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neWs FBICRC directors Mark Woffenden, Graeme Hunt, Sarah

Ryan, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the
Hon Karen Andrews and FBICRC chair Tim Shanahan

Gary Frampton, Head of Business Development
& Technical Projects, BHP Nickel West taking Australian
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Hon
Karen Andrews through operations at the pilot plant facility

the nation. I think while that piece of work contracting several projects at the mo- with the initial wave of research projects,”
might be finished in early April and will ment, including the cathode precursor Ellis said.
really enforce the value that we’re creat- pilot plant, the official launch by Minister “In addition to the cathode precursor
ing at the raw material, mining and pro- Andrews meant Commonwealth funding pilot plant, there are several other pro-
cessing end all helping point to the scale would be utilised and allowed the FBI- jects we are working on, including the
of the opportunity that exists if we are CRC to move forward to raise funds from National Battery Testing Facility. As we
able to move further downstream.” its participants. complete the contracting for those other
The findings will almost certainly pro- “I guess we are now at the point of re- significant projects, we will be individu-
vide both a baseline for measuring the ally kicking off those research projects. ally announcing them over the next 1-2
impact of the CRC and the projects un- We are a six-year CRC and now that we months, coronavirus permitting.”
dertaken. have unlocked the funding, we will be en- – Mark Andrews
Ellis said that while the FBICRC was deavouring to move as quickly as we can

FBICRC’s cathode precursor pilot plant is a four-BICRC’s cathode precursor pilot plant is a four-
F
y year project estimated to cost $13.2 million ($6.8 ear project estimated to cost $13.2 million ($6.8
mi
million cash/$6.4 million in-kind). An initial funding llion cash/$6.4 million in-kind). An initial funding
o
of $100,000 for a study by QUT/Hatch into the f $100,000 for a study by QUT/Hatch into the
economic feasibility and supply chains for precursor conomic feasibility and supply chains for precursor
e
m
manufacture in WA at industrial scale has been anufacture in WA at industrial scale has been
a approved by the FBICRC board, with a further pproved by the FBICRC board, with a further
$300,000 committed to feasibility stage for a pilot 300,000 committed to feasibility stage for a pilot
$
operation as well as verification of technical and peration as well as verification of technical and
o
p
processing capabilityrocessing capability

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