Upload
others
View
4
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, AustralianA Critical Minerals Snapshot, based on the Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus 2020
01Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian
AUSTRALIA – A RELIABLE AND RESPONSIBLE COBALT SOURCE
Disclaimer
This report has been prepared by the Commonwealth of Australia represented by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), Geoscience Australia and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. The report is a general overview and is not intended to provide exhaustive coverage of the topic. The information is made available on the understanding that the Commonwealth of Australia is not providing professional advice.
While care has been taken to ensure the information in this report is accurate, the Commonwealth does not accept any liability for any loss arising from reliance on the information, or from any error or omission, in the report. Any person relying on this information does so at their own risk. The Commonwealth recommends the person exercise their own skill and care, including obtaining professional advice, in relation to their use of the information for their purposes.
The Commonwealth does not endorse any company or activity referred to in the report, and does not accept responsibility for any losses suffered in connection with any company or its activities.
Unless otherwise specified, all amounts in this report are in Australian dollars.
Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia 2021
The material in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – 4.0 International licence, with the exception of:
• the Commonwealth Coat of Arms
• the Australian Trade and Investment Commission’s logo
• any third party material
• any material protected by a trade mark
• any images and photographs.
More information on this CC BY licence is set out at the creative commons website: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Enquiries about this licence and any use of this document can be sent to: [email protected].
Attribution
Before reusing any part of this document, including reproduction, public display, public performance, distribution, dissemination, communication, or importation, you must comply with the Attribution requirements under the CC BY licence.
Using the Commonwealth Coat of Arms
The terms of use for the Coat of Arms are available from the It’s an Honour website (itsanhonour.gov.au).
March 2021.
Demand for cobalt set to rise
Governments around the world are introducing
carbon transition energy policies that will
turbocharge demand for battery minerals from
reliable sources.
In the US, for instance, new, green economy
initiatives from the Biden Administration will
trigger aggressive plans for renewable energy
development, smart grids and a large electric
vehicle industry.
These initiatives and others from the private
sector are expected to increase the global demand
for batteries by around 14 times the 2018 levels
of 184 gigawatt hours (GWh), to more than 2,600
GWh in 2030, according to a report by the World
Economic Forum’s Global Battery Alliance.1
In turn, the demand for cobalt – a key input in
lithium-ion batteries – is forecast to rise to at
least 222 kt by 2025.2
The challenge for auto and battery
manufacturers is finding a secure and reliable
source of this critical mineral.
Supply chain challenges and the Australian opportunity
Cobalt is usually recovered as a by-product from
copper and nickel operations. Consequently, its
availability depends on the ongoing mining of its
host metals. Conveniently, for the battery sector,
Australia’s cobalt is strongly associated with its
abundant nickel resources.
In 2019, around 70% of cobalt was mined in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), followed by
Russia (4%), Australia (4%), the Philippines (3%)
and Cuba (3%).3
The current dominant cobalt-copper supply
chain (from the DRC via South Africa) is
increasingly fragile due to ongoing concerns over
environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks.
The closure of international borders and regional
ports to non-essential exports due to the
COVID-19 pandemic has also upended global
supply chains.
140 kt
World production 2019 Battery demand (GWH)CoCobalt
1. www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_A_Vision_for_a_Sustainable_Battery_Value_Chain_in_2030_Report.pdf2. www.mckinsey.com/industries/metals-and-mining/our-insights/lithium-and-cobalt-a-tale-of-two-commodities3. GlobalData (2020), Global Cobalt Mining to 2024
2600GWh
20302018
184GWh
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Global Ranking AustraliaGlobal
Ranking
Production (2019) 71% (100 kt) 1 4% (4.9 kt) 3
Resource holding (2019) 51% (3,600 kt) 1 19% (1,353 kt) 2
COBAlT – RElIABlE, RESPOnSIBlE, AUSTRAlIAn 03
However, global cobalt production is expected
to rebound in the short term, with some new
projects anticipated to come online. There are
around 80 upcoming projects in various stages of
development, with the majority of these located
in Australia and the DRC.
