The Australian Renewable Power Company (ARENA) is offering as much as A$38.1 million ($27.2 million) to PLS Group Restricted (PLS) to assist what it says is an revolutionary, lower-emission lithium processing demonstration plant in Western Australia.
The challenge will trial Calix Restricted’s revolutionary, electrical‑kiln expertise, which has the potential to chop emissions from calcination, probably the most power intensive steps in lithium processing, by greater than 80% when powered by renewable power, Calix claims. The demonstration plant is 100% owned and operated by PLS and will probably be positioned at its Pilgangoora Operation within the Pilbara of Western Australia.
ARENA CEO, Darren Miller, stated the challenge helps ARENA’s precedence to speed up low-emissions processing applied sciences within the vital power minerals sector.
He stated: “Australia provides greater than half of the world’s spodumene however refines solely a small portion at residence. This challenge is a crucial step in constructing Australia’s functionality to supply low-emission battery supplies onshore and to seize extra worth from the worldwide transition to wash power.”
As soon as absolutely operational, the plant is designed to supply roughly 3,000 t/y of lithium phosphate, a key materials used within the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries, notably for electrical automobiles and power storage functions.
Australia is the world’s largest producer of spodumene, a mineral used to make lithium chemical compounds similar to lithium phosphate. Nevertheless, most spodumene is at the moment processed abroad. By demonstrating a cleaner, extra environment friendly refining course of right here in Australia, the challenge goals to construct native functionality and create new financial alternatives.
PLS Managing Director and CEO, Dale Henderson, stated Australia had a serious alternative to construct better worth by native processing.
“The Mid-Stream Demonstration Plant is a crucial step towards capturing extra processing worth onshore whereas demonstrating lower-carbon strategies for producing the lithium battery supplies the world wants,” he stated. “This funding highlights the Australian Authorities’s dedication to backing native innovation with the potential to considerably cut back emissions throughout the worldwide lithium provide chain.”
He added: “We’re proud to be progressing this expertise at Pilgangoora with assist from the Australian Authorities, demonstrating how Australia can play a number one position within the sustainable processing of vital power minerals.”
As a key driver of early-stage functionality constructing within the vital power minerals sector, ARENA is supporting Australian corporations to develop native experience, construct low emissions processing capability, and lay the foundations for a extra resilient and aggressive trade.
The Advancing Renewables Program (ARP) is ARENA’s flagship, always-open funding initiative supporting a broad spectrum of renewable power tasks – from early-stage analysis and improvement by to demonstration and pre-commercial deployment. This program is constantly open for functions that align with ARENA’s strategic priorities as set out within the Funding Plan.
This challenge is ARENA’s second funding in vital power minerals, which was added to the Funding Plan in 2025 as a spotlight space inside the low emissions metals strategic precedence.
