North Queensland’s mining goals: ‘If we don’t manufacture our future, someone else will’

Mining industry heavy hitters gathered in Townsville on Tuesday, as the state’s resources sector eyes the coming decades. See what’s on the cards.

State Resources Ministers and Townsville MP Scott Stewart shows of a 'vanadium' lapel pin while speaking in Townsville on Tuesday. Picture: Blair Jackson.

North Queensland can mine, process and store renewable energy and the requisite infrastructure, the state Resources Minister says as the coming decades for the mining industry take shape.

On Tuesday Townsville MP and Resources Minister Scott Stewart announced EQ Resources had been approved to operate an open cut tungsten mine at Mount Carbine, about 130km northwest of Cairns.

Tungsten is used in smartphones, solar panels, wind turbines and EV batteries.

EQ Resources chief executive Kevin MacNeill said open cut mining would increase the mine’s grade-quality five-fold. Production of the critical mineral would jump from about 350 tonnes of concentrate a year to 900 tonnes, the company expects.

The Resources Minister spoke at a Townsville Enterprise mining forum, co-sponsored by the Townsville Bulletin, on Tuesday, where much of the discussion was about the $5bn CopperString 2032 project and how it would ensure electricity for mining projects in North Queensland.

The Mount Carbine mine site about 130km northwest of Cairns, where tungsten is mined from existing tailings and low-grade stockpiles.

The state government’s “energy and jobs plan” needed 7000, shipping container-sized batteries, which the Resources Minister said would be a boon for the region.

“The world’s going to need critical minerals that we mine here in North Queensland, to be able to decarbonise our economy,” Mr Stewart said.

Between Julia Creek and Richmond was the third largest vanadium deposit in the world, he said.

Vanadium is found in the limestone sediments of what was once an ancient inland sea in central and northern Queensland.

“It also sets up those opportunities for us to be able to produce vanadium redox flow batteries right here in Townsville. And I think that’s great news for us.

“If we don’t manufacture our future, someone else will,” he said.

The batteries would be put together side-by-side and were as reliable after 10,000 charges as after the first charge, Mr Stewart said.

Up to 135 people are expected to be employed at the open cut tungsten mine. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

“The plan here is to mine, refine and manufacture these vanadium redox flow batteries here in Townsville. We’ve got the capability. We’ve got the capacity, but I gotta tell you, we’ve got the passion as well.”

A planning application has been lodged with the Townsville City Council for Australia’s first commercial scale vanadium flow battery electrolyte manufacturing facility.

The only approved vanadium mine in the state is Saint Elmo near Julia Creek, which is yet to start full extraction operations.

Traeger MP Robbie Katter wants a commitment on when construction will start on CopperString 2.0. Picture: Blair Jackson.

Another hot topic at the mining forum was where the skilled labour for these statewide projects will be sourced from.

A lot of mining engineers came from overseas into Australia and our universities had an opportunity to “step up” and meet demand as more mines were opened in North Queensland, the Resources Minister said.

Townsville Enterprise chairman Kevin Gill was optimistic the jobs would be filled.

“Remember, we used to have 13 per cent unemployment, we’ve now got 2 per cent. People will find a way to take opportunity.

“And right now we’re making sure that everyone in Australia understands that the future of decarbonisation-economy is right here in Townsville, North Queensland.

Most countries had little ability to decarbonise their economies, Mr Gill said.

“Australia has a massive opportunity but only Townsville has everything. We have water, sun, we have wind and we have the critical minerals,” he said.

Robbie Katter wants an announcement from the state government that construction on CopperString will start before the next year’s election.

The Traeger MP said the state government investment of $5bn into CopperString, would encourage people and companies to invest their own time and money and move to Queensland.

Originally published as North Queensland’s mining goals: ‘If we don’t manufacture our future, someone else will’