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December 2024

Person standing in front of a backlit cabinet at a conference booth at IMARC. There is a brochure stand to the left and two people in the booth behind talking. Words on the cabinet read 'Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub'.

Welcome to our final newsletter for 2024.

The year started with the announcement of the Hub’s second tranche of funding for research projects being conducted by Hub partners, CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and ANSTO. All seven research projects are now well established and making excellent progress against the Hub’s quest to deliver step change and technical innovation needed to build Australia’s critical minerals industry and secure supply chains. This newsletter provides some updates on the great work being done by our Hub scientists on lithium metallisation, mineral by-products potential, high purity alumina and quartz. More information on all our projects is available on our website.

International engagement has been a particular focus over the past few months. In June the Hub received a $2.5 million grant to promote R&D cooperation with Australia’s strategic partners. That has allowed us to provide essential technical advice to support government-to-government engagement, with the Hub and science agencies joining Australia’s delegations to official dialogue meetings held in the margins of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney in October and EU Raw Materials Week in Brussels in December.

We have some exciting reports and initiatives planned to help promote international R&D cooperation, so please keep an eye out for details on our webpage and follow us on LinkedIn.

Lucy O’Connor

Manager, Australian Critical Minerals R&D Hub

News

EU Raw Materials Week

The Hub’s International Engagement Manager Carla Gonzalez Zlatar and Hub partner Geoscience Australia’s Director Mineral Resources Advice and Promotion were at EU Raw Materials Week in December. They met with delegations from France and The Netherlands and participated in the Australia-EU inaugural strategic dialogue in Brussels under the Australia-EU partnership agreement signed in May.

Australian attitudes toward mining 2024

Overhead view of a white car driving on an orange dirt road with green open space leading to red hills

 

Hub partner CSIRO recently released one of the largest national surveys examining Australian attitudes to mining provides crucial insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and communities.

Engaging over 6,400 participants, the survey included a focus on critical and energy transition minerals to measure community sentiment regarding the mining industry's role in renewable energy efforts.

Learn more.

Australia's path to a sustainable future

Dark blue background with a digitised profile of a head in lighter blue on the right and words on the dark background in white on the left saying 'Innovation Series'.

 

ANSTO's Innovation Series webinar recently focused on Critical Minerals – Australia's Path to a Sustainable Future with speakers:

  • Dr Karin Soldenhoff, Principal Consultant, ANSTO
  • Lucy O'Connor, Manager, Australian Critical Minerals R&D Hub
  • Wayne Dicinoski, General Manager – Technical, Australian Strategic Materials.

A recording of the webinar is available on our website.

Resources

By-product potential

Researchers working on the Hub’s by-products project visited Nyrstar's multi-metal smelter in Port Pirie, South Australia. By-products are strategically important but with small markets. Hub research is addressing these challenges and providing insights into Australia’s supply chain potential.

Learn more

Downstream with lithium

The Hub is developing the intellectual property and knowhow needed to help downstream industries produce high purity metals and materials. One of those metals is lithium. Learn more.

Learn more

High Purity Alumina

The Hub is investigating new pathways to produce High Purity Alumina. Using alternative feedstocks, researchers are developing new, lower-energy techniques with a reduced environmental impact.

Learn more

About the Hub

The Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub has a new presentation pack that steps out our vision and strategy, our partnership and priorities.

Learn more

Features

Quartz: a mineral with hidden potential

Quartz, known for its beautiful crystal appearance, might seem be best known as a gemstone or decorative item. But did you know that it is actually one of the most versatile minerals we use?

The quiet achievers: Ga and Ge

Among Australia's unsung critical minerals are gallium and germanium. While small in volume, Australia's hidden treasures hold big potential for the global critical minerals market.