The gateway to greener solutions is Queensland’s new economy minerals
An exploration showcase hosted by the Queensland Exploration Council (QEC) and McCullough Roberston today has illustrated the role critical minerals will play in lowering world carbon emissions through renewable energy technologies, according to QEC chair Kim Wainwright.
Ms Wainwright said it was an exciting time to be in the exploration sector, based on Queensland’s vast potential to provide the critical minerals and rare earths needed to manufacture everyday items such as smart phones, and renewable energy products such as wind turbines, electric cars, solar panels and batteries.
Guest speaker QEM Limited’s Managing Director Gavin Loyden told an estimated 80 guests at the showcase event in Brisbane about the company’s plans to explore and develop its Julia Creek Project in North-West Queensland.
He said QEM laid the groundwork to advance its green hydrogen strategy on-site at Julia Creek during the March quarter and post quarter-end, engaging two hydrogen industry experts to undertake studies into QEM’s green hydrogen opportunities.
“QEM’s hydrogen strategy aligns with the broader strategic direction of our flagship Julia Creek vanadium and oil shale project in North Queensland, as we look to target both the liquid fuels and renewable energy sectors,” Mr Loyden said.
QEM Limited last week signed an agreement with Siecap Project Management and Advisory for green hydrogen development in Julia Creek. Under the agreement, Siecap will develop an execution strategy for the mining, extraction, processing and export of vanadium pentoxide, transport fuels and green hydrogen.
Managing Director of Hammer Metals, Daniel Thomas, who presented at the showcase remotely due to being caught up in Western Australia’s COVID lockdown, said Hammer Metals was actively exploring “two of the world’s great minerals provinces”, being Mount Isa for copper and gold and WA’s Yandal Greenstone Belt for gold.
“Making a discovery at Trafalgar in Mount Isa has provided us with a tremendous opportunity to accelerate our exploration efforts in the region,” Mr Thomas said.
“We have a number of Trafalgar lookalike targets that sit within our own 100 percent ground and within a 10-kilometre radius of the discovery.
“With a copper equivalent inventory of 400kt of Copper in JORC compliant resources, Hammer is poised to move from purely a copper explorer to a company with Australia’s next copper development story,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to our upcoming drilling programs in Mount Isa, due to start at the end of this week, which contains a number of compelling targets including additional drilling at the Trafalgar discovery.”
Economics Policy Director for the Queensland Resources Council Andrew Barger said it was an exciting time to be a part of Queensland’s exploration industry due to bright prospects in traditional markets as well as emerging opportunities in the new-economy minerals sector.
“Despite all the uncertainty of the past year and the impact of COVID, Queensland’s resources sector is still working, still producing and still supporting the jobs of more than 420,000 people across the state,” he said.
Media contact: Rachel Stewart, 0408 130 767
