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30 Jul 2024, by Amy Sarcevic
As the world navigates its clean energy transition, the Goldfields region in Western Australia is increasingly being looked upon as a hotspot for critical minerals – demand for which has sky-rocketed in the build of clean energy technologies.
Already known for its abundant gold and nickel resources, Goldfields is also giving hope to explorers of lithium – used for EV batteries and grid scale storage – and rare earth elements – used for wind turbines and EV motors.
While major investments to support this exploration are already underway, the markets are volatile, putting downstream segments of the supply chain at risk. This and the domination of China – which accounts for 80-90% of global trade – mean the sector must build strategies for a more sustainable future, says Andrew Bell of Curtin University.
“China has historically been the largest importer of Australia’s resources, but they are now turning to Indonesia to meet demand for Nickel. In order to stay competitive in global markets, we need to innovate and de-risk all aspects of the supply chain – from extraction to downstream processing,” said Mr Bell, ahead of the Goldfields – Esperance Major Project Conference.
A new project, led by Curtin University, in partnership with The University of Queensland and James Cook University, is helping to do just that.
Partnering with industry, The Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer program is providing funding, R&D, policy and investment advocacy work. Ultimately, it is helping to unlock investment opportunities for the sector, Mr Bell said.
“The Trailblazer is already working with more than 30 industry partners including small and medium sized companies to boost industry’s research capability and commercial potential.
“There is a huge role for research and development to further unlock investment opportunities for the region, which Curtin and the Trailblazer are deeply committed to.”
The project is also developing world-class pyrometallurgy facilities to innovate and familiarise students with future processing techniques. The facilities will be utilised by local industry and offer real world projects for metallurgy and chemical engineering students.
“Students will explore efficient extraction techniques to maximise value from mineral resources while minimising environmental impact.
“All of this will help Australia’s productivity and competitive advantage on the global stage.”
While still in infancy, Curtin’s Trailblazer anticipates funding of $195 million, including $109 million of co-contributions from industry partners.
It is one of six projects supported by the Australian Government’s $370.3 million Trailblazer Universities Program which aims to build research capabilities, commercialisation outcomes, and industry engagement opportunities.
Talking more about the project and what it means for the region, Andrew Bell will present at the upcoming Goldfields – Esperance Major Projects Conference, hosted by Informa Connect.
Bringing together government representatives, executives, developers, investors and key stakeholders, the conference will discuss ongoing investments and initiatives to transform the thriving region.
Joining Mr Bell on stage are the likes of Jai Thomas, Deputy Director General – Coordinator of Energy, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety; Virginia Wilson, Chief Trade and Customer Officer, Southern Ports; and Bill Stirling, Chief Operating Officer, Bellevue Gold.
This year’s event will be held 28-29 August at the Novotel Perth Langley.
About Curtin University
Curtin University is WA’s largest university with deep roots in the heart of Kalgoorlie, through the WA School of Mines. We have 60, 000 students learning and some of the best researchers in the world developing new technologies to support the mining industry.
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