Overall, global output is projected to increase at a
compound annual growth rate of 13.6%, to reach
190.3 kt by 2024.4
Australia’s vast cobalt resources
Australia offers solid cobalt investment opportunities, from direct investment in mining projects to integrated advanced processing facilities that produce a high-purity precursor material for advanced batteries.
Australia has abundant reserves of responsibly
mined cobalt associated with large nickel resources.
This presents a unique opportunity for investors
and battery manufacturers to secure offtake for
the mixed or refined output of Australian nickel-
cobalt resources for the long term.
Australia delivered 4% of the world’s cobalt
supply in 2019, and has significant potential to
supply up to 19%.5 Australia’s cobalt sector is
expected to grow by 5.3pc/year, on average,
between 2021 and 2029.6
Current Australian cobalt resources include
integrated investments from global mineral
trading houses and major miners that adhere
to standards set by the Responsible Minerals
Initiative and Responsible Cobalt Initiative.
Future Australian mining developments
highlighted in this document also acknowledge
the importance of global ESG standards.
Opportunities abound in MHP
Australia offers a compelling solution for battery
manufacturers looking upstream to secure raw
materials to manufacture cathodes.
Australian nickel-cobalt mixed hydroxide precipitate
(MHP) presents a reliable source of the two major
battery materials that enable the continued use of
the energy-dense nickel-cobalt battery chemistry.
Intermediate MHP is emerging as a preferred raw
material for the battery supply chain due to its
broad availability and lower cost profile.
Australia welcomes strategic investment from
auto manufacturers and their battery suppliers in
specialist cathode and anode precursor refining
facilities.
Australian companies, including Pure Battery
Technologies and Queensland Pacific Metals,
are developing patented MHP production and
refining technologies that will support efficient
nickel-cobalt extraction from lateritic ores
for the growing battery market. It delivers
benefits such as reduced or eliminated tailings,
recycled content inputs, energy efficiency and
process flexibility.
Australia’s existing and emerging nickel-cobalt resources offer considerable benefits:
Australia offers the opportunity to
invest in an integrated supply chain
and clustered specialist refining
capacity. This will reduce the
transportation steps between the
mine and battery from five steps to
two, as Australian refiners can ship
directly to emerging EU and US
battery manufacturers.
For end-users, Australia offers
a strong IP protection regime
for custom chemical precursor
production and further R&D.
Australia offers low ESG
risk exposure compared to
other jurisdictions that face
environmental challenges such
as Deep Sea Tailings Disposal
or unstable economic and
social governance.
Australia’s targeted development
finance agencies focused on clean
energy and regional development in
northern Australia have extended
their mandates to facilitate
investment in battery and critical
minerals projects.
4. GlobalData (2020), Global Cobalt Mining to 20245. NS Energy (22 February 2021) ‘Profiling the world’s eight largest cobalt-producing countries’, accessed 1 March 20216. Argus Media (12 January 2021) ‘Australia’s cobalt sector on the comeback trail’, accessed 1 March 2021
02 Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian
PNGINDONESIA
200 m1000
m
1000 m200 m
Browns Oxide
Wilconi
Claude Hills
See inset a.
See inset c.Windabout
Wollogorang
Cangai Copper
Hurlls Hill
Basil
Rover 1Peko Tailings Mount
OxideLucky Break
Barnes HillAvebury
Jasper Hill
Grimlock
Gorge Creek Highlands
Mount Cobalt/Kilkivan
Mount OxideTailings
MountGilmore
See inset b.
