CopperString founder Joseph O’Brien backs Save our Smelter and Refinery campaign
The founder of a project pegged to reinvigorate the region says Australia bowing out of the copper market could be disastrous. See why.
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The founder of a project pegged to reinvigorate the North West Minerals Province says Australia bowing out of the copper market could be disastrous.
CopperString project founder Joseph O’Brien has thrown his support behind the S.O.S. – Save our Smelter and Refinery campaign saying the power project, which would connect the North West to the national electricity market, and said it was a key industry for Townsville and Mount Isa.
The campaign was launched this week as North Queensland’s copper industry teeters on the brink with 17,000 jobs at risk, after Swiss mining giant Glencore warned that Mount Isa’s copper smelter and Townsville’s refinery could be closed by the end of the year – without a $2bn support package.
Mr O’Brien co-founded CopperString – originally “Cu String” – with his father John in 2008 in a bid to unlock critical minerals worth billions.
The former-Premier Anastassia Palaszczuk announced in 2023 that the project would be delivered and owned by the state through Powerlink, which is now estimated to cost $14bn.
Visiting Townsville on Tuesday for the 2025 Townsville Enterprise Mining and Critical Minerals Forum, Mr O’Brien said copper mining and production was key to the region, and added that CopperString would play a critical role the future of the North West.
“I grew up in Townsville, and understand the importance of the interdependence of the mining and minerals in the NWMP to our industrial base and export in Townsville,” Mr O’Brien said.
“In 2021, Goldman Sachs described copper as “the new oil”, and when you look at the importance of copper across our information technology, data centres and iPhones, through to the plumbing in our houses, through to our military hardware and defence hardware, there’s no more important commodity, and it’s a great way for Queensland to grow its wealth.
“Australia cannot get out of copper production, and key to avoiding that disaster is to navigate the short term challenges in the global copper market, but also reforming our industrial production systems, and particularly the Townsville to Mount Isa minerals production and export ecosystem.”
He said CopperString would harness the north’s untapped renewable energy resources, while also boosting the competitiveness of industry across the corridor, including copper production, noting that major new copper mining projects were financially disadvantaged by reliance on diesel, instead of a competitive electricity market.
“It’s positive to see the government acknowledging the importance of solving that problem, and their strong commitment to economic development in North Queensland through CopperString,” he said.
Treasurer and Energy Minister David Janetzki said his government was committed to delivering an energy system that was affordable, reliable, and sustainable for Queenslanders.
“We’re committed to working in lock-step with local communities in a calm and methodical manner to ensure we’re delivering the best project for the North West,” Mr Janetzki said.
“Labor would never have delivered this project because of their fiscal vandalism, but we will save CopperString with an expanded early works package that will include a record capital investment.
“Early works on the Eastern Link continue to progress, with a strong focus on securing easements, planning and environment approvals, along with preparing to mobilise for construction of the Flinders Substation – the Hughenden Hub.
“As Powerlink prioritises work on the Eastern Link, QIC is completing a full analysis of the project with a focus on delivery models to support private sector investment.”
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Originally published as CopperString founder Joseph O’Brien backs Save our Smelter and Refinery campaign
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