8 mining trends for 2026: Automation, regulation, and the “new normal” in mining

Managing variability has always been a central challenge in mining. Geology remains unpredictable, but today’s mining processes also face fluctuating feedstocks, complex mineralogy, tighter regulation, workforce constraints, and increasingly remote operations.

The last year has seen these pressures increase. Volatile prices and rising demand for copper, gold, and rare earth elements (REEs) have also played a role, forcing the mining sector to rethink how value is extracted and how decisions are made.

In this blog, we will explore 8 mining process trends shaping 2026, and discuss why automation, real-time measurement, and digitalization are becoming foundational to modern mining operations.

Here are our predictions for how mining processes will shift in 2026.

1. Mining process optimization will help offset declining ore grades

A consistent trend across the industry is a decline in ore grades, impacting the copper mining process, gold mining process, and more.

High-grade and easy-to-process deposits are becoming increasingly scarce, and as a result, new mining projects face longer ramp times and greater risk, with tighter QC and more tailored processes becoming crucial.

Commodity dynamics are also amplifying this pressure:

• Copper is a major focus in 2026, driven by electrification, infrastructure demand, and the energy transition. Rising prices are reinforcing the need to maximize recovery and minimize losses at every stage of the process.
• Gold prices have surged over the past year, making tailings reprocessing economically attractive across many operations.
• Rare earth elements (REEs) continue to see strong growth, with the drive towards supply sovereignty and security creating renewed interest in both primary deposits and secondary sources.
• Lithium and nickel prices remain volatile, but their strategic importance persists.
• Graphite is gaining attention as a critical battery material despite limited mining activity today.
• Manganese is increasingly coming into focus as an important material for battery and EV production, as it supports higher energy density and lower-cost lithium-ion battery chemistries while helping reduce reliance on more expensive metals.

Together, these trends underscore a common theme: the need to extract more value from increasingly challenging material, while controlling cost and risk.

2. Mines will step up tailings reprocessing and geometallurgy

As commodity prices climb, mining process materials that were once considered waste are now being used as feed. The reprocessing of tailings, previously thought largely uneconomic, now represents viable value and is becoming increasingly mainstream across multiple commodities.

Recent gold price increases mean that even a small increase in recovery during the gold mining process can justify investment in reprocessing tailings.

Additionally, copper tailings often contain valuable by-products that were historically overlooked, including REEs. In many operations, tailings and recycled material now make up a significant portion of plant feed.

However, tailings present unique challenges for mining process optimization, namely:

• Highly heterogeneous material
• Variable particle size distributions
• Complex mineralogy

As a result, understanding how material will behave becomes just as important as knowing its elemental composition. This is accelerating the adoption of geometallurgical approaches, where mineralogy is as important as chemistry in defining process strategies.       

Mining companies are now placing greater emphasis on frequent, representative measurement to understand not only what is present in the feed, but how it will behave throughout the process.

Malvern Panalytical solutions play a key role in these workflows:

• X-ray diffraction (XRD) on the Aeris Minerals edition enables rapid, high-throughput mineralogical analysis for data-driven process optimization of grinding and separation strategies.
• Zetium XRF instruments allow quick elemental verification to support tailings reprocessing and blending strategies.

3. Real-time analysis will become the new normal

Real-time and on-line analysis are not new to mining processes, but while these systems were once considered advanced technology, they are now becoming a standard operational expectation.

Improvements in sensor robustness, automation, and data integration have made continuous real-time measurement more reliable and more accessible.

In some regions, including India, on-line analytical control is now mandated by government regulation, reflecting a broader push for operational transparency and risk management.

In 2026 and beyond, mining operations expect continuous analytical feedback to support a variety of processes, including:

• Ore sorting and blending
• Beneficiation control
• Hydrometallurgical processing
• Tailings and waste stream monitoring

Malvern Panalytical technologies are being increasingly applied across these workflows, for instance:

• D-T PFTNA on our CNA analyzers supports real-time bulk elemental analysis for ore sorting and blending, helping operations manage feed variability.
• Insitec laser diffraction systems enable continuous particle size measurement, enabling faster adjustment of grinding and classification before recovery drops.
• Epsilon Xflow delivers on-line EDXRF elemental analysis of liquid streams, tailings, and hydrometallurgical processes – an area seeing particularly strong growth as reprocessing and water management gain importance.
• On-line XRD solutions enable real-time measurement of phase composition and metal coating layer thickness. Installed directly on your process line, these solutions support improved process control, consistent product quality, and faster operational adjustments.

4. Operators will embrace portable instrumentation for faster decision making

As mining operations become more dynamic, fast decision-making can make or break your profitability. When feed composition changes rapidly, for instance, when processing mixed material streams containing recycled copper or aluminum scrap, you act fast to tailor your beneficiation steps to the materials on the line.