PacificExpress
MG14
VIC
NSW
SA
NT
QLD
WA
TAS
CANBERRA, ACT
PERTH
HOBART
MELBOURNE
DARWIN
SYDNEY
BRISBANE
ADELAIDE
RangeWell
Wingellina
Goongarrie
Sconi
NiWest
Walford Creek
Gladstone
Browns Sulfide
MountThirsty
Savannah
Nova-Bollinger
CapricornCopper
0 500 km
PP-3548-4
Australian cobalt projects as at 30 June 2020
Overlander
Duck CreekWhite Range
Canteen
QLD
E1-Monakoff
Salebury Wee MacGregor
Golden Mile,Evening Star
BelgiumCloncurry, Trump
Barbara Ernest HenryMillenniumRocklands Group
NSW
Hylea CobaltMalamuteHusky
Collerina
Flemington
Nico Young
Sunrise
West Lynn
0 50 km
0 100 km
Cobalt projects byresource size (kt Co) Project status
Mineralisation
Deposit
Background image: Magnetics(greyscale, 0.5 vertical derivativeof total magnetic intensity)
<10
10–20
20–50
50–100
100–200
150°E140°E130°E120°E
10°S
20°S
30°S
40°S
NSWSA
BrokenHill Cobalt
Broken HillKalkaroo
Mutooroo
NorthBroken Hill
North Portia
OpharaCobalt-Gold
Thackaringa
150°E148°E146°E
32°S
34°S
Inset b. Inset c.0 50 km
142°E141°E140°E
32°S
Inset a.
141°E140°E
21°S
Key advanced project
Operating mine
PNGINDONESIA
200 m1000
m
1000 m200 m
Browns Oxide
Wilconi
Claude Hills
See inset a.
See inset c.Windabout
Wollogorang
Cangai Copper
Hurlls Hill
Basil
Rover 1Peko Tailings Mount
OxideLucky Break
Barnes HillAvebury
Jasper Hill
Grimlock
Gorge Creek Highlands
Mount Cobalt/Kilkivan
Mount OxideTailings
MountGilmore
See inset b.
PacificExpress
MG14
VIC
NSW
SA
NT
QLD
WA
TAS
CANBERRA, ACT
PERTH
HOBART
MELBOURNE
DARWIN
SYDNEY
BRISBANE
ADELAIDE
RangeWell
Wingellina
Goongarrie
Sconi
NiWest
Walford Creek
Gladstone
Browns Sulfide
MountThirsty
Savannah
Nova-Bollinger
CapricornCopper
0 500 km
PP-3548-4
Australian cobalt projects as at 30 June 2020
Overlander
Duck CreekWhite Range
Canteen
QLD
E1-Monakoff
Salebury Wee MacGregor
Golden Mile,Evening Star
BelgiumCloncurry, Trump
Barbara Ernest HenryMillenniumRocklands Group
NSW
Hylea CobaltMalamuteHusky
Collerina
Flemington
Nico Young
Sunrise
West Lynn
0 50 km
0 100 km
Cobalt projects byresource size (kt Co) Project status
Mineralisation
Deposit
Background image: Magnetics(greyscale, 0.5 vertical derivativeof total magnetic intensity)
<10
10–20
20–50
50–100
100–200
150°E140°E130°E120°E
10°S
20°S
30°S
40°S
NSWSA
BrokenHill Cobalt
Broken HillKalkaroo
Mutooroo
NorthBroken Hill
North Portia
OpharaCobalt-Gold
Thackaringa
150°E148°E146°E
32°S
34°S
Inset b. Inset c.0 50 km
142°E141°E140°E
32°S
Inset a.
141°E140°E
21°S
Key advanced project
Operating mine
PNGINDONESIA
200 m1000
m
1000 m200 m
Browns Oxide
Wilconi
Claude Hills
See inset a.
See inset c.Windabout
Wollogorang
Cangai Copper
Hurlls Hill
Basil
Rover 1Peko Tailings Mount
OxideLucky Break
Barnes HillAvebury
Jasper Hill
Grimlock
Gorge Creek Highlands
Mount Cobalt/Kilkivan
Mount OxideTailings
MountGilmore
See inset b.
