Funded Projects

We’re investing in the future of Australia’s resources and critical minerals productivity.

The RTCM Trailblazer has committed over $100 million in funding to support cutting-edge advancements in critical minerals exploration, production and processing.

A core purpose of the Trailblazer is to progress technology readiness in partnership with industry. Participation from our industry partners is crucial for de-risking new technology being developed from these projects to make it more attractive to SMEs, investors and industry to adopt and implement new ways of working.

Funding has been provided by Curtin University, The University of Queensland and James Cook University, the Department of Education’s Trailblazer Universities Program, and over 50 industry partners. Our Trailblazer is transforming the way industry, universities and researchers work together, enabling the optimisation of resource operations by developing exciting new technologies, and equipping our innovators with the skills and knowledge to transform the sector.

Trailblazer Funding Approvals

Below is a summary of the key projects and initiatives that have been funded to date by the RTCM Trailblazer. This list is non-exhaustive and will be constantly updated as new projects are greenlit by the program. For further information about any of these projects, feel free to contact us.

Project Name	Researchers	Description	Lead University	Industry Partner(s)	Location	Outcomes
Auto-Optimisation for Shutdown Maintenance Scheduling Digitisation of Resource Operations	Professor Ryan Loxton, Dr Hoa Bui, Dr Elham Mardaneh	Developing powerful software to automatically create optimised maintenance schedules for mining and resource industries, reducing downtime and improving efficiency.	Curtin University		Perth, Western Australia	Automated creation of optimised shutdown schedules that can reduce downtime by 25% and headcount by 20% for large shutdowns, bringing systems back online faster for increased productivity and cost savings.
Copper Recovery from Concentrates Mineral Processing	Associate Professor Elsayed Oraby	Traditional copper extraction uses energy-intensive smelting and acid leaching, causing pollution and high costs. Glycine leaching offers a safer, sustainable alternative.	Curtin University	Draslovka’s Mining and Process Solutions	Perth, Western Australia	Investigate oxidation and leaching kinetics of copper in glycine solutions. Optimise recovery, reduce reagent use, and evaluate the economic and environmental impacts versus conventional methods.
DARC – Drilling Analytics Research Centre Digitisation of Resource Operations	Associate Professor Masood Mostofi	DARC develops automated drilling tech, including smart fluids and systems to monitor and control fluid properties. The team automates drill control, reporting, and remote monitoring.	Curtin University		Perth, Western Australia and various remote exploration sites	Automation of exploration drilling processes will improve – safety through hazardous work elimination, ESG performance through reduced land impact, and overall efficiency and productivity of operations.
Development of High-Capacity Thermal Energy Storage (TES) System for High-Temperature Applications Energy Value Chain	Associate Professor Tejas Bhatelia, Biao Sun, Milin Shah, Vendi Yadri	This project aims to develop high-capacity thermal energy storage (TES) System using 3D printed triply periodic minimal surface shapes and phase change material tested by laboratory experiments for its thermal energy storage capacity.	Curtin University	Woodside Energy	Perth, Western Australia	An efficient, compact, and scalable TES system for high-temperature applications.
Drill Rig Path Optimisation Digitisation of Resource Operations	Dr Roohollah Shirani Faradonbeh, Professor Erkan Topal, Masoud Samaei	Development of a drill rig path optimisation system for autonomous mine production drilling, continuously optimising routes in real-time based on defined constraints and dynamic conditions.	Curtin University	Flanders Electric	Perth, Western Australia	Increased autonomy in drilling operations, reduced travel time, and fewer human intervention requirements.
Electrically heated reactor for large-scale CO2 utilisation Energy Value Chain	Associate Professor Tejas Bhatelia, Milin Shah, Mohammad Shakir	Reforming is a catalytic process that can convert CO2, CH4 and H2O into synthesis gas (a mixture of CO and H2). Conventional reactors require great amounts of energy to produce the high temperatures required for this process. This project aims to develop an e-reactor with a newly developed catalyst formulation to replace the current industrial standard.	Curtin University	Woodside Energy	Perth, Western Australia	The developed technology has the potential to overcome the shortcomings of conventional fired heat reactors, reducing the capital and operational costs required. Paving a way for the use of renewable energy in the production of synthesis gas can be easily upgraded to other value-added hydrocarbons, with the potential for the process to be full carbon neutral.
