Mine waste key for renewable energy

mine waste

A three-year international study will look at whether Queensland copper mine waste could deliver a key ingredient for the renewable energy revolution.

The three-way agreement between the Palaszczuk Government, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) and the University of Queensland  will examine whether cobalt – a globally-sought-after critical mineral and a key battery ingredient – can be retrieved economically from old copper mine tailings.

Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the research could help unlock Queensland’s potential as a major global supplier of ethically sourced cobalt and battery manufacturing.

“Cobalt is a highly sought-after new economy mineral that is a key component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and battery storage systems,” Stewart said.

“Queensland is renowned for having a large endowment of cobalt, however extracting and processing this mineral is often difficult due to costs and resources.

“[This study] could also revolutionise how Queensland copper mines operate by turning their waste into a revenue stream.”

The collaborative study will involve samples taken from the tailings of Copper Resources Australia’s Rocklands copper mine near Cloncurry in north west Queensland.

Samples will be studied at the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute and at JOGMEC’s laboratories in Japan. Results will be shared between all three parties.

The project is the first joint venture between the Palaszczuk Government and JOGMEC.

In 2019 Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk re-signed a Memorandum of Understanding with JOGMEC whilst on a trade mission in Tokyo which included continued co-operation in the fields of coal, minerals and hydrogen.

Tetsuhiro Hosono, JOGMEC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said the latest joint research project formed part of JOGMEC’s Carbon Neutral Initiative.

“Through this joint research, we aim to promote the effective use of unrecovered cobalt resources in Queensland and other parts of the world.

“This could contribute to the stable supply of minerals that are needed for a carbon-neutral society.

“Should this project yield notable results, there is potential for the technology to be shared and used in other countries and regions.”

Professor Neville Plint, Director of the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute said reducing mine waste was a key challenge for the mining industry.

“As the industry seeks to reduce its environmental footprint there is growing interest in reusing mine waste as a secondary resource,” Professor Plint said.

“Through this research agreement, we have the opportunity to explore the potential to extract important critical metals from mine waste.”

The study is expected to be completed by 2024 with a public report and data set.

The project is part of the Queensland Government’s five-year $23 million New Economy Minerals Initiative that aims to develop, promote and understand the state’s new economy mineral wealth and potential through a broad corridor from Mt Isa to Townsville.

The initiative encourages new exploration, re-investigation of old mines and probing the geological information government holds already to foster new discoveries, projects and jobs.

For more information visit: https://statements.qld.gov.au/

 

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