Dubbo zirconia project

The Dubbo Zirconia Project is located in Central New South Wales at Toongi, near Dubbo. The project is developing a rare metals and rare earth deposit that is acknowledged as being one of the largest in the world. The deposit contains zirconium, niobium, tantalum and yttrium as well as rare earth elements.

Dubbo Zirconia Project, Once Developed, has a Life of Mine of 100 Years
Once the proposed mine at the Dubbo Zirconia Project is fully developed it is expected to process one million tonnes of ore a year for close on the next 100 years that will produce zirconium, tantalum, niobium and yttrium as well as rare earth products for sale on the global market.

Dubbo Zirconia Project Being Developed by Alkane Resources Limited
The mine being developed by Alkane Resources Limited is currently supplying ore to a demonstration pilot plant that has been operating on the site since 2008. This is being done to allow Alkane Resources to prove the mine's financial and technical viability. This has also resulted in the verification of resource extraction, the processing method and the development of a working flowsheet.

Dubbo Zirconia Project to Meet Growing Demand for Rare Earths
Over more recent years the demand for rare earths has grown significantly, mainly because of their use in the motor car industry, particularly electric and hybrid vehicles, home entertainment systems, smart phones, electronics disc drives, military uses and laptop computers, as well as medical equipment. Tantalum, or niobium, and zirconia are widely used in the alloy industry, the making of specialist glasses, engineering and ceramics.

Dubbo Zirconia to Challenge Chinese World Rare Earth Domination
To date Australia has not been a large supplier of rare earths, or rare metals, on the world market and the development of such a supply from the Dubbo Zirconia Project will considerably grow Australiaís contribution in this area. This market has, up until now, been dominated by China and the Australian production will create an alternative supply in the future. Memorandums of understanding have already been agreed to and signed by potential purchasers of the Dubbo Zirconia Project's products. One of these is an agreement with the Shin-Etsu Chemical Company of Japan. This agreement will result in all of the Dubbo Zirconia Projects rare earth output being exported to Japan for processing into high quality individual rare earth oxides, before they are released onto the global market.

Dubbo Zirconia Project to Create Many Jobs
The development of the Dubbo Zirconia Project will involve a construction work force of between 300 and 400 personell over a 24 month period, as well as the creation of a permanent workforce of around 230 people on a permanent basis that it is hoped to recruit from the local area surrounding Dubbo. The extremely long life of the mining operation, once it is up and running, will provide long-term careers for many people living in the central west of New South Wales.

Rare earths are actually widespread throughout the world, despite the name, but they are not often found in high enough concentration to be economically recovered. Once they are mined they require considerable processing before they can be sold on the world market.
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