In this context, portable analysis is gaining importance in both the field and the plant.

Handheld XRF instruments from SciAps are widely used, while complementary techniques such as LIBS and infrared spectroscopy expand elemental and mineral identification capabilities.

Portable mineralogical analysis with ReveNIR allows fast in-field insight, which can then be validated in the laboratory using systems such as Aeris or Zetium.

The new PowerHouse X is specifically developed for exploration and analysis of both light and heavy REEs, enabling battery-powered, fully shielded, and safety-interlocked detection of elements such as Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Yb directly in the field.

Handheld XRF and LIBS instruments, allowing for automated in-situ mapping and geochemical analysis during the exploration stage of particularly remote locations that are difficult or costly to access.

5. Automation will drive further workforce transformation

Automation is no longer only used in haulage and drilling.

In the most isolated mines, such as those in Western Australia and northern Canada, autonomous operations are already well established. Similar approaches are expected to expand into Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, including Greenland, as exploration and development activity increases.

However, regardless of the advanced capabilities of analytical instruments, reliable results depend on representative, well-prepared samples. Many operations are therefore prioritizing automation in sample prep before upgrading analytical instrumentation to more automated models.

In tandem with increasing automation comes a fundamental transformation in the mining workforce. Skilled geologists and laboratory technicians are difficult to recruit and retain, particularly at remote sites.

This shift is driving demand for:

• Easy-to-use equipment that reduces reliance on specialist expertise
• Flexible systems that can be deployed across sites
• Digital workflows that replace manual processes
• Automation supported by training and remote access, rather than constant on-site presence

6. Mines will deploy digitalization and standardization at scale

Digitalization in mining processes is moving towards portfolio-level standardization in 2026.

Mining companies are increasingly:

• Comparing plant performance around the world
• Using standardized workflows to monitor analytical performance
• Developing predictive algorithms to anticipate process behavior from sensor data
• Integrating analytical results into cloud-based decision-support systems

This digitalized approach allows for more effective fleet management, enabling operators to identify underperforming assets and share best practices. Standardization of analytical methods and instrumentation across sites also simplifies regulatory reporting.

Malvern Panalytical solutions, such as Smart Manager, support this shift towards digitalization and standardization by enabling:

• Remote monitoring
• Cloud-based data access
• Proactive diagnostics for analytical instruments

With these features, Smart Manager reduces reliance on on-site specialists and generates real-time performance data that supports automation, predictive maintenance, and faster decision-making.

7. ESG will drive operational changes in mining processes

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns will continue to shape mining processes in 2026, but their role has evolved significantly over the past decade. In earlier years, ESG efforts were often driven by reporting requirements and investor expectations, while today, ESG considerations are increasingly embedded in core operational decision-making.

Key focus areas in 2026 will include:

1. Proactive water management to manage water availability in arid and semi-arid areas.
2. Decarbonization to reduce costs and ensure regulatory compliance, alongside more careful waste management.
3. Reducing energy consumption and increasing the use of renewable energy sources, including leveraging on-site mine power plants, to lower costs and support sustainability goals.
4. Social considerations during project planning, for instance indigenous engagement in regions such as North America, Australia, and Brazil.

8. Emerging opportunities and challenges in deep-sea mining will become more urgent

In 2026, deep-sea mining is seeing growing interest and investment. Mining companies have already secured exploration claims and initiated pre-feasibility studies in several regions, particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America, with research activity expanding globally.

The primary focus is on base metals and battery-related materials, including iron, manganese, nickel, cobalt, and REEs.

However, the deep-sea mining process presents unique challenges:

• Extreme remoteness
• Harsh conditions presenting personnel and equipment challenges
• The need for remote sampling, real-time measurement, and automation

At the same time, environmental scrutiny is particularly intense, meaning that baseline characterization, continuous monitoring, and transparent reporting will be essential to understanding and managing potential ecological impact.

As interest in deep-sea resources continues to grow, the ability to generate high-quality, defensible analytical data will play a central role in determining whether these projects can progress responsibly.

Optimize your mining process in 2026

Mining processes in 2026 are defined by complexity, risk, and opportunity. Malvern Panalytical, together with SciAps, and Micromeritics, supports this transformation by providing end-to-end materials insight for confident and rapid decision-making.

These capabilities help mining companies extract more value from increasingly complex material while managing risk and sustainability.

Malvern Panalytical can help you solve the challenges of today’s mining processes. Explore our mining solutions on our webpage or in our mining blogs.

Further reads

• How a mining company achieved maximum XRF accuracy – without months of method development
• From mine to manufacturing line: How to deliver consistently high-quality cell phone materials
• How to achieve rapid elemental QC in critical minerals mining
• From underground deposits to global food security: How to deliver consistently high-quality potash
• Why mineralogical analysis is at the heart of effective critical minerals mining