Enabling the Safe Transport of Hydrogen Energy Value Chain	Professor Craig Buckley, Associate Professor Mark Paskevicius, Dr Mauricio Di Lorenzo, Dr Terry Humphries, Dr Jacob Martin	Looking at candidate materials for manufacturing hydrogen barriers for pipelines and storage tank transmission and distribution infrastructure.	Curtin University	Cadoux Limited	Perth, Western Australia	Potential for new hydrogen storage and transport technologies, supporting investment in Australian hydrogen capabilities.
High Temperature Metallurgy Facility Mineral Processing	Associate Professor Laurence Dyer	Capacity-building project to develop a future-facing high-temperature metallurgy research facility at Kalgoorlie.	Curtin University		Kalgoorlie, Western Australia	Development of sustainable methods for downstream critical mineral extraction and metal production. The project will also help grow a skilled workforce in these areas.
Innovative Leaching Research Team Mineral Processing	Professor Elsayed Oraby	Establishing an Australian-first research team consisting of Draslovka’s MPS engineers, a lead professor, research staff, and students to address technical challenges for industrial adoption of glycine leaching technology.	Curtin University	Draslovka’s Mining Process Solutions	Perth, Western Australia	Establishing a dedicated research team to co-develop technologies that will revolutionise the metal extraction process whilst building on the long-term collaborative relationship between Curtin and MPS.
Isotope Fingerprinting Mineral Exploration	Taryn Scharf, Professor Chris Kirkland	Further the development of a method to extract geological information from the physical properties of mineral grains. The project has been developed as a software solution with a well-designed front-end and advanced Machine Learning techniques.	Curtin University	Timescales of Mineral Systems Group	Perth, Western Australia	The new solution is anticipated to improve minerals tracing and reduce uncertainty in geological interpretations. AnalyZr is an on-going research project that holds potential for minerals exploration.
KalClay Cement Substitute Mine Waste Management	Professor Ernesto Villaescusa Dr Nadia Bustos	Investigation of Aluminium Silicate Non-Expanding Clay (KalClay) as a partial substitute for cement in several mining applications.	Curtin University	IGO, Goldfields, Evolution Mining, Geobrugg, Mining3, Ambrose Mining	Kalgoorlie, Western Australia	A reduction in cement costs and CO2 emissions ranging from 25 to 40%. The project aims to develop industrial applications with intellectual property on mix formulation optimisation.
Managing waste from mining with live covers and superplants Mine Waste Management	Amelia Corzo-Remigio, Mandana Shaygan, Mansour Edraki	The aim is to develop a novel time- and cost-effective process for scaling up the rehabilitation of tailings and mine waste, using a combination of a novel hybrid soil cover system and resilient species of plants referred to herein as ‘superplants.’	The University of Queensland	Evolution Mining	Mt Rawdon Operation, 130km west of Bundaberg, Queensland	All mine residue, across the globe, requires the reestablishment of soil and vegetation covers. Some sites have adopted a preferred cover design based on models that are not always validated by field trials. Our scale-up approach aims to minimise the risk of cover failures by incorporating superplants into a live cover system, therefore de-risking the progressive rehabilitation and closure plans.
Nepternal Hydrogen Energy Value Chain	Dr Jiayi Tang, Professor Zongping Shao	Continued optimisation and scaling of novel green hydrogen electrolysis method using vapour to produce 99.999% pure hydrogen at improved electrical efficiency and performance over current technologies. The method also co-produces pure water and opportunities for critical mineral recovery from seawater.	Curtin University	Woodside Energy	Perth, Western Australia	Helping to create the future of Australia’s energy industry through cost competitive green hydrogen.