PacificExpress
MG14
VIC
NSW
SA
NT
QLD
WA
TAS
CANBERRA, ACT
PERTH
HOBART
MELBOURNE
DARWIN
SYDNEY
BRISBANE
ADELAIDE
RangeWell
Wingellina
Goongarrie
Sconi
NiWest
Walford Creek
Gladstone
Browns Sulfide
MountThirsty
Savannah
Nova-Bollinger
CapricornCopper
0 500 km
PP-3548-4
Australian cobalt projects as at 30 June 2020
Overlander
Duck CreekWhite Range
Canteen
QLD
E1-Monakoff
Salebury Wee MacGregor
Golden Mile,Evening Star
BelgiumCloncurry, Trump
Barbara Ernest HenryMillenniumRocklands Group
NSW
Hylea CobaltMalamuteHusky
Collerina
Flemington
Nico Young
Sunrise
West Lynn
0 50 km
0 100 km
Cobalt projects byresource size (kt Co) Project status
Mineralisation
Deposit
Background image: Magnetics(greyscale, 0.5 vertical derivativeof total magnetic intensity)
<10
10–20
20–50
50–100
100–200
150°E140°E130°E120°E
10°S
20°S
30°S
40°S
NSWSA
BrokenHill Cobalt
Broken HillKalkaroo
Mutooroo
NorthBroken Hill
North Portia
OpharaCobalt-Gold
Thackaringa
150°E148°E146°E
32°S
34°S
Inset b. Inset c.0 50 km
142°E141°E140°E
32°S
Inset a.
141°E140°E
21°S
Key advanced project
Operating mine
PNGINDONESIA
200 m1000
m
1000 m200 m
Browns Oxide
Wilconi
Claude Hills
See inset a.
See inset c.Windabout
Wollogorang
Cangai Copper
Hurlls Hill
Basil
Rover 1Peko Tailings Mount
OxideLucky Break
Barnes HillAvebury
Jasper Hill
Grimlock
Gorge Creek Highlands
Mount Cobalt/Kilkivan
Mount OxideTailings
MountGilmore
See inset b.
PacificExpress
MG14
VIC
NSW
SA
NT
QLD
WA
TAS
CANBERRA, ACT
PERTH
HOBART
MELBOURNE
DARWIN
SYDNEY
BRISBANE
ADELAIDE
RangeWell
Wingellina
Goongarrie
Sconi
NiWest
Walford Creek
Gladstone
Browns Sulfide
MountThirsty
Savannah
Nova-Bollinger
CapricornCopper
0 500 km
PP-3548-4
Australian cobalt projects as at 30 June 2020
Overlander
Duck CreekWhite Range
Canteen
QLD
E1-Monakoff
Salebury Wee MacGregor
Golden Mile,Evening Star
BelgiumCloncurry, Trump
Barbara Ernest HenryMillenniumRocklands Group
NSW
Hylea CobaltMalamuteHusky
Collerina
Flemington
Nico Young
Sunrise
West Lynn
0 50 km
0 100 km
Cobalt projects byresource size (kt Co) Project status
Mineralisation
Deposit
Background image: Magnetics(greyscale, 0.5 vertical derivativeof total magnetic intensity)
<10
10–20
20–50
50–100
100–200
150°E140°E130°E120°E
10°S
20°S
30°S
40°S
NSWSA
BrokenHill Cobalt
Broken HillKalkaroo
Mutooroo
NorthBroken Hill
North Portia
OpharaCobalt-Gold
Thackaringa
150°E148°E146°E
32°S
34°S
Inset b. Inset c.0 50 km
142°E141°E140°E
32°S
Inset a.
141°E140°E
21°S
Key advanced project
Operating mine
AUSTRALIA’S UNTAPPED, CONFLICT-FREE COBALT RESOURCE OPPORTUNITIES
The following pages provide an overview of advanced
cobalt projects in Australia that represent potential
investment and offtake opportunities.
This list is not exhaustive. For further information
on Australia’s cobalt sector, contact an Austrade
Critical Minerals Investment Specialist by emailing
More information on Australia’s critical minerals
projects can be found here:
www.austrade.gov.au/cmp.
