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Unlocking Australia’s critical minerals potential
Critical minerals present significant economic and geopolitical opportunity due to its large resource endowments and demand from the renewable energy sector.
Refining minerals into high value materials is highly concentrated internationally, positioning Australia as a potential future exporter of value-added products. Developing local mid-stream processing can boost economic value, build supply chain resilience, and improve environmental outcomes.
To compete effectively, Australia needs to prioritise research development and demonstration (RD&D) investment and international collaboration.
A comprehensive assessment of Australia’s innovation in critical minerals
This world-first assessment provides a comprehensive overview of Australia's innovation opportunities to develop a competitive and sustainable mid-stream processing industry manufacturing:
- lithium-ion batteries
- rare earth magnets
- solar photovoltaic (PV)
The report offers foundational insights to guide decision-makers in understanding the technology landscape for processing—from commercially mature technologies to emerging disruptive pathways.
Three RD&D themes were identified as priorities to enable sovereign critical minerals processing across various supply chains:
- Continuous and step change improvements on cost and sustainability
- Maximising RD&D investment returns through cross-cutting capabilities and shared infrastructure
- Integrating research from adjacent fields to support innovation and decision-making
Supplementary mineral reports for in-depth understanding
A series of supplementary mineral reports have been produced to facilitate stakeholder understanding of individual supply chains and the processing pathways available, as well as the state of play globally and in Australia.
- Lithium PDF (2 MB)
- Cobalt PDF (3 MB)
- Graphite PDF (2 MB)
- Rare earths PDF (2 MB)
- Silicon PDF (2 MB)
- LIB recycling PDF (1 MB)
The report is informed by and aligned with key national strategies including, the Future Made In Australia Act, Australia’s Critical Mineral Strategy, National Battery Strategy, and Critical Technologies Statement.
This report was delivered by CSIRO Futures and funded by DISR’s Critical Minerals Office and will inform the work of the Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub – an initiative which brings together Australia’s leading science agencies – ANSTO, CSIRO and Geoscience Australia.