James Cook University (JCU) would likely provide technical expertise to staff and develop a vanadium industry in North Queensland.

JCU Head of Earth and Environmental Sciences Associate Professor Ioan Sanislav was speaking after the Trailblazer Universities Program met in Townsville this week.

The $370 million program is designed to ‘build additional capacity to focus on the problems that matter to the nation by driving research excellence and real-world impact.’

Main image: Vecco Group – vanadium electrolyte facility in Townsville

In this case the focus was on the development of a critical minerals industry, Professor Sanislav said.

“A big challenge for many of the small enterprises that are trying to develop the new kind of industry that is coming with the critical minerals is actually accessibility to a skilled workforce in the region,” he said. 

“One of the (mining) companies was saying that their shareholders are asking them, ‘Where are you going to get the skilled workforce to do what you’re planning to do?’ Because this is quite high level.”

The critical minerals industry provided research opportunities for JCU to build on, Professor Sanislav said. 

“We’re talking to the industry players in the vanadium space, for example, to develop research related to both early characterisation because vanadium is hosted in different layers and the recovery (rates) vary between these layers. 

“We need to characterise what’s the difference and then see how we can improve the recovery from the layers hosting the vanadium that have the lowest recovery, so we have them get the most out of that. 

“By the time the industry is established, our ambition is to have also the research ready to go that so they can transfer that into their production.

“It doesn’t require a large workforce development, doesn’t require large investment, just alignment of research to some of the trends. I think that can be a quick win for us and hopefully beneficial to these small companies.”

There were also myriad other research outcomes needed to develop different critical minerals categories some of which had more strategic than commercial value, Professor Sanislav said.