Critical mineral maps
Geoscience Australia has prepared a map of Australia’s
cobalt resources, illustrating the location of deposits,
key advanced projects and operating mines. Project
sizes on the map correlate to the amount of contained
critical mineral within the total mineral resource for each
project. The red circles indicate key advanced projects
that have a project summary in the Prospectus, and this
Snapshot.
Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian 05
Project name Company name / ownership StateProject status
ApprovalsPrimary
mineral(s)
Total resource
(Mt)
Total cobalt
grade (%)
Nickel grade
(%)
Expected production
CoSO4 (tpa)
Expected host metal production
(metal)
Capital cost
Post-tax NPVMin.
mine life (yrs)
Offtake available
Sunrise Sunrise Energy Metals nSW Pre-constructionDevelopment
approvalni, Co, Sc 183.3 0.09 0.5 21,260
89,270 (niSO4)
US$1.5bn US$1.392bn, 8% 40 Yes
Broken Hill Cobalt Cobalt Blue Holdings ltd nSW Pre feasibility study Mining lease Co (S, Fe) 111 0.0715 n/A 16,800300,000
(S)A$560m A$554M, 7.5% 20 Yes
SCONI Australian Mines ltd QlD Feasibility studyMining lease,
environmental approval
ni, Co 75.71 0.08 0.6 7,00046,800 (niSO4)
US$974m A$1,167m, 8% 30 Yes
Goongarrie Nickel Cobalt Project
Ardea Resources ltd WA Pre feasibility study Mining lease ni, Co 215.6 0.06 0.71 10,00081,000 (niSO4)
US$918m US$1.805bn, 8% 25 Yes
NiWest GME Resources ltd WA Pre feasibility study Mining lease ni, Co 85.2 0.065 1.03 6,70086,000 (niSO4)
A$966m A$791m, 8% 15 Yes
Mt ThirstyConico ltd/Barra Resources ltd JV (50/50)
WA Pre feasibility studyMining lease application
Co, ni 26.8 0.118 0.52 7,6809,500
(niSO4) A$371m A$25.7m, 8% 12 Yes
04 Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian
07Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian
Sunrise Energy Metals: Sunrise
sunriseem.com
Ardea Resources Ltd: Goongarrie Nickel Cobalt Project
ardearesources.com.au
Australian Mines Limited: The Sconi Project
australianmines.com.auNSW
WA
QLD
The Sunrise Energy Metals (formerly Clean TeQ) Battery Materials Complex will be a fully
integrated supplier of high-purity battery-grade nickel and cobalt sulphate for the electric vehicle
(EV) supply chain, as well as one of the world’s largest producers of scandium oxide.
With over A$200m invested to date, Sunrise is development-ready, with all key permits secured, a
40+ year mine life and operating costs forecast to be in the lowest quartile of the industry.
The project development will consist of a shallow open-cut mine, hydrometallurgical processing
plant (pressure acid leach followed by Sunrise Energy Metal’s proprietary ion exchange technology,
Clean-iX®, to separate nickel, cobalt and scandium) and associated infrastructure.
The Goongarrie nickel Cobalt Project (Goongarrie or GnCP) is among the developed world’s
premier nickel-cobalt projects, with world-class supporting infrastructure in the well-established
Kalgoorlie mining district and an environmentally benign arid setting.
The project is a conventional open-pit mine with a low strip ratio. The mine has a projected 25-year
life span (2.25 Mtpa expansion case study) feeding high-quality goethite dominated cobalt-nickel
ore into a fifth-generation high-pressure acid leach (HPAl) hydrometallurgical process plant.
The GnCP resource of 215 Mt at 0.06% Co and 0.71% ni is already one of the world’s largest ni-Co
resources and is expected to support multidecades of additional mine life beyond the artificial
25-year mine life chosen for the expansion study.
Sconi is a Tier-1 cobalt, nickel and scandium asset with ore reserves that support an open-pit mine
life of at least 30 years.
