Eva Laín, the Spanish woman who is about to revolutionize mining

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The idea that Eva Laín had is a few months away from becoming a reality.

He explains it to us in a simple way: "When copper is extracted in Riotinto, the ore at the head contains 0.5% of this metal. They concentrate it up to approximately 23% and this concentrate is what the mine exports. It is taken directly to the port and, from there, usually to Asia, where it is smelted and the metal is finally produced.With my system, the concentrate goes directly into our process and we obtain pure metals as the final product at the mine site, without the need to transport the

to nowhere."

A process that has already been shown to be viable in the laboratory, in a small pilot plant, in a large pilot plant and, before the summer, the first industrial line will start operating to produce up to 10,000 tons of pure copper

and zinc

The economic advantages are clear, both in terms of cost savings and job creation in the area - "if everything goes well, it would be a revolution from Seville to Portugal, mines would be revitalized, new ones would be opened and others already closed would be reopened In short, we would increase the economic activity of this area, generating new centers and jobs and we would expand the value chain, since everything would start and end at home, producing Spain-brand copper and zinc," says

.

In addition, she emphasizes, it is a green process because "those of us who have the possibility to contribute to directing the change are responsible for doing it green. The E-LIX process is 0 discharge, 0 carbon footprint, and safe and comfortable to operate".

model student

But how did it get here?

To begin with, what is so attractive about electrochemistry for someone to dedicate their life to it?

says Eva Laín, "closer than we think, in breathing, in the neural transmissions of the brain, in the mobile, in the computer...".

Eva Laín at the University of Cambridge, where she did her PhD in Biotechnology.

And how do you get into Cambridge to do a PhD?

With very good grades, right?

"It is a very competitive institution worldwide, something more is needed. In addition to a brilliant record, which is out of the ordinary, you must have

For example, I was a bronze medalist in the Physics Olympiad in High school, I really like sports, I play the violin and the piano, I volunteered in Mozambique...".

a great sacrifice

It is clear that Eva Laín's resume is extraordinary, but something more is needed to establish herself as the figure that could change the course of mining around the world.

And also a lot of modesty, because she came to this "by chance", she says, but following a path that she defines as

during which she has made a "titanic effort".

In the first place, she had to leave the "comfortable" life she led in the United Kingdom - "she had friends there, a boyfriend, she taught..." - in 2015 and move alone to Aracena, in Huelva.

She contacted three mines to tell them about her discovery in the laboratory and the first two rejected her.

"The third gave me a bank in her laboratory and I myself bought the materials I needed at Leroy Merlin. They didn't pay me and

on this."

But things went well and three years later she has already received financing and loans from the mine owners, so in 2019 she founded her company, Lain Tech. "I paid

Looking back I am very proud of what I have achieved. I have had to roll up my sleeves, do everything, it has been a brutal job", affirms Eva.

difficult beginnings

In addition to what Atalaya, one of the world's largest mining companies, may be interested in, as a young woman who sits in a corner of the laboratory is trying to demonstrate, being a woman did not help her at first either.

"The mines, the construction, are traditionally very masculine sectors. They saw a young girl arrive who spoke in a calm way..., she was like a flying pig, she

In the first moments it was difficult for me to be respected, but when people see that things are going well and that you're in control, you earn respect because they see that you know. But yeah, I've had to assert myself."

The scientist in the pilot plant.

Eva Laín does not seem like a leader of command and command.

She herself defines her leadership as organic, that is, "the needs of the project are marking my demands. Of course, I like that the members of my team are happy, and feel comfortable and excited about the project. We are a family

But never a knock on the table?

but always based on motivation and enthusiasm, explaining why what I'm asking for is necessary. But we have a very good atmosphere, essential because I couldn't walk the path alone."

Eve's future

When everything starts, Eva would like to take "a breather".

And later?

"In an ideal world, I would like to have a company to

to be pioneers in solving scientific challenges through technology," she says.

Do you have any ideas yet?

"I have some cool ideas that I'm looking forward to developing, yeah!"

After speaking with Eva, we suspect that she will succeed if she sets her mind to it.

At the moment, she -last June she received the Inspiring Girls Award- says goodbye with a message for her peers: "I want to encourage all the girls to be interested in science and entrepreneurship, to dream big, because with enthusiasm , courage and hard work often dreams come true.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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