CSIRO announces initiative to accelerate Australia’s green metals future

CSIRO has announced the launch of the Green Metals Innovation Network (GMIN) to further Australia’s ambition to lead the world in green metals production.

The $10 million initiative has been funded by the Australian Government to strengthen industry-research collaboration and will be led by CSIRO in partnership with the Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC). The GMIN will bring together research, government and industry in a ‘Team Australia’ approach to accelerate the development of a domestic green metals industry for Australia’s iron, steel, alumina and aluminium sectors.

CSIRO says green metals will be central to the nation’s economic future. Current annual exports of ores and manufactured products in the iron, steel, alumina and aluminium sectors are valued at almost $150 billion and the sectors employ almost 200,000 people.

GMIN is a key initiative under the Australian Government's Future Made in Australia agenda, which seeks to capitalise on Australia's renewable energy and mineral resources to position the nation as a global leader in the supply of value-added materials for the net-zero economy.

The network will coordinate a national ecosystem of research, innovation and capacity building to address key technical and economic challenges to:

• accelerate the rate at which green metals process routes are adopted
• de-risk the development and deployment of new technologies suited to Australian ores and conditions
• drive understanding of how to lower cost and increase performance in new processing pathways.
   

GMIN will support research, infrastructure, talent growth, future planning and knowledge sharing to help drive Australia's green metals industry forward.

CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Doug Hilton said Australia has an opportunity to create new low carbon growth industries and jobs in these areas, but we will need the right tools and collaborations to do it.

“At CSIRO, we strive to shape technology development that drives low-cost electrification and decarbonisation of our major industries and exports in a competitive, low-carbon global economy,” he said. “The challenge is immense, but equally there is opportunity here for Australia to be an innovator and to create a future where sustainable energy and mineral resources expand our prosperity.”

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