The Kwinana Cobalt Refinery aims to manufacture and export battery-grade cobalt that addresses an emerging, global critical minerals shortfall.
Cobalt Blue’s strategy is to develop the Cobalt Refinery in Kwinana to process critical battery metals from 3rd party feedstock and Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) from the Broken Hill Cobalt Project.
Cobalt Blue intends to expand the Kwinana Cobalt Refinery further to produce cobalt and potentially other metal intermediates from future Cobalt in Waste Streams Projects.
Kwinana Cobalt Refinery News
Market Update: Iwatani Corporation to partner on Cobalt-Nickel Refinery
Cobalt Blue is delighted to name Iwatani Corporation as our potential partner (subject to binding agreement) in developing the Cobalt-Nickel Refinery Project – to be located in the Kwinana Industrial Area, 30km south of Perth in Western Australia.
Cobalt Blue’s Mine to Battery Markets Strategy featured at the International Mining and Resources Congress (IMARC), Sydney
Cobalt Blue participated in this year’s International Mining and Resources Congress (IMARC) in Sydney (October 2023), which saw 8,500+ attendees from 100+ countries collaborating on trends in mining, investment, and innovation towards a sustainable future.
WEBINAR Recording: Strategic Update, including the announcement to progress the Cobalt Nickel Refinery Project in 2024
In this webinar, Joe Kaderavek (CEO), Dr Andrew Tong (Executive Manager) and Joel Crane (Investor Relations/Commercial Manager) provide an update on: progress of the Definitive Feasibility Study for the Broken Hill Cobalt Project, details of the recently released Study on our proposed Cobalt Nickel Refinery in Western Australia, and positive results of testwork on samples from the Flin Flon (Canada) tailings facility.
Strategic Update: COB to Progress Cobalt-Nickel Refinery Project in 2024
The Refinery is a proposed large-scale, cobalt-nickel operation representing Australia’s first cobalt refinery that will produce high-quality, battery-grade cobalt sulphate that is intended for IRA-compliant markets. It will be among the first large Allied Nation investments in cobalt refining for decades. The Refinery is expected to establish COB as an early entrant into the emerging midstream segment of the Allied Battery Supply Chain.
Queensland University of Technology, Cobalt Blue and Advancement of Australian Battery Making
Cobalt Blue visited the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Advanced Battery Facility in Brisbane during October 2023. QUT and Cobalt Blue are supporting the development of Australia’s battery making capabilities.
Cobalt Blue visits Japan – furthering Kwinana Cobalt Refinery and Broken Hill Cobalt Project Cooperation (Aug. - Sept. 2023)
Closing on the delivery of feasibility studies for the Kwinana Cobalt Refinery and Broken Hill Cobalt Project, Cobalt Blue is finalising funding assistance and offtake partnerships. Discussions held included strategic commercial alignments aimed at supplying critical minerals to fast-growing US and EU Electric Vehicle (EV) markets.
WEBINAR recording: Cobalt Blue WA Refinery Strategy and Definitive Feasibility Study Update
In this webinar, Joe Kaderavek (CEO), Dr Andrew Tong (Executive Manager) and Joel Crane (Investor Relations/Commercial Manager) provide an update on the WA Refinery Strategy, Definitive Feasibility Study, and answer questions submitted by shareholders.
Advantages to the Kwinana location
Access to import and export markets
Kwinana has deep water ports and export facilities. Cobalt sulphate is a fragile product that absorbs water (particularly in hot/humid regional conditions) if left exposed and requires specialised storage and shipping.
Direct port access provides a meaningful advantage compared to a more remote location - for importing third-party feedstock for refining and exporting product.
Cost advantage
Kwinana is a major chemicals district. Typically, up to 60-70% of the costs associated with conversion from Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) to cobalt sulphate come from reagent and chemical costs. This location provides more ready access to chemicals with lower associated logistical costs.
Integrated business
Refining is fundamentally an economy of scale business. A single, larger refinery would allow Cobalt Blue to process future material sourced from:
- Broken Hill Cobalt Project and (in future) other Cobalt Blue owned cobalt projects
- Cobalt in Waste Streams Projects, rather than build individual chemical refineries at mine sites dispersed through Australia.
- New Australian mining projects (typically nickel/cobalt producers) that wish to enter the battery production chain. The Kwinana Cobalt Refinery will become a gateway for battery grade Australian cobalt chemicals into global production chains.
Globally sourced materials will likely qualify for significant United States and other government financial incentives if processed via an approved country.
Staged Development of a Globally Significant Cobalt Refinery
Timetable and goals are indicative. Capacity refers to metal content basis.
* These estimates were reported in the announcement titled 'Definitive Feasibility Study Update' dated 5 June 2023. Cobalt Blue confirms it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in that announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed.
The staged development of the Kwinana Cobalt Refinery is presented in this figure.
- Stage 1 - third party feedstock
- Stage 2 - in-house feedstock from the Broken Hill Cobalt Project
- Stage 3 - future projects, for example a Cobalt in Waste Streams Projects initiative. The final Stage 3 capacity of the refinery is anticipated to be in excess of 7,500 tpa.
Global battery-grade cobalt sulphate capacity, 2027 (Kt Co)
A cobalt refinery of this scale is globally significant.
In addition to cobalt, we are planning on processing nickel in the refinery. This would be sold as nickel sulphate crystals.
Cobalt Blue aims to become the largest producer of battery-grade cobalt outside of China.
Source: Benchmark Minerals