Power Control Products

The EcoGraf (ASX: EGR) battery anode materials facility in WA and the Goschen zircon and rare earth minerals project in Victoria have been granted Major Project Status by the Federal Government. Announced in the last 24 hours, the projects are expected to create a total of more than 500 jobs during construction and close to a total of 400 new jobs during operations. In what is to be the first graphite processing plant outside China, EcoGraf will develop a processing facility to produce high purity spherical graphite for direct supply to battery anode manufacturers in Europe, Asia and America. This WA project supports the Federal Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy and WA’s Future Battery Industry Strategy and is estimated to create...

WHEN it comes to the impact of mining companies on the local community, Jack Campbell is one of the biggest supporters. Jack and his family have been part of the Narrabri Shire for generations, and together with his father, run the family business Namoi WasteCorp, started in the town 19 years ago. “Due to Whitehaven Coal and the mining industry in the area – the Narrabri underground longwall mine­­ – we have seen growth and found opportunities that would be unthinkable for small businesses in most small communities,” Jack said. “Namoi WasteCorp has provided waste collection and recycling services to all industries in the Narrabri shire since its inception, but now thanks to recent contracts awarded to us from mining...

The board of Iluka Resources (ASX:ILU) has approved the Eneabba Rare Earths Refinery (Phase 3) development in Western Australia. The decision followed the achievement of two central milestones associated with the project: completion of the feasibility study, demonstrating solid economics and significant potential for growth; and agreement of a risk sharing arrangement with the Australian Government, including through a non-recourse loan under the Australian Government’s $2 billion Critical Minerals Facility, administered by Export Finance Australia (EFA). Phase 3 will deliver a fully integrated refinery for the production of separated rare earth oxides at Eneabba, north of Peth. The refinery will be capable of processing rare earth feedstocks sourced from both Iluka’s portfolio and from a range of potential third party...

New regulations governing the transportation of lead acid batteries (new and used) have been adopted by the Australian Code for Transportation of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (ADGC). The new regulations came into effect in October 2020. The National Transport Commission (NTC) has adopted the new P801 Packing Instructions approved in June 2018, by the UN Subcommittee of Experts for the Transportation of Dangerous Goods. Upon inclusion in the ADGC there is a 12-month period before they become mandatory. The primary change to the existing packing instructions is the inclusion of requirements for transporting waste or used lead acid batteries (ULAB) in either stainless steel or plastic bins. These changes were introduced to remove the ambiguity as to whether...