Solquartz will undertake a feasibility study for a North Queensland metallurgical silicon metal processing plant with support from the Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund.Support will fast-track the study by up to 18 months and will help determine the plant’s viability and assist the company’s final investment decision.
Should the feasibility study be positive, the company plans to develop the future facility in Townsville’s Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct.
The silicon metal processing plant is a key element of the company’s $7.8 billion Project Green Poly that was declared a prescribed project by Queensland’s Coordinator-General in March 2024.
Australia’s Critical Mineral List describes silicon as a crucial component in solar energy generation and battery storage technologies, as well as being a key element in electronics, aluminium alloys and semiconductors.