Australia's ambition to lead the world in green metals production has taken a significant step forward with the Green Metals Innovation Network (GMIN) – a $10 million initiative funded by the Australian Government to strengthen industry-research collaboration.
Led by CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, in partnership with the Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC), GMIN will bring together research, government and industry in a 'Team Australia' approach to accelerate the development of a domestic green metals industry for Australia's iron, steel, alumina and aluminium sectors.
Green metals will be central to the nation's economic future. Current annual exports of ores and manufactured products in the iron, steel, alumina and aluminium sectors are valued at almost $150 billion and the sectors employ almost 200,000 people.
GMIN is a key initiative under the Australian Government's Future Made in Australia agenda, which seeks to capitalise on Australia's renewable energy and mineral resources to position the nation as a global leader in the supply of value-added materials for the net-zero economy.
The network will coordinate a national ecosystem of research, innovation and capacity building to address key technical and economic challenges to:
- accelerate the rate at which green metals process routes are adopted
- de-risk the development and deployment of new technologies suited to Australian ores and conditions
- drive understanding of how to lower cost and increase performance in new processing pathways.
GMIN will support research, infrastructure, talent growth, future planning, and knowledge sharing to help drive Australia's green metals industry forward.
A nationally coordinated approach to green metals
Drawing on decades of industry engagement across the sector, CSIRO will help drive industry and research collaboration, enhance green metals knowledge and expertise, and identify education pathways to support the skilled green metals workforce of the future.
CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Doug Hilton said Australia has an opportunity to create new low carbon growth industries and jobs in these areas, but we will need the right tools and collaborations to do it.
"At CSIRO, we strive to shape technology development that drives low-cost electrification and decarbonisation of our major industries and exports in a competitive, low-carbon global economy.
"The challenge is immense, but equally there is opportunity here for Australia to be an innovator and to create a future where sustainable energy and mineral resources expand our prosperity.
HILT CRC CEO Jenny Selway said HILT CRC's role in co-managing the network complements its core expertise in managing research collaboration, deep industry connections and established education and training program, and experience in fostering knowledge sharing.
"By strengthening collaboration between industry and research, GMIN will help fast-track innovation and technology to address gaps in the low-cost production of green metals including iron, steel, alumina and aluminium, as well as Australia's transition to net zero," Ms Selway said.
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Background information
About HILT CRC
Established in 2021, HILT CRC is an Australia-based collaborative venture linking industry, research, and government organisations to develop and de-risk technologies that will create a low-carbon heavy industry sector and achieve Net Zero by 2050. Its mission is to de-risk decarbonisation for heavy industry through world-class research, undertaken by over 100 researchers at 12 research institutions in alliance with more than 60 partners, and provide an ecosystem for collaboration and knowledge sharing.