The Australian federal government has opened a new critical minerals facility in Sydney to support the push to refine more minerals in the country.
The new installations at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Lucas Heights are designed to shift Australia from being a raw exporter to a global leader in high-value mineral refining.
The site will house specialised infrastructure to process clay-hosted rare earth deposits and a new high-temperature chlorination facility. The latter is particularly vital, as it will produce high-purity quartz, a fundamental component required for the manufacture of semiconductors, solar panels, and advanced medical and defence equipment.
Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said the government is focused on diversifying global supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths.
“Australia is meeting its responsibility to step up and lead on critical minerals and rare earths globally,” King 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.”
The project is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Australian Critical Minerals R&D Hub, which unites the scientific expertise of ANSTO, the CSIRO, and Geoscience Australia.
By bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial application, the hub aims to help Australian firms scale up their operations and keep the economic benefits of the mining boom onshore.
Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science Tim Ayres noted that Australia has a huge endowment of critical minerals but the real economic advantage comes from refining those minerals domestically.
“These new facilities at Lucas Heights show what a Future Made in Australia looks like: more processing and value adding onshore, not shipping opportunity offshore,” Ayres said.
“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.”
