Brisbane’s Sustainable Energy Landscape: Advances in the Minerals Sector

Brisbane - a vibrant hub of scientific research and innovation, is driving advancement in the field of critical minerals.

Queensland and Australia have a long and successful history in mineral resources, including gas, gold, copper and coal. However, it is also rich in all the critical minerals needed to complete the global energy transition.

The path to advancement in the critical minerals sector is taking a lead role in sustainable energy transmission – aligning with Brisbane’s journey towards what is going to be the most sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games in history in 2032.

Australia’s fastest growing capital city, Brisbane is at the forefront of increasing recognition of the importance of critical minerals with a newly focused strategy.

Queensland’s Critical Minerals Strategy was unveiled at the 26th World Mining World Mining Congress, held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) in 2023.

The new strategy positions the region as a global leader in delivering critical minerals to the world.

BCEC Advocate Adjunct Professor Dr Neville Plint is the former Director of the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Mining Institute and is currently Chief Executive Officer of Australian mining innovation company.

He has a global reputation in the mining sector with a career focused on delivering improved operational performance on mining sites by developing and implementing new technologies, while establishing a global network of research professionals in academic institutions, mining companies, and research organisations.

According to Plint, Brisbane is a world-leading research hub in the sector and is contributing significantly to solutions: “As a region traditionally dependent on coal exports, Queensland’s transition to other metals is critical in shifting to a low carbon future,” he says. “If you look at the Queensland strategy for resources, that is very much the narrative.”

Plint acknowledges the strengths of Brisbane in the critical minerals sector and the city’s position globally as the research and development capital of the world.

“Whilst it is an increasingly competitive landscape when you consider our research centres, industry leaders, universities and tech companies around Brisbane; when you put all of these together you have probably 20 kilometres of the most productive mining research in the world,” he says.

“We need critical minerals to enable us to move towards a net zero carbon future and to do that we’re going to need large volumes.”

BCEC is set to host the second Critical Minerals Conference, 26 – 28 August 2024 reinforcing Brisbane’s role as a leader in global energy transition and further shining a spotlight on Brisbane’s scientific research and innovation when it comes to critical minerals. The conference is owned by one of Australia’s peak mining bodies, AusIMM - the event will drive discussion on the role of mining in a more sustainable future, with the demand for critical minerals due to double by 2030. Given Brisbane’s research leadership position in this sector, the conference will return to BCEC every two years.

“Brisbane feels like a case study in action on this journey to 2032 and beyond – we have all the smarts to make a huge contribution in where the world needs to go for a sustainable future, and hosting the right conferences in our city to help accelerate this is a privilege” says BCEC General Manager, Kym Guesdon.
 

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