Queensland resources common user facility
As we work to meet climate change targets, global demand is soaring for the critical minerals and rare earths needed for renewables and emerging technologies like electric vehicles and batteries.
North Queensland is home to an abundance of these minerals, providing enormous potential for mining and production right here in our state.
To support the growth of our critical minerals sector, the Queensland Government is investing $75 million to build a Queensland resources common user facility (QRCUF) in Townsville.
The QRCUF will help our explorers and miners get their products into the market faster in the race to meet global demand.
The facility is a key action in the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan and supports the delivery of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, as well as the Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy.
Location of the facility
The common user facility will be located at the Cleveland Bay Industrial Park in Townsville.
We chose this location as Queensland’s North West and North East minerals provinces are a significant global source of critical minerals and rare earths, providing enormous potential for the region to mine and produce these minerals.
This is a great opportunity for Townsville to participate in and help grow an exciting new critical mineral industry that can generate well-paid long-term jobs for the region.
Role of the facility
There are high costs associated with the development, extraction and production of critical minerals. Prospective mineral producers are at varying stages of product development and are in the process of investigating the economic and technical viability of processing techniques.
The facility is intended to trial production processes, enabling miners to begin producing mineral samples at scale. However, the QCRUF will not be available for ongoing for full scale commercial operations.
Minerals processed at the facility
The facility will be designed to accommodate trials of a range of critical minerals and rare earths, but the initial focus will be on vanadium.
Vanadium provides huge potential for Queensland as global demand for vanadium in batteries and high-quality steel is expected to outpace supply before the end of the decade.
We have world-class, highly economic deposits of vanadium located in marine shale and the facility will allow us to capitalise on this opportunity by accelerating progress of commercial vanadium projects.
Development update—November 2023
The facility is in the development phase, with a focus on preparing costs and schedule estimates, procurement and community engagement.
Queensland company Sedgman, a member of the CIMIC Group, has been appointed as the managing contractor to lead the design and delivery of the QRCUF.
More information
- We are delivering this project in collaboration with Queensland Treasury.
- What is vanadium and why are we mining it?
- Queensland battery industry strategy
- Common user infrastructure guidance framework