WA to unlock rare earths potential

The Western Australian Government has welcomed funding for a new study into the extraction of rare earth elements (REE), aimed at strengthening the state’s role in the global energy transition.

The Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) has granted $175,000 to RSC to work in partnership with Curtin University’s Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer, Narryer Metals, Dreadnought Resources, Terrain Minerals, and Pluto Resources.

This will build on previous MRIWA-supported findings, which identified and characterised strategic REE and other critical minerals like gallium and niobium in WA’s clay-hosted mineral deposits.

This new study will focus on deposits in the Yilgarn region, one of WA’s mineral-rich zones.

“Western Australia’s leadership in minerals research gives this state a unique opportunity to play a key role in decarbonising the critical minerals supply chain,” WA Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael said.

“This research collaboration between the WA Government, industry and universities demonstrates the commitment of the WA Government to a responsible and sustainable minerals industry.”

The study is poised to unlock WA’s under-utilised REE resources, creating opportunities to develop local processing and advanced manufacturing capabilities.

Its success could bolster the state’s critical minerals sector by establishing a robust and sustainable rare earth industry.

“Western Australia’s leadership in minerals research gives this state a unique opportunity to play a key role in decarbonising the critical minerals supply chain,” Michael said.

Future stages of the project could involve test facilities and explore the potential for refine processing techniques for environmentally responsible extraction and purification of REEs.

The WA Government sees this initiative as pivotal in further cementing WA’s leadership in the international critical minerals market.

“I look forward to the outcomes of this research enabling the activation of Western Australia’s world-class mineral reserves in support of renewable energy opportunities globally,” Michael added.