Sunrise Project, Queensland
The Sunrise Project is located at Binjour, Queensland, 115km southwest of the Bundaberg Port and 25km west of Gayndah. ABx Group has entered into a joint venture with Alumin Pty Limitedfor the development of the Sunrise Bauxite Project bauxite mine and port operations in Queensland. Funding is underway with Alumin earning up to 49.9% equity aligned with payments received.
A tripartite MoU exists between ABx, Rawmin and Chinese aluminium producer Tianshin.
It is anticipated that this project will sell 500,000 up to 1.5 million tonnes per year of gibbsite-rich trihydrate bauxite, the type of bauxite able to be refined at lower temperatures, leading to significantly improved levels of energy efficiency.
Bauxite resources at Binjour total 37 million tonnes and the first 10 to 15 years of operation will focus on high-grade zones requiring little processing.
Location of Sunrise Bauxite Project & Port of Bundaberg
Research carried out in 2020 studied the extraction of very high-grade bauxite from “detrital bauxite” rubble that has shed off the Binjour Plateau to create additional high-value products. During this research, it was discovered that processing of the deposit can recover a potentially valuable by-product of a clean, low-clay concentrate of rutile, the main titanium ore mineral.
The deposit is also a potential source of halloysite clay which is used in nanotubes, which have caused much excitement in the scientific world and are beginning to be utilised in numerous ways throughout the chemical, physical and materials industries due to their incredible strength and miniscule size.
This project has been meticulously planned for over ten years, with discussions being held regularly with landholders, state and local governments, port authorities, operator and logistics contractors, market specialists and customers to develop the optimal project. ABx is grateful for the long-term support from landholders, local communities, local government and state government departments and senior officers. The company has an MOU with the Port of Bundaberg to investigate opportunities to export bauxite in bulk tonnages through this port.
The project is located in a region where the population has all the skills needed for this project and employees will be recruited locally. The intention is to keep trucking of the bauxite well away from inhabited areas including the Port village community.
The Sunrise Bauxite Project will operate on freehold agricultural and tree plantation land that requires specialised rehabilitation which is one of ABx’s corporate strengths, being the only current bauxite producer from high-value agricultural land in Australia. The plan is to return agriculture back to production rapidly in accordance with ABx’s paramount company policy, namely:
ABx endorses best practices on agricultural land, strives to leave land and environment better than we find it. We only operate where welcomed.
