Calix and Pilbara Minerals pause lithium technology project

Industrial technology company Calix and Pilbara Minerals have deferred any construction works not under contract at their $105 million Mid-Stream Demonstration Plant at Pilbara’s Pilgangoora Project in Western Australia. The project, supported by $20 million through the federal government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative, is 60 percent complete but will be paused until lithium markets return to…

Monash lithium technology could treat new mineral sources

Monash University engineers have developed and tested EDTA-aided loose nanofiltration (EALNF), a new method enabling direct lithium extraction from lithium-rich saltwater sources which are untappable using current methods. With some predicting global lithium supply could fall short of demand as early as 2025, the innovative technology sets a new standard in lithium processing, according to…

HPA processing, ‘4D digital twins’ and breakthrough hydrogen storage among newly-funded CRC-P projects

Round 16 Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRC-P) grants totalling approximately $55 million have been awarded to 23 projects, involving companies including junior mining explorer Impact Minerals, medical test maker ZiP Diagnostics, drone mapping specialist Emesent, and hydrogen storage company Rux Energy. In a statement on Tuesday, industry minister Ed Husic said one grant for almost…

Australia needs a National Innovation Council – by Dr John Howard

As shown in @AuManuracturing News’s Towards 3% R&D editorial series, Australia’s innovation effort is tanking, with a lack of national policy co-ordination a key issue. Here Dr John H Howard, puts the case for a National Innovation Council. In an era where innovation drives economic growth and global competitiveness, Australia’s fragmented approach to industrial strategy…

Element 25’s grant for US factory replacing China supply

By Peter Roberts The emerging pattern of Australia digging up the critical minerals while others finance the construction of value adding processing in their own markets is repeating itself in battery material manganese, with Element 25 securing lucrative US government support. Element 25, which is developing the Butcherbird manganese deposit in Western Australia’s Pilbara, has…

Now is the time to invest in critical minerals refining – By Joe Kaderavek

Following @AuManufacturing’s questioning of Australia’s progress in developing critical minerals, Joe Kaderavek says now is the time to invest in mid-stream refining in Australia. Commodity prices move in deep cycles, causing mining boom and bust periods. Many critical minerals markets are suffering from over-supply following a phase of over-investment after nearly a decade of low…