Once in production, Sconi will produce battery-grade cobalt sulphate and nickel sulphate, and high-
purity scandium oxide.
According to an independent market study by CRU International, Sconi is expected to be one of
the lowest-cost cobalt-producing nickel projects in the world.
A sustainable, low-cost source of high-purity cobalt
Sunrise Energy Metals is targeting at least 50% of Sunrise’s construction capital to be
provided under a standard, non-recourse project debt facility. Four leading international
banks – Societe Generale, National Australia Bank, Natixis and ICBC – have been appointed
as Mandated Lead Arrangers for the debt funding.
In June 2019, Sunrise Energy Metals announced that it had appointed a division of Macquarie
Bank to run a partnering process for the Sunrise Project, whereby parties would be offered
an investment in the project in conjunction with long-term offtake arrangements.
The partnering process remains ongoing. (Critical Minerals Prospectus 2020)
A globally significant, readily scalable project
Ardea is undertaking a strategic partner process coordinated by KPMG to identify a
development partner within the LIB and/or EV sector, with 100% offtake available. Virtual
data room available for potential partners to review the A$50m of project data.
(Critical Minerals Prospectus 2020)
Foundation for a new era of clean energy innovation
Australian Mines’ primary focus in 2020 is securing offtake and financing agreements
for Sconi. The company is progressing negotiations with potential offtake and financing
partners, supported by current production runs, which are delivering battery-grade cobalt
sulphate and nickel sulphate samples for testing. (Critical Minerals Prospectus 2020)
PR
OJ
EC
T S
UM
MA
RIE
S
06 Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian
09Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian
GME Resources Limited: Niwest
gmeresources.com.au
Mt Thirsty Joint Venture: Mt Thirsty
barraresources.com.au
WA
WA
The niWest nickel Cobalt Project is regarded as one of the largest and highest quality undeveloped
nickel/cobalt resources in Australia. The Project is located in the West Australian nickel belt,
approximately 250 km north of Kalgoorlie.
The region is recognised for its nickel/cobalt production and is well serviced with infrastructure
such as public rail linked to ports, gas pipelines, arterial roads, optic fibre communications and
long-established mining towns.
niwest has eight shallow nickel-cobalt laterite deposits, each up to several kilometres long and 750
m wide, with typical thicknesses of 5–30m.
Initial 27-year operating life at a nameplate processing capacity of 2.4 Mtpa, based on mining of
three (Mt Kilkenny, Eucalyptus and Hepi) deposits only. Total life-of-mine production of 456 kt
nickel (in nickel sulphate) and 31.4 kt cobalt (in cobalt sulphate). Average annual production of 19.2
kt nickel and 1.4 kt cobalt over the first 15 years.
The Mt Thirsty Cobalt-nickel Project is an advanced, high-grade, low capital expenditure,
sustainable source of cobalt and nickel located in the mining jurisdiction of Western Australia.
The project will be a conventional open-pit mine with an initial 12-year life. Extensive test work has
demonstrated that the metal can be leached at atmospheric pressure using sulphur dioxide as the
main reagent, which is a key competitive advantage to higher capital expenditure, high-pressure
acid-leaching projects.
An onsite processing plant will produce an intermediary mixed sulphide product (MSP), which will
be dried, loaded into bulka bags and trucked in shipping containers to Australian end users or
exported via several container ports in Western Australia.
A technically proven, low-capital, high-margin opportunity.
GME Resources welcomes discussion regarding joint venture participation in the project, and
financing of the project construction or offtake. One hundred per cent of the forecast nickel
and cobalt sulphate production from the Niwest Project remains uncommitted.
(Critical Minerals Prospectus 2020)
An excellent long-term, low-cost, cobalt production opportunity
The project is available for investment from downstream partners, either as an outright sale
or as a development farm-in in exchange for 100% offtake rights.
