Heavy mineral sand producer, Currumbin Minerals, will expand its Gold Coast operations to extract more valuable minerals and rare earth elements.The Gold Coast is currently one of the few places in Australia where extensive coastline construction results in mineral sands for processing.
With support from the Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund, the company will build a 600m2 annexe within their existing facility and purchase additional specialist equipment.
Currumbin Minerals aims to convert waste from its sand processing into higher quality products and will also create an innovative approach to handling tailings that contain rare earth elements.
Currumbin Minerals is currently the only company on the east coast of Australia with a mineral separation facility. It produces zircon, rutile, ilmenite, garnet, tourmaline and monazite for domestic and overseas markets.
The expanded facility will be the only type of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.