New Economy Mineral Testing Technology Digitisation of Resource Operations	Professor Mohsen Yahyaei	This project will commercialise a suite of small-scale (~200 kg/h) continuous conventional and novel processing units that have been developed or are under development to allow mining companies to rapidly prototype processing flowsheets for new economy minerals, mine tailing and battery minerals while incorporating novel processing units and flowsheets. This facility will allow the identification of low energy and low emissions extraction flowsheets. No such testing facility is currently available, making it difficult for companies to conduct economic evaluation and de-risking of the innovative processing approaches that will be necessary for the new metals and increased demand required for the future energy transition and the new economy.	The University of Queensland	JK Tech	Brisbane, Queensland	This technology will aid mining operations to identify innovative processing flowsheets with lower energy consumption, less waste, safer waste, and better pathways to valorisation. Maintenance of the status quo in mineral processing is not an option in the face of increased metal demand and lower metal grades, which, in the absence of change, would lead to exponential increases in energy consumption, emissions and tailings volumes. The impact of this technology will be in aiding the mining industry in maintaining profitability whilst lowering emissions and improving ESG performance through reduction in processing footprints. Mining companies will be able to test innovative flowsheets faster and earlier in the life of a new project.
Optimising Extraction of Tin, Boron and Secondary Minerals from Borate Deposits Mineral Processing	Associate Professor Bogale Tadesse, Dr Lisha Dong, Dr Brad Schwehr	Development of a novel hydrometallurgical flowsheet for extracting tin, boron, and other critical metals from borates. The plan includes mineral characterisation, bench, and pilot-scale testing to facilitate industrial adoption.	Curtin University	Critica Limited	Kalgoorlie, Western Australia Mt Lindsay, Tasmania	Increasing value and reducing waste in multi-commodity critical mineral deposits.
Percrystallisation Technology Demonstration and Hydrometallurgy Capacity Rare Earth Processing	Associate Professor James Vaughan; Dr Hong Peng; Dr Ummul Sultana	This project aims to demonstrate novel percrystallisation technology in a scaled-up pilot reactor which can be operated continuously for extended periods of time, derisking technology commercialisation.	The University of Queensland		Brisbane, Queensland	The demonstration of percrystallisation is a step towards commercialisation of this new processing technology which is significantly more productive than conventional evaporative crystallisation. There are exciting opportunities to deploy the technology for zero-liquid discharge applications and in production of metal salts, relevant to the processing of critical minerals into valuable metal products.
Producing Battery-Grade Manganese Chemicals and Energy Materials from Diverse Sources Mineral Processing	Professor Elsayed Oraby, Dr Arash Arami-Niya, Dr Nirmala Ilankoon; Prof Jacques Eksteen	Innovative methods for sustainable production of manganese from primary and secondary sources. Manganese is a key component of lithium-ion and alkaline batteries.	Curtin University	Sakura Ferroalloy, CPC Engineering	Perth, Western Australia Malaysia	Streamlining manganese production to create battery-grade chemicals with reduced energy consumption. Pilot plant to convert waste into materials essential for the electric vehicle and battery industries.
Producing HPA from Kaolin Mine Waste Management	Dr Hong Peng, Professor John Zhu	Test a new method of making high purity alumina (needed in advanced electronics and batteries) using cheap and abundant clay minerals rather than rarer aluminium ores.	The University of Queensland	Gallium Qld, K2HPA Pty Ltd	Brisbane, Queensland	The project aims to develop the means to produce HPA from abundant and easily mined kaolin as opposed to rarer and more valuable bauxite.
RapidGraphite Energy Value Chain	Dr Jason Fogg, Dr Jacob Martin, Associate Professor Nigel Marks	RapidGraphite technology offers cost-effective, low-carbon synthetic graphite production using overlooked feedstocks for the battery industry. One of Curtin’s new protoventures being developed by the Curtin Venture Studio.	Curtin University		Perth, Western Australia	Cost-competitive synthetic graphite production in Australia, supporting the green energy transition.
Recovery of Rare Earth Elements from Jupiter and Brothers Deposits Clay Mineralogy Rare Earth Processing	Professor Katy Evans, Associate Professor Bogale Tadesse	Achieving economic concentration of rare earth elements from previously unexploited mineralogies and optimising downstream recovery.	Curtin University	Critica Limited	Perth, Western Australia Midwest Region, Western Australia	Increasing Australia’s sovereign supply of rare-earth elements to fuel growth of the green energy sector.
