An historic North Queensland mine will soon be restored to its former glory, setting the region up as a major tungsten supplier with full scale mining soon to commence at EQ Resources’ Mt Carbine tungsten project.
Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a critical mineral used in aerospace, construction, and technology including smartphones, solar panels, wind turbines and EV batteries.
Despite Australia’s resources being the second largest in the world, nearly all tungsten supply comes from China and Russia.
Located about 130km northwest of Cairns, Mt Carbine is currently Australia’s only primary tungsten producer, producing about 350t of concentrate a year from existing tailings and low-grade stockpiles.
Once open cut mining begins, production is expected to ramp up to between 60t to 90t a month.
Queensland Resources Minister, Scott Stewart, said this is an important step forward for both Queensland’s growing critical minerals sector, and its renewable energy transition.
“Demand for critical minerals such as tungsten is increasing exponentially as the world moves towards decarbonisation,” Mr Stewart said.
“The transformation of this mine reflects one of the key themes of our Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan, which is to provide new life for old mines.
“Importantly, this mine will provide up to 135 good, secure jobs for Far North Queenslanders which will also mean economic benefits for the entire region.
“Together our Resources Industry Development Plan will work hand in glove with the Energy and Jobs Plan to help get these minerals out of the ground to build the solar panels, wind farms, electric vehicles and batteries we need for the future.”
The mine is expected to employ up to 135 full time workers.
EQ Resources CEO, Kevin MacNeill, said Mt Carbine is already a major jobs provider in the region and will grow further in coming months as production ramps up.
“The open cut mine will provide a five-fold increase in grade quality which will allow us to become a global leader in tungsten supply,” Mr MacNeill said.
“Our plan is for the Mt Carbine mining leases and surrounding exploration tenements to become a top three tungsten producer outside of China.
“We are also looking to make a major contribution to economic development in the Cairns hinterland including upgrading services and providing employment opportunities in a region hit hard by COVID-19 lockdowns.”
The mine is located within Queensland’s North East Minerals Province, home to the in-demand critical minerals needed for the world’s decarbonisation plans including tungsten, molybdenum and tin.
