The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia

CME welcomes today’s confirmation of State Government approval for South32’s Worsley Alumina project extension, enabling Worsley to continue to deliver its significant economic benefits while meeting WA's strict environmental standards. Media release here: https://hubs.ly/Q030j7HN0

For 16 years, sponsors of CME’s Women in Resources Awards have understood the importance of collaboration, diversity and expertise. Thank you to all our event partners and sponsors of WA’s premier industry event, the 2025 WIRA awards, for helping celebrate inclusivity and the extraordinary talent in our sector. Check out more about the amazing 2025 WIRA finalists here - https://hubs.ly/Q02_JzLn0

Congratulations to all finalists gearing up for CME’s night of nights, the Women in Resources Awards, now in its 16th year. Learn more about each finalist, their positive impact and the premier industry event that is WIRA 2025 - https://hubs.ly/Q02_Jcyc0

Did you know? The NeoSmelt electric smelting furnace planned for Kwinana by Rio Tinto, BHP, BlueScope Steel and Woodside Energy is just one of numerous green iron pathways being explored by CME members. Fortescue and Roy Hill are collaborating with researchers to investigate using hydrogen in a fluidised bed reactor to remove oxygen from iron ore, before an electric smelting furnace removes impurities to produce pig iron. Fortescue’s Christmas Creek Green Iron Pilot Project – adjacent to Australia’s largest gaseous and liquid hydrogen plant on a mine site – is preparing to test this process, with production slated to begin in late 2025. Fortescue is also leading a Low Temperature Direct Electrochemical Reduction for Zero Emissions Iron project in WA, which aims to develop an optimised iron ore electrolyser capable of reducing lower grade ores to high-purity iron at temperatures below 130C. Following successful trial in Germany, Rio Tinto will invest $215 million to establish a BioIron Research and Development Facility in WA using biomass and microwave energy instead of coal to make low carbon iron from Pilbara ore. As CME Chief Executive Rebcca Tomkinson wrote in today’s The West Australian: “Getting these technologies from the laboratory to commercial viability at an industrial scale is neither cheap nor easy. But it is achievable.” And the potential pay-off is immense: Offsetting the carbon emissions of the entire country while creating nearly 20,000 direct jobs and $74 billion in economic value here in WA. Check out CME’s green iron report here: https://hubs.ly/Q02___j40 And read Rebecca’s full op-ed below.

WAKE UP CALL The Commonwealth Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) confirms the critical importance of the resources sector to the nation, with sharp falls in commodity prices translating to the budget plunging from consecutive surpluses into a deficit of $26.9 billion for 2024-25. Mining export earnings have been downgraded by $100 billion over the next four years, reflecting softening demand for Australian resources as competing jurisdictions ramp up production. When the resources sector struggles, Australia struggles. Read the CME's full statement here: https://hubs.ly/Q02__9s00

For 16 years, sponsors of CME’s Women in Resources Awards have understood the importance of collaboration, diversity and expertise. Thank you to all our event partners and sponsors of WA’s premier industry event, the 2025 WIRA awards, for helping celebrate inclusivity and the extraordinary talent in our sector. Check