Removing Cobalt from Hardmetal Tools in Mining, Engineering & Agriculture Materials Science	Associate Professor Nigel Marks; Professor Paolo Raiteri; Professor Julian Gale; Associate Professor Ian Davieas	Developing computational tools to design cobalt-free alternatives for tungsten carbide-cobalt composites, predicting properties for industrial use.	Curtin University	Sandvik Coromant	Perth, Western Australia	Creation of a digital design framework for alloy composites that can be commercialised across industries.
Sensors, Technologies, and Strategies for Mineral Discovery and Mining Mineral Exploration	Professor Brett Harris	Augmentation and development of subsurface sensing technologies to accelerate mineral discovery and improved mining efficiency.	Curtin University	IGO, EMIT, Moombarriga Geoscience	Perth, Western Australia	Subsurface properties recovered from electromagnetic and seismic data demonstrate upgrades in efficiencies may be achieved through new co-acquisition systems. Analysis demonstrates pathways to new commercial outcomes for the critical minerals sector.
Source, mobilisation, and deposition of titanium at Pitfield Mineral Exploration	Professor Katy Evans, Dr Louisa Stokes	Study of the distribution and morphology of titanium-bearing phases and the relationship between Ti-grade and host lithology.	Curtin University	Empire Metals	Perth, Western Australia	Improved predictive exploration models to enhance ore targeting and mitigate risk.
Stand-Off Hydrogen Detection Energy Value Chain	Professor Charlie Ironside, Professor Mervyn Lynch, Professor Craig Buckley, Dr Jacob Martin, Andrew Lockwood, Associate Professor Mark Paskevicius, Dr Mauricio Di Lorenzo	Developing an optical instrument for wide area scanning to detect natural and fugitive hydrogen emissions that is capable of rapid response to very low concentrations of hydrogen at long-range and operated from an airborne platform.	Curtin University	Xcalibur Smart Mapping	Perth, Western Australia	Enabling the future hydrogen industry through enhanced exploration techniques and protection of infrastructure through instant detection of leaks.
SpiroPak Energy Value Chain	Associate Professor Tejas Bhatelia, Dr Biao Sun	SpiroPak is a novel 3D-printed structured packing which can be used in chemical processing industries including carbon capture and hydrocarbon processing offering increased process efficiency and reduced energy use, allowing smaller, less energy-intensive processing plants, or the ability to easily de-bottleneck plants which are running at capacity.	Curtin University		Perth, Western Australia Mumbai, India (pilot trials in 2025)	An operating pilot facility in India, generating data which can support SpiroPak’s business case. A detailed and validated business plan which will facilitate external investment into a SpiroPak company.
STEM Education Innovation: CoRE Academy Pilot University Transformation		Collaborating with industry and schools to develop STEM educational pathways from primary to tertiary levels in the Pilbara, supporting local workforce development.	Curtin University	CoRE Learning Foundation	Tom Price, Western Australia	Expanded STEM education opportunities for Pilbara students, fostering a skilled local workforce for the resource sector.
Vanadium Catalyst Recycling Mine Waste Management	Associate Professor James Vaughan, Dr Hong Peng, James Gudgeon, Albert Mueller	A process for recycling vanadium from spent sulphuric acid plant catalyst was developed and piloted at laboratory scale. 100g of high purity V205 was produced from the spent catalyst. The next stage of the project will be to further optimise the process, test different catalyst feed, and demonstrate all steps at a larger scale.	The University of Queensland	QEM	Mount Isa, Queensland, Townsville, Queensland	This will inform technical-economic analysis and design of a pilot plant. With Australia categorising Vanadium as a Critical Mineral and currently not having any domestic production yet, this project could be the first to domestically produce Vanadium until the larger mines are in production. This early source of Vanadium would help establish a battery manufacturing industry and attract foreign companies to bring their technology to Australia.
Windarra GOLD Tailings Project: GlyCat™ leaching and optimisation Mine Waste Management	Associate Professor Elsayed Oraby	Gold extraction via traditional cyanidation faces increasing scrutiny due to environmental concerns. The use of glycine in conjunction with cyanide is a promising alternative to reduce cyanide consumption while maintaining high gold recoveries.	Curtin University	Draslovka’s Mining and Process Solutions	Perth, Western Australia	Gold tailings samples will be tested by the GlyCatTM process to provide key parameters to maximize gold recovery and minimize reagent use.