Investigating the Valorisation Potential of Mine Waste for Mineral Carbonation

The Challenge

The challenge for Western Australian mining operations is to convert large volumes of tailings from a long-term environmental liability into a practical asset for carbon dioxide removal. While mineral carbonation is a promising pathway, implementation is constrained by limited site-specific data on tailings mineralogy, geochemistry, particle size and storage characteristics, making it difficult to prioritise facilities, quantify CO₂ uptake potential, and design scalable processing routes.

Proposed Solution

This project delivered a desktop-based assessment of WA tailings resources for mineral carbonation by integrating mine-waste databases (MINEDEX, Atlas of Australian Re-mining Potential, Global Tailings Portal) with GSWA geological mapping and the polygon-based Mining Residue dataset. A GIS screening workflow was used to identify TSFs located within mafic–ultramafic lithologies (as proxies for Mg- and Ca-rich silicates), and international pilot-scale evidence was synthesised into a multi-criteria conceptual framework to guide future site ranking, data collection, and pilot design.

Proposed Benefits to WA

The work strengthens WA’s evidence base for carbon-neutral mining by identifying where the State’s largest and most prospective tailings inventories coincide with favourable host lithologies, and by clarifying the key data fields needed to assess sequestration potential with confidence. The outcomes can regulators and industry target sampling and pilot trials (particularly for nickel and diamond tailings), accelerate development of a fit-for-purpose tailings database, and support future investments that reduce closure liabilities while creating new CO₂ utilisation and storage opportunities in WA.

Funding DOI

DOI: 10.71342/113894459559

Report DOI

DOI: 10.71342/138881155988