(Critical Minerals Prospectus 2020)
PR
OJ
EC
T S
UM
MA
RIE
S
Cobalt Blue Holdings Ltd: Broken Hill Cobalt Project
cobaltblueholdings.com
The Broken Hill Cobalt Project includes the development of an open-cut mining operation,
downstream ore processing and a refinery to produce cobalt sulphate (suitable as a battery cathode
precursor) and elemental sulphur.
It is expected that the life span of the mine and processing operations will be at least 20 years.
Cobalt Blue has confirmed that the cobalt is locked inside the pyrite mineral. The company has
subsequently developed and patented a tailored metallurgical process with the following characteristics:
• high cobalt recoveries
• no sulphur dioxide emissions
• produces high-quality cobalt sulphate and high-purity elemental sulphur
• relatively low capital and operational costs compared to other processing methods.
Low-cost, long-term supply of ethically derived, battery-grade cobalt sulphate
Cobalt Blue is seeking potential partners to take equity, offtake, or debt interest in the
project. Advanced discussions are expected with identified parties as the demonstration
plant comes into operation and the feasibility study nears completion in 2021–22.
(Critical Minerals Prospectus 2020)
NSW
08 Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian
11
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR THE CRITICAL MINERALS SECTOR
Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)
As the Australian Government’s lead agency for
international trade and investment promotion,
Austrade continues to facilitate foreign
investment and offtake arrangements in critical
minerals. The agency does this by leveraging its
extensive offshore network – and relationships
with federal, state and territory governments
– to connect Australian project proponents
with targeted opportunities for investment and
offtake agreements.
Interested investors, project proponents and
offtake partners can contact Austrade via
our website (www.austrade.gov.au) or email
Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
The Critical Minerals Facilitation Office (CMFO) is
the Federal Government’s central coordination
point to help grow Australia’s critical minerals
sector and position Australia globally as a secure
and reliable supplier of critical minerals. The
CMFO was established in January 2020 and is
part of the Department of Industry, Science,
Energy and Resources. To find out more
about the CMFO’s initiatives, visit:
www.industry.gov.au/criticalminerals, subscribe
to Australian Critical Minerals news or email
Export Finance Australia
Export Finance Australia is committed to
supporting critical minerals projects and related
infrastructure, and businesses involved with
the critical minerals export supply chain.
Where critical minerals are important to the
defence supply chain, finance may be available
through the Government’s Defence Export
Facility, which is administered by Export Finance
Australia. To find out more about Export
Finance Australia’s support including eligibility
criteria, please visit: exportfinance.gov.au/
criticalminerals or call 1800 093 724.
Geoscience Australia
Geoscience Australia is a trusted source
of information on Australia’s geology and
geography. It provides technical capability,
geoscience information, innovation and advice
on critical minerals. The agency, working
with its state and territory partners, delivers
programs of continental-scale data acquisition,
and develops tools for mapping, prediction and
decision making.
Geoscience Australia’s critical minerals activities
aim to underpin new exploration technologies,
stimulate mineral exploration investment, drive
new discoveries and open up new, producing
critical minerals provinces. To find out more about
Geoscience Australia’s critical minerals activities,
publications and data, visit: www.ga.gov.au/
about/projects/ resources/critical-minerals.
Additional support is available
Other forms of Federal support are available for
the critical minerals sector. For an overview, visit:
www.industry.gov.au/funding-and-incentives/
supporting-critical-minerals-projects-in-
australia.
Contact Austrade for coordinated Australian government support on critical
minerals projects – email: [email protected]
A wealth of resources
Production and resources in Australia
The Australian Government examined critical minerals lists published in markets such as the United
States, the European Union and Japan, and matched those against Australia’s known geological
endowment. The result is a list of 24 critical minerals that are either being produced or could be
produced in Australia. These 24 minerals are identified in the Periodic Table above.
More information on Australia’s critical minerals can be found here: www.austrade.gov.au/cmp
Periodic table of elements overlaid with Australia’s mineral production, resources and exploration activities. Critical minerals are shown with red letters.
PmPromethium
61
Critical minerals
10 Cobalt – Reliable, Responsible, Australian