Resource Sustainability
Africa's critical mineral producers are shifting from hosting resources to setting terms, and a recent intelligence briefing shows the leverage is real, the value capture is not yet, and the read-through for Australian operations is sharper than the geopolitics suggests.
Australia's share of China's lithium concentrate imports has almost halved since 2022, but the interesting question is not who took it – it is why they are being paid so much less for it.
The pursuit of critical minerals is pushing miners deeper underground, where innovation—not just excavation—is becoming the key to unlocking value.
It takes a certain type of confidence to suggest the future of clean energy metals might lie four kilometres below the Pacific Ocean – confidence, and perhaps a streak of stubbornness.
When it comes to the energy transition, not all batteries come wrapped in lithium.
Dr Sandra Occhipinti, research director in minerals at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is leading a team of more than 100 scientists focused on one of the most complex challenges in modern exploration: how to accelerate mineral discovery in covered terrains while simultaneously improving geometallurgical insight across the mining value chain.
As global demand for clean energy technology intensifies and geopolitical tensions rise, the importance of critical minerals has reached new heights.
At a time when mining operations are under growing pressure to optimise resource use, reduce waste, and demonstrate environmental stewardship, access to real-time data is no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity.
As critical minerals projects advance in complexity and urgency, early-stage metallurgical testing is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s a gatekeeper to technical and financial viability.
For Superintendent of Mine Planning Anne-Marie Ebbels, the expansion of BHP’s Prominent Hill operation isn’t just a technical upgrade—it’s a strategic shift in how the mine approaches longevity, productivity and sustainability.
