An Australian-first critical minerals facility has opened in Townsville, helping companies test and refine mineral-processing techniques, reduce project risks, and accelerate the pathway to commercial development.
The Queensland Resources Common User Facility gives companies access to specialised equipment to test and validate processing methods at scale without the capital investment required to build their own demonstration facility.
With an initial focus on vanadium, the facility will have capacity to expand over time to support other critical minerals. This includes cobalt and rare earths.
Foundation customer Vecco Group will use the facility to validate its process for converting vanadium-bearing ore into high-purity vanadium for use in vanadium flow batteries.
Vecco already operates a vanadium electrolyte manufacturing facility with an annual capacity of 35 megawatt-hours (MWh).
The company plans to increase capacity to more than 300MWh per year through a new plant designed to produce a range of electrolyte products tailored to vanadium battery manufacturers’ specifications.
The new facility forms part of the Queensland Government’s plan to unlock the state’s critical minerals potential, supported by a $146.1 million investment in the 2026–27 Budget.
As previously reported, Australia’s resource sector has become a major destination for international capital, with investors drawn to its established mining industry, vast reserves, and relatively stable regulatory environment.
The economic contribution is substantial. From 2014–15 to 2023–24, the mining industry contributed $2.9 trillion in resources export revenue, $268 billion in mining wages, $227.5 billion in company taxes, $167 billion in royalties, while accounting for 21% of Australia’s economic growth, according to the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA).
Queensland’s resources sector alone contributes $115.2 billion to the state’s economy.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
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