ABx Group Limited has reported notable progress across its rare earths and bauxite initiatives. In Tasmania, the company completed a successful scout drilling campaign, with more than 30 per cent of drill holes encountering rare earth mineralisation. It is also moving forward with its Deep Leads project, having initiated a formal Processing Options Analysis and submitted a sample to ANSTO for evaluation. In parallel, ABx is developing a continuous pilot plant designed to recycle fluorine waste and is actively engaged in discussions regarding bauxite supply from its Sunrise Bauxite Project. These advancements reinforce ABx’s strategic position in the critical materials supply chain and may carry significant implications for stakeholders in the rare earths and bauxite sectors.
Image for representational purpose
ABx Group Limited is an Australian firm committed to providing materials that support a cleaner future. Its operations span rare earths, fluorine waste recycling, and bauxite mining. The company delivers both light and heavy rare earths from Tasmania, processes industrial chemicals recovered from aluminium smelter waste, and supplies bauxite for the aluminium, cement, and fertiliser industries.
The company’s earlier discoveries in Tasmania, particularly at the Deep Leads and Rubble Mound prospects, unveiled a 6.5 km-long mineralised channel. This connected resource area significantly expanded the potential to over 5.1 km², with more than 30 km² of additional strike-length exploration. These efforts resulted in a 50 per cent increase in the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), reaching approximately 89 million tonnes at an average grade of 844 ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO), including a notable 36 ppm of the critical heavy rare earths dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb).
The mineralisation in the north-west block showed exceptional near-surface thickness and enrichment in Dy and Tb, representing around 4.3 per cent of the total rare earth content, marking it as one of Australia’s richest clay-hosted deposits in these elements. Extraction tests conducted in partnership with ANSTO demonstrated promising recovery rates of 50–75 per cent using simple and low-cost dilute acid leaching, confirming the viability of ion-adsorption clay extraction processes.
In terms of bauxite, ABx also holds established assets in Queensland and New South Wales, notably at the Binjour and Taralga locations. These are among eastern Australia’s largest gibbsite bauxite deposits. ABx is in active discussions with potential partners to monetise these assets, with production targeted as early as calendar year 2025. This strategic timing aligns with a global uptick in bauxite prices, further enhancing project viability.
Alongside these projects, ABx is advancing its fluorine waste recycling technology. The company is developing a continuous pilot plant to process industrial waste, particularly aluminium smelter by-products, into valuable chemical outputs. It has secured a pilot-plant lease and a conditional government loan, underlining institutional confidence in this innovation.
With these developments, ABx is evolving into a diversified critical materials supplier, focused on three core pillars: rare earths, fluorine recycling and bauxite. By connecting early-stage exploration success with technical validation and commercial planning, ABx is well-positioned to play a key role in supplying sustainable materials for high-growth sectors globally.
Responses
