Critical minerals facility opens in Sydney

A new critical minerals facility in Sydney was opened last week at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) at Lucas Heights.

The facilities will help process clay-hosted rare earth deposits, while a new high-temperature chlorination facility will produce high-purity quartz — a crucial input for semiconductors, solar panels, telecommunications, medical and defence equipment.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said the government was determined to diversify global supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths that are crucial for national and economic security for Australia and our trading partners.

“Australia is meeting its responsibility to step up and lead on critical minerals and rare earths globally,” she said. “Developing facilities to support Australia’s processing capability will help strengthen our domestic critical minerals industry and create jobs, and is key to reducing reliance on overseas supply chains.”

Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science Tim Ayres said this is a significant step forward for the industry, noting that while Australia has a huge endowment of critical minerals, the real economic and strategic dividend comes from refining and adding value here at home.

“By bringing together the applied research strengths of ANSTO and CSIRO, working collaboratively across government and with industry, we’re helping Australian firms scale up processes, build supply chains, and capture more of the value from our world-class resources,” he said.

The expansion of ANSTO’s rare earth processing capabilities has been supported by the Australian Critical Minerals R&D Hub.

The Hub brings together expertise from ANSTO, CSIRO and Geoscience Australia to address technical challenges and deliver practical solutions aligned with the Australian Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy.

Image: ANSTO’s Dr Karin Soldenhoff, Minister Madeleine King, federal member for Hughes David Moncrieff and ANSTO CEO Shaun Jenkinson. Credit: ANSTO