Sedgman awarded lead contract to develop critical minerals common user facility in Townsville
CIMIC Group subsidiary Sedgman has been appointed Managing Contractor for a critical minerals processing facility in Townsville, the state-owned Queensland Resources Common User Facility (QRCUF).
In a statement on Thursday, the state government said it would work closely with Sedgman to develop the detailed design and construction program for the facility, which it intends to have operational for vanadium processing in 2025.
After this, the site in the Cleveland Bay Industrial Park will have “capacity to expand over time to encompass processing other critical minerals like cobalt and rare earth elements.”
Expressions of Interest for the Managing Contractor were sought on April 18 and closed on May 15, with the Queensland government then selecting a shortlist of respondents for a Request for Proposal..
“Minerals processing is at the heart of what we do, and we are pleased to bring our expertise to this unique project based in regional Queensland,” said Grant Fraser, Managing Director for Sedgman.
“We will now begin to engage other Queensland companies to bring this state-of-the art facility to life.”
The new facility will enable smaller mining companies to prove up their product and develop new opportunities for vanadium mining in Queensland, said trade minister Cameron Dick.
“The efficient production of vanadium, used in redox flow batteries could supercharge Queensland’s renewable energy industry,” he said.
“As the only facility of its kind in the Asia-Pacific, the facility will also position Queensland at the forefront of innovation and commercialisation to drive advancements in manufacturing, defence, and scientific research.”
Picture: credit Australian Strategic Materials
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