In South Australia, we are committed to decarbonising our industries and developing technologies to electrify our energy system. The link between electrification and mining our critical resources is clear and undeniable. Critical minerals are exactly that: critical. Without them, the transition to a clean energy future is impossible.
South Australia is well placed to deliver and meet Australia’s needs for a suite of critical minerals.
The global demand to produce complex technology and renewable energy products will see copper demand double over the next 30 years. SA currently hosts two-thirds of the country's copper resources and along with its strong association with cobalt indicates the state is also highly prospective for this high-demand element.
Continued exploration promises to put SA at the forefront of supplying rare earth elements for high-strength permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and industries that underpin a green-energy future.
As demand for battery storage rises, it lifts demand for graphite. SA is in the box seat, hosting Australia's largest commercial graphite deposit on the Eyre Peninsula.
Our government is investing in precompetitive geoscience projects focused on advancing knowledge to support critical mineral exploration and discovery.
This investment encompasses studies to describe and quantify critical minerals, hosted in SA’s mineral provinces along with those historically cast aside during mining processes to deliver copper, iron ore, nickel and gold. Legacy tailings may well provide easy pickings and contribute new revenue streams.