State eyes vanadium mine project

THE state government has announced plans to develop a vanadium mine and processing plant near Richmond in northwest Queensland and declare it a co-ordinated project to aid in its development.

Richmond Vanadium Technology Pty Ltd is proposing the project about 45km northwest of Richmond.

Deputy Premier and Minister for state Development Steven Miles told state parliament on Wednesday the North West Minerals Province was one of the world’s most promising sources of critical, neweconomy minerals.

He said vanadium was one of these critical minerals, used to make products such h as specialty vanadium m redox flow batteries for r electric vehicles and in- dustrial-scale renew- able power.

“This will be one of f the first mines to pro- duce vanadium in QueensQueens land,” Mr Miles (pictured) said.

“It could mine up to 4.2 million tonnes of ore each year for processing on site into 790,000 tonnes of vanadium concentrate.” The government’s Coordinator-general has made the declaration.

As a co-ordinated project, the proposal will undergo an assessment of environmental, social and economic impacts, which will include community consultation. Pending approvals, a the project is expected e to create up to 50 construction c jobs, and when producing about 200 operational jobs over o a mine life of 20 years. y

Richmond Vanadium di Technology proposes to transport concentrate to the Port of Townsville for export. Mr Miles said the government was pursuing opportunities for the use of vanadium in future local processing and manufacturing, having announced plans for a demonstration vanadium processing plant to be established in Townsville.

Richmond Vanadium Technology hopes to start construction in 2023.