AR3 to be first to process rare earths at ANSTO's new pilot facility

Australian Rare Earths (AR3) has announced via the ASX that it will be the first industry partner to access ANSTO’s new pilot-scale rare earth processing facility, saving time and money in advancing its Koppamurra Project.

The Koppamurra Project, located in south-eastern South Australia and Western Victoria, is a significant ionic clay-hosted rare earth deposit, according to the company.

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is constructing the state-owned facility in Sydney, which will process clay-hosted rare earths and is expected to be completed next year. The plant aims to save companies millions of dollars and about six months of development time, allowing Australian rare earths processing to come to market faster than if companies had to build their own processing plants.

Pilot-scale operations will aim to process around 25 tonnes of Koppamurra ore, producing about 35 kg of mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) — a key step towards scaling operations and future production. The pilot plant will result in the production of MREC samples for testing and qualification by potential offtake and strategic partners, supporting Koppamurra’s transition to binding commercial agreements.

The pilot program has been co-funded under AR3’s $5 million Australian Government grant from the International Partnerships in Critical Minerals Program.

“We are delighted and honoured to be the first industry collaborator to access ANSTO’s new world-class pilot-scale rare earth processing facility in Sydney,” said AR3 Managing Director and CEO Travis Beinke. “This partnership deepens our longstanding commercial research collaboration with ANSTO and will fast-track Koppamurra’s transition from laboratory to pilot-scale operations.

“Our rapid progress is in no small part due to the foresight of the Australian Government in recognising that Koppamurra could be in the vanguard of new heavy rare earths supply options for the global supply chain through the International Partnerships in Critical Minerals program 12 months ago, well ahead of China’s imposition of rare earth export controls on dysprosium and terbium.

“By leveraging ANSTO’s niche expertise and advanced infrastructure, AR3 is building sovereign rare earth capability — a cornerstone in Australia’s ambitions to develop secure and sustainable magnet rare earth supply chains for renewable energy, electric mobility and defence applications.”

“ANSTO is looking forward to deploying its new pilot facilities in support of the Koppamurra Project; a textbook example of undertaking applied research and development that will increase national economic resilience,” said ANSTO CEO Shaun Jenkinson. “ANSTO’s bespoke rare earth processing capabilities — supported by the Australian Critical Minerals R&D Hub, a collaboration with Geoscience Australia and CSIRO — will allow us to accelerate the development of Australia’s rare earth resources in the emerging cohort of ionic clay and clay hosted rare earth projects.”

ANSTO’s new facility provides pilot-scale capability that will enable AR3 to bridge the gap between laboratory testing and full-scale operations — a key step in de-risking project execution and validating process scalability. By using ANSTO’s new facility, it negates the need for the company to construct its own pilot plant, reducing risk and saving the company both time and money in Koppamurra’s development journey.

Image: ANSTO solvent extraction facility. Credit: ANSTO.