CRC ORE

What CRC ORE does

CRC ORE (Cooperative Research Centre for Optimising Resource Extraction) is an Australian not-for-profit research organisation established in 2010 to reverse the market trend of declining mine productivity by improving operational value, commercial return, and environmental outcomes across the minerals sector. It develops mining and mineral processing technologies organised around five research programs (Define, Separate, Extract, Control, and Operate), producing three headline outputs: Grade Engineering® — a preconcentration methodology claimed to reduce mining water and energy use, and CO2 emissions, by up to 20%; the Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) — a digital simulation platform for mineral processing optimisation; and the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mining Innovation Hub — an on-site testing facility now operating under Curtin University. The organisation's primary customers are large mining companies (including BHP, Anglo American, Glencore, Newcrest, AngloGold Ashanti, Sumitomo, and Teck) alongside Mining Equipment, Technology and Services providers and research institutions, all participating as Essential Participants.

The business model is structured as a cooperative research centre jointly funded by the Australian Government and cash contributions from Essential Participants, rather than through commercial product sales. Technology is developed in-house and then transferred to commercial or academic partners for industry deployment: IES to Orica for global commercialisation, Grade Engineering consulting services to Hatch, and the Kalgoorlie Hub to Curtin University's Western Australian School of Mines. Following the June 2021 end of its government-funded term, CRC ORE retains a limited operating footprint, with continued research conducted through a Future Research Program with CSIRO, while its commercialisable IP is now stewarded by Orica and Hatch.

Name

CRC ORE

Legal name

CRC ORE: Optimising Resource Extraction

Website

https://crcore.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CRC ORE is an Australian cooperative research centre (2010–June 2021) that developed mineral processing optimisation technologies — Grade Engineering® and the Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) — for major mining companies and METS providers, funded by the Australian Government and industry participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Technology and Mineral Processing Optimization

NAICS

Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Mining (except Oil and Gas) (212)

SIC

Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant Operations, Control & Optimization (Metallurgical Accounting, APC, Digital Twins) (IMAKALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Crushing, Screening & Mineral Sizing Equipment (IMAKANAD)

Keywords

• Mining technology development
• Mineral processing optimization
• Comminution energy reduction
• Ore preconcentration solutions
• Extraction simulation software

Headquarters

HQ city

Pullen Vale

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: CRC ORE was jointly funded by the Australian Government as a Cooperative Research Centre, with its government-funded term running from 2010 until June 2021.
2. Participant Contributions: Cash contributions from Essential Participants including mining companies, METS (Mining Equipment, Technology and Services) companies, and research organisations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CRC ORE develops and deploys mineral processing and mining optimisation technologies through five research programs (Define, Separate, Extract, Control, Operate). Its core offerings are Grade Engineering® (a proprietary methodology that improves feed quality and reduces water, energy, and CO2 emissions by up to 20%), the Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) simulation software platform for mineral processing optimisation, and the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mining Innovation Hub for on-site testing and implementation of mining technology.

