress, turbulence, and oxygen transfer.

The material presented has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Mining and Minerals Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Time

08:00–09:30 GMT.

Software

The presentation will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. We recommend downloading the app from the Microsoft website, rather than using the web portal.

Please note: By registering for this webinar, you consent to IChemE maintaining, recording, holding and using such personal data in accordance with IChemE’s privacy policy.