The federal government has released an updated edition of the Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus 2020 for investors to identify the commercial opportunities within the country’s mineral projects.
The prospectus aims at attracting more investment towards critical minerals projects and greenfield opportunities in Australia.
Over 200 potential investments are outlined in the prospectus for critical minerals including lithium, cobalt, manganese, antimony, tantalum, zirconium, tungsten, vanadium and niobium.
It also includes an introduction to Australia’s potential with critical mineral and rare earth elements; a profile of Australia’s production against global supplies; an analysis of critical minerals found in Australia and the agencies that support their development; and a list of all critical minerals projects in Australia with funding, infrastructure and mineral inventory details.
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham said it was vital to gauge the interest of overseas investors for the local critical mineral projects.
“Australia is lucky to have an abundance of critical minerals, our next challenge is to attract the necessary overseas investment to get projects up and running, including in high-value activities such as processing and manufacturing,” he said.
“In order for Australia to fully take advantage of the growing demand for critical minerals we need to attract more investment along the entire supply-chain whether it be exploration, extraction, production and processing.
“This extensive stocktake of hundreds of projects illustrates the immense opportunity Australia presents for investments to not only extract raw critical minerals out of the ground, but to also process critical minerals and manufacture products such as batteries, superalloys, petrochemicals and high-end technological applications.”
The 2020 prospectus provides a broader range of critical minerals opportunities than the previous edition released last year.
“Businesses all over the world are looking to de-risk their supply chains and secure stable sources of critical minerals, and Australia offers a reliable and trusted option,” Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt said.
“We have technologically advanced, innovative and efficient resources and METS (mining, equipment, technology and services) sectors, globally recognised environmental practices, and a government that supports investment.”
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