The Northern Hub gas project by Queensland Pacific Metals gets a formal nod

Queensland Pacific Metals (QPM), an Australian battery metals refining company, announced that they have secured federal approvals for their upcoming Northern Hub gas project situated in central Queensland's Bowen basin region. It was highlighted that this approval was granted under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. QPM pointed out that the conditions set are standard for such developmental plans. Additionally, the company confirmed that both approvals from the Queensland state government and an indigenous land use agreement are already established for this initiative.

Earlier this year, QPM took over the Moranbah gas project, acquiring a full 100% from Arrow Energy, an Australian upstream venture, and AGL Energy, a utility firm. The company expressed its intentions to increase the current gas output by one-third, which is equivalent to raising it from 10 PJ/yr (267mn m³/yr). Their ambition doesn't end there; QPM's long-term vision is to amplify the total output to 20 PJ/yr.

This significant boost is designed to back its Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) project. It was also highlighted that the Northern Hub, situated 43km north of the Moranbah project, will feature a compression facility coupled with a high-pressure pipeline. This infrastructure aims to connect with the North Queensland Gas Pipeline, channeling gas towards Townsville, a major industrial city.

In light of this development, QPM revealed its next steps, which involve securing agreements for waste gas sourced from various Bowen basin coal mines. The mines listed include Peabody Energy's North Goonyella based in the U.S., Australia's Stanmore's Wards Well, and Fitzroy Resources' Iron Bark. It's worth noting that a deal was struck with Fitzroy earlier in June concerning gas drainage from its Carborough Downs coking coal mine.

QPM's TECH project is poised to produce vital chemicals for lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles. They are planning a facility capable of producing 16,000 t/yr of nickel and 1,750 t/yr of cobalt sulphates. To add to their accolades, just last month, QPM made an announcement about successfully producing battery cathode-grade nickel sulphate at the SGS Canada's sulphate refinery pilot plant.

According to the article, by Procurement Resource, Australia and France have embarked on a collaborative effort to study the supply chains of critical minerals, especially focusing on the demands for batteries and rare earth magnets. The initiative, signed by Australia's Madeleine King and France's Agnes Pannier-Runacher, aims to fortify stable supply chains for these vital minerals. This partnership underscores both nations' drive to bolster their domestic mineral sectors and diversify global supply chains.