Everest Metals moves to establish first Australian rubidium industry

• Everest Metals delivers engineering scoping study for rubidium extraction
• The company’s direct rubidium extraction tech returns up to 97% rubidium recovery
• EMC is pursuing domestic and international funding to scale up to a pilot plant by 2026

Special report: Everest Metals Corporation’s Mt Edon project is a step closer to contributing to the global rubidium supply chain following the completion of an engineering scoping study.

The study, prepared by Edith Cowan University’s Mineral Research and Recovery Center (MRRC), validated the company’s proprietary Direct Rubidium Extraction (DRE) technology, demonstrating up to 97% rubidium recovery.

A provisional patent has been lodged to secure the innovation, positioning Everest Metals’ (ASX:EMC) as a leader in rubidium extraction.

The process involves mining and beneficiating to concentrate rubidium-bearing minerals ore, followed by roasting, leaching and crystallisation to produce RbCl.

Strategic collaborations with Edith Cowan University and CSIRO are propelling technical progress, while funding initiatives — such as applications to the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) — are supporting EMC’s move to pilot-scale commercialisation.

Pending additional studies, the ESS indicates potential commercial and technical viability based on a proposed processing capacity of 750-1,000 tonnes per annum of rubidium chloride.

Australia’s most commercially attractive deposit

Mt Edon is Australia’s highest-grade rubidium discovery.

It’s not so much about the 3.6Mt at 0.22% rubidium oxide and 0.07% lithium oxide containing more than 7,900t of rubidium oxide.

The project’s higher-grade subset of 1.3Mt at 0.33% rubidium and 0.07% lithium is the stand out feature, hosting nearly 56% of the total contained rubidium tonnes.

The Mt Edon project sits on a Mining Lease near the former gold rush settlement of Paynes Find represents a significant critical mineral opportunity.

Last month the company signed an agreement with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO to conduct advanced geochemical and mineralogical studies at Mt Edon.

CSIRO’s Kick-Start program leverages advanced CSIRO facilities to enhance the recovery process of rubidium, lithium and caesium distribution in pegmatitic minerals.

Unlocking potential to meet global demand

EMC executive chairman and CEO Mark Caruso said the company’s rubidium extraction results showcased the power of its innovative Direct Rubidium Extraction technology, paving the way for Australia’s first rubidium industry in WA.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with our partners to scale up the Mt Edon Project, unlocking its potential to meet global demand for this critical mineral and drive economic growth,” he said.

Preliminary activities for the Engineering Scoping Study (ESS) have been completed, alongside ongoing optimisation of the purification process aimed at enhancing cost efficiency.

Watch: Everest Metals joins forces with CSIRO

What else is happening?

EMC believes the project demonstrates strong potential for high profitability, with no material impediments currently identified.

Early assessments suggest the Mt Edon project is viable, with a prospective processing plant capacity of circa 750-1,000 tonnes of RbCl per annum.

These preliminary findings support the viability of the process and will be subject to further validation through upcoming bench and pilot-scale testing.

Further analysis will be required to evaluate technical and economic risks, particularly those related to process scalability, and long-term operational stability.

The company is pursuing domestic and international funding to scale up to a pilot plant by 2026.

EMC will complete additional testing at bench scale (small-scale lab tests) and pilot scale (larger, controlled production trials) to validate the process before building a full-scale plant.

This article was developed in collaboration with Everest Metals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.