- Research consortium to evaluate new purposes for lithium industry co-products
- Team of experts will explore uses for 'manufactured sand' in sustainable road infrastructure
- Supports existing Government strategies and helps grow State's circular economy
The State Government has partnered with industry to research alternative uses for the co-products of lithium processing.
This collaborative initiative brings together key stakeholders, including the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), Main Roads Western Australia, ChemCentre, and leading lithium processors, to shape the future of sustainable infrastructure.
The project focuses on evaluating the potential use of Delithiated Beta Spodumene (DBS), a co-product of processing lithium ore, as a road-building material.
This research will provide further insight into the material's performance as an alternative to virgin sand, as well as boosting confidence that the material is environmentally safe for use in future infrastructure projects.
This work builds on an existing demonstration of the material in the Wilman Wadandi Highway (Bunbury Outer Ring Road Project) which was similarly overseen by ChemCentre and MRIWA.
This initiative, along with the development of the Recovered Materials (RM) Framework legislative reforms, are part of the State Government's commitment to advancing the circular economy through the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 and the Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy 2024-2030.
As stated by Environment Minister Reece Whitby:
"Through this initiative, our goal is to promote the use of DBS in line with the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030, focusing on boosting resource recovery and supporting a circular economy.
"The outcomes of this project will contribute to a more circular economy, reducing reliance on landfill, cutting carbon emissions and minimising environmental impact."
As stated by Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael:
"With demand for critical minerals expected to grow as the global clean energy transition gathers pace, recycling and repurposing waste streams provides great opportunities.
"In a global setting where governments are looking at ways to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions and society is demanding clean products, industry is having to work harder than ever to be at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing and the circular economy.
"I am proud the Cook Government can support companies like Albemarle in its efforts to convert its mining waste into a Delithiated Beta Spodumene product."