Product overview

CRC ORE offered a portfolio of three headline solutions developed to optimise minerals extraction: Grade Engineering® (a methodology to improve feed quality and reduce energy/water use by up to 20%), the Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) simulation software platform for mineral processing optimization, and the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mining Innovation Hub for on-site testing and implementation. These solutions were delivered through five research programs (Define, Separate, Extract, Control, Operate) spanning the entire mining value chain from feed quality improvement through to mine site implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grade Engineering® A registered proprietary methodology for mining that improves ore feed quality through preconcentration and selective processing, reducing water and energy consumption, and CO2 emissions, by up to 20%. It is delivered to mining customers globally via commercial partner Hatch.
• Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) An Australian-developed simulation software platform that uses digital modelling to improve the efficiency of mineral processing operations. It is now commercialised globally by Orica.
• Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mining Innovation Hub A dedicated mining technology facility that supports on-site testing, validation, and implementation of mining innovations. It now operates under Curtin University's governance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 20% reduction in mining water and energy use, and CO2 emissions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CSIROcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2021CRC ORE and Australia's national science agency formed a Future Research Program to take CRC ORE's most promising fields of research into new areas to broaden the impact on the Australian mining industry and economy. Paul Revell serves as Research Program Manager – Mineral Processing at CSIRO.
• OricacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 8 December 2020Orica took over the Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) digital technology - an Australian-developed simulation software platform for improving the efficiency of mineral processing operations, set to expand globally. Contacts: Nick Beaton and Peter Leckie.
• HatchcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 December 2020Hatch commercialises Grade Engineering - improving the productivity of mining operations and creating positive change for mines and communities. Contact: Hugh Sherman, Process Engineer, Mining and Minerals Processing at Hatch.
• Curtin UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mining Innovation Hub is now operational under the governance of Curtin University's Western Australian School of Mines. Contact: Dr Laurence Dyer.
• Anglo AmericanminorOthersMining participant implementing CRC ORE technologies at mine sites as part of the consortium.
• BHPminorOthersMining participant implementing CRC ORE technologies at mine sites as part of the consortium.
• GlencoreminorOthersMining participant implementing CRC ORE technologies at mine sites as part of the consortium.
• NewcrestminorOthersMining participant implementing CRC ORE technologies at mine sites as part of the consortium.
• AngloGold AshantiminorOthersMining participant implementing CRC ORE technologies at mine sites as part of the consortium.
• SumitomominorOthersMining participant implementing CRC ORE technologies at mine sites as part of the consortium.
• TeckminorOthersMining participant implementing CRC ORE technologies at mine sites as part of the consortium.
• AMIRA InternationalminorOthersResearch participant in CRC ORE consortium focused on improving minerals industry performance through collaborative research.
• Mining3minorOthersResearch participant - global mining research organisation collaborating with CRC ORE.
• MRIWAminorOthersMinerals Research Institute of Western Australia - research participant in CRC ORE consortium.
• National Research Council CanadaminorOthersInternational research participant - Canada's national research organization.
• IMDEXminorOthersMETS participant delivering mining technology solutions.
• JKTechminorOthersMETS participant - JKTech delivers innovative solutions to the global mining industry.
• Metso OutotecminorOthersMETS participant - global mining equipment and technology provider.
• SodernminorOthersMETS participant - technology provider for mining operations.
• Curtin UniversityminorOthersResearch participant - host of Western Australian School of Mines and Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mining Innovation Hub.
• QUTminorOthersQueensland University of Technology - research participant in CRC ORE consortium.
• The University of QueenslandminorOthersResearch participant -UQ is a key Australian university contributing to mining research.
• The University of AdelaideminorOthersResearch participant - University of Adelaide contributing to mining and minerals research.
• UTASminorOthersUniversity of Tasmania - research participant in CRC ORE consortium.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hatch: Hatch is a global engineering and project delivery firm with deep mining and minerals processing expertise and is CRC ORE's commercialization partner for Grade Engineering consulting services. Comparable because Hatch both competes with and complements CRC ORE in delivering process optimization and mine productivity solutions to major miners worldwide.
• Orica: Orica is a global mining services and technology company that took over CRC ORE's Integrated Extraction Simulator (IES) for worldwide commercialization. Comparable as both a partner and an adjacent mineral-processing technology provider targeting the same mining customers.
• Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions: Sandvik provides mining equipment, tools, and digital solutions for surface and underground mining, including crushing and screening systems. Comparable as a broader incumbent in mining equipment and digital process optimization that overlaps with CRC ORE's areas of focus.
• The Weir Group: Weir is a global mining technology company specializing in comminution (crushing, grinding, screening), pumps, and digital solutions. Comparable as a broader incumbent serving the same mining customers with overlapping productivity-and-energy optimization offerings.

Direct peers

• Metso (formerly Metso Outotec): Metso is a leading global supplier of equipment, services, and digital solutions for the aggregates, minerals processing, and metals refining industries, and is a CRC ORE METS participant. Directly comparable as it sells comminution, crushing, screening and process optimization technologies into the same mining customers CRC ORE serves.
• FLSmidth: FLSmidth supplies engineered mineral processing equipment and digital process optimization solutions to the global mining industry. Comparable to CRC ORE because both target productivity and energy efficiency gains in comminution and mineral beneficiation at mine sites.
• JKTech: JKTech is an Australian mining technology and consulting company delivering digital and process optimization solutions to the global mining industry, and is a CRC ORE METS participant. Directly comparable as both operate in mineral processing optimization for similar mining customers.

Others

• CSIRO: CSIRO is Australia's national science agency and CRC ORE's post-2021 Future Research Program partner. Comparable as an adjacent research and development organization collaborating on mining process and sustainability research rather than competing commercially.
• Mining3: Mining3 is a global mining research organization developing transformative technologies for the mining industry, and is a CRC ORE research participant. Comparable as an adjacent R&D consortium serving overlapping mining research and industry collaboration themes.

Regional players

• IMDEX / REFLEX: IMDEX is an Australian-headquartered global mining technology company providing drilling fluids, down-hole survey, and digital orebody knowledge solutions, and is a CRC ORE METS participant. Comparable as an adjacent METS technology provider serving the same mining customer base in Australia and globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crc-ore-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CRC ORE