CuFe Ltd. and its strategic Tennant Creek Copper Alliance partners have been awarded grants totalling AU$600,000 from the federal and Northern Territory governments.
The grants will fund a feasibility study into the establishment of a multi-user critical and other valuable minerals processing facility, providing a pathway toward the development of each company’s current and future mineral resources in the Tennant Creek area.
The study is scheduled to be completed by June and will assess the optimal processing plant configuration and capital and operation cost inputs, optimal site locations and infrastructure needs.
The Alliance members, which include Emmerson Resources and Tennant Minerals, will match the AU$600,000 grant funding and further funding to complete the feasibility study.
The Alliance was formed to investigate the potential of developing a single, multi-user processing facility for copper, gold and other critical metals for their mineral resources in the Tennant Creek region of the Northern Territory.
The proposed shared facility will operate similarly to the historical Tennant Creek Mineral Field, with centralised processing facilities from several high-grade mines feeding the processing facilities through a hub and spoke development and operational model.
“The approval of this grant funding to support the feasibility study on a multi-user critical and other valuable metals production facility represents a strong vote of confidence in the potential economic and social benefits that these projects could deliver to Tennant Creek and the broader Northern Territory,” the Alliance said.
“If successfully developed, a shared processing facility would significantly reduce the capital costs and environmental footprints of the projects compared to stand-alone plants, and provide a more efficient, cost-effective pathway to development for future discoveries.”
Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations, Robyn Cahill OAM said the feasibility study will enhance the Northern Territory’s capacity to process critical minerals and attract new investment.
“The Northern Territory government is supporting the future development of supply chain infrastructure to help unlock the economic potential of our local mining sector and support the Territory’s leading role in driving economic growth and unlocking projects of strategic national significance,” he said.
“If successfully developed, a shared processing facility would significantly reduce the capital costs and environmental footprints of the projects compared to stand-alone plants, and provide a more efficient, cost-effective pathway to development for future discoveries.”