Authors / CoAuthors
Thorne, J. | Lambert, I.B.
Abstract
Increasingly, society understands that decarbonising the global economy will depend on critical minerals and mining. This is leading to greater scrutiny of where the necessary commodities will be coming from, and whether they will be produced responsibly. Australia’s vibrant world-class minerals industry, which has evolved over a long history of mining diverse commodities, is attracting attention in this regard. Given the major roles coal plays in Australia’s minerals industry and national economy, the global transition to low carbon energy will result in major challenges that need to be addressed. The loss of coal can be partly compensated by an increasing focus on the critical materials needed for clean energy technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, and storage batteries. New mines, mineral processing advances and recycling will be needed to meet rapidly increasing demand for these commodities, and the recovery of critical metals from past, present and future mining wastes is also likely to be important. After outlining critical mineral supply issues, this report provides contextual information on types of mining and how mine wastes and rehabilitation have been, and are being, managed in Australia. After summarising the implications of closing coal mines, it focusses on growing the critical metals sector, with emphasis on the potential recovery of these increasingly valuable metals from mine wastes.
Product Type
document
eCat Id
147327
Contact for the resource
Point of contact
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia
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- Contact instructions
- MEG
Digital Object Identifier
Keywords
- theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf
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- EARTH SCIENCES
- ( Theme )
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- Net zero
- ( Theme )
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- Energy transition
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- mine waste
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- Published_External
Publication Date
2023-10-04T05:31:50
Creation Date
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Status
accepted
Purpose
Geoscience Australia commissioned this independent expert report to examine the potential impacts and opportunities arising from Australia's green energy transition with emphasis on critical minerals and mining wastes and recommend a strategy for a national assessment.
Maintenance Information
notPlanned
Topic Category
geoscientificInformation
Series Information
Lineage
Arrpwere Consulting were contracted by Geoscience Australia to prepare this report in May 2022. A preliminary report was provided in June 2022 and this final report was completed in July 2022.
Parent Information
Extents
[-44.00, -9.00, 112.00, 154.00]
Reference System
Spatial Resolution
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Associations
Source Information