BHP has taken what it calls ‘the difficult but necessary decision’ to temporarily suspend its Western Australian Nickel operation, Nickel West. The company operates open-cut and underground mines, concentrators, a smelter and refinery all located in Western Australia. The company blamed ‘significant and sustained challenges to the Australian nickel industry’, which includes a period of…
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has signaled that pressures on gas prices are easing for industrial customers with news of a potential surplus of gas. Australia’s east coast gas market is expected to have a six petajoule (PJ) surplus in the third quarter of 2024, even if the three LNG producers export all their…
A slump in prices for the critical mineral nickel – used in battery manufacture – has brought action from the federal and Western Australian governments. In the past few days federal Resources Minister Madeleine King placed nickel on the Critical Minerals List, giving nickel companies opportunity to access billions of dollars in Commonwealth funding. And…
Processing of rare earth elements will be a key area of focus for the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s Minerals unit following a $13.9 million funding allocation under the Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub. The Minister for Resources and Minister Madeleine King announced the funding for a research project to accelerate the…
What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to this site were reading. 5) Federal government to contribute $70 million for Townsville hydrogen hub The federal government has announced “up to $70 million” in funding to support development of the Townsville Region Hydrogen Hub in Queensland, with construction expected to be…
By Peter Roberts Anyone looking for the federal government to put emissions-producing exports behind it and focus on zero emissions exports of green hydrogen and ammonia would be disappointed at a major speech just delivered by Resources Minister Madeline King to Japanese industry leaders at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo. In a long speech King…
The federal government has released an Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus which showcases 52 high-quality, investment ready critical minerals projects. Projects ripe for funding include mining, processing and value adding opportunities across the critical minerals supply chain, according to the prospectus. Australia’s critical mineral resources are considered vital in the global shift to green technology such…
The federal government has announced a $2 billion expansion in critical minerals financing, doubling the capacity of the Critical Minerals Facility to finance critical minerals mining and processing projects. The funding would solidify Australia’s position as a world leading provider, help the transition to net zero, boost the economy and support more jobs and opportunities…
Australia and France have signed an agreement to pursue stronger cooperation on critical mineral supply chains, opening the way for co-operation in developing critical mineral processing supply chains. The Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King signed the Bilateral Dialogue on Critical Minerals agreement in Paris with France’s Minister for the Energy Transition Agnès…
