New Opportunities for the PGM industry in WA

The Challenge

Platinum Group Metals (PGM’s) are needed for a range of new applications including hydrogen electrolysis and industrial chemical production. In Western Australia the industry is not well understood despite the abundance of resources.

Key Findings

Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) are found in the Yilgarn and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. They are also present as co-products of nickel, lithium, vanadium, and gold production.

The key resource holders are Podium Minerals, Chalice Mining, and Future Metals. The commercially viable portions of these resources contain ruthenium, rhodium, and iridium (PGM 6E). It is unlikely that platinum and palladium alone would support a viable industry in Western Australia. There are legacy resources within BHP Nickel West nickel concentrate and smelter tailings that may hold notable value.

Modelling has shown that achieving a saleable PGM concentrate of approximately 600 ppm would require virgin resources to be supplemented by lower-cost PGM 6E recovery from tailings. A smelter operated through a consortium of producers is a likely pathway for further study.

Benefit to WA

The benefit of a PGM industry would be to support the co-product streams of gold, nickel, and lithium production, making these minerals more economic while creating a new industry.

A collaborative processing centre in the Mid-West and Eastern Goldfields would be expected to generate significant long-term revenue for the state and help support other industries by providing a second revenue stream.