Chris Broadbent Wins at the ‘Mines and Money Awards for Outstanding Achievement’

After providing a key note presentation at the Mines and Technology conference that ran alongside the main Mines and Money London exhibition, Research Director Dr Chris Broadbent received Mines and Money Award for Outstanding Achievement in the inaugural ‘Unsung Hero’ category. Chris was delighted to receive this as he says – “not only do you have to be nominated in the first place but the adjudication is undertaken by a panel of eminent industry leaders so to be recognised with an award is quite an honour”.

We are now recognised as a “major player” in Mining and metallurgical research and innovation, having coordinated a multi-million Euro Flagship Mineral Processing Horizon 2020 Project – FAME – Flexible and Mobile Economic processing – and are currently a Work Package Leader in another processing project – ION4RAW – an investigation into novel processing technologies. The FAME Project was recognised by the EU as one of the most successful H2020 Raw Materials Projects and Chris was invited to present on the legacy of FAME to the EU at their recent Raw Materials Week in Brussels. In addition we are leading a major Faraday Battery Challenge Project known as Lithium for the UK (Li4UK)  – a study to assess the feasibility of the UK providing a sustainable supply of lithium for use in Lithium Ion Batteries to power Electric Vehicles. As Chris commented – “Wardell Armstrong International is seen as one of the most important Firms active in innovative mining and metallurgical processing from a UK and EU perspective.” Chris evaluates Research proposals on behalf of the EU.

Chris is very happy to be participating in research projects again as it has allowed his career to come full circle. Following a Geology degree he took a PhD in “Energy Recovery from Molten Slag” and worked in research at universities, followed by a period of industrial research with Rio Tinto and Billiton (Shell). He left Shell Research 25 years ago to come to Wardell Armstrong, initially working in the Environmental Group at Newcastle under Lyme, before heading up contaminated land and an HSE Group in Stoke, moving to the London Office 12 years ago. He is now Research Director managing projects from London but still finds time to be involved in other project work both in the UK and Overseas and is currently involved in permitting jobs in the UK, overseas commission for mining clients as well as the Research Activities making for an extremely varied portfolio of jobs. “The most interesting and fun part of my job is variety – literally you never know where you might end up – a single phone call can result in getting on a plane to a far flung corner of the globe.  I have been incredibly privileged seeing site sand operations and working in over 50 different countries – and during my 25 years with Wardell Armstrong have been part of some amazing projects and worked with some amazingly talented people – a couple of highlights stick out – investigating the UK’s last remaining flint knapper (who is based in Stoke!) making flints for muskets – the job was to provide an expert report as part of an insurance investigation into the impact on the flint stock of a fire at the premises and giving expert evidence relating to international best practice for ESIA at the World Bank in Washington in a legal case involving a mining company and the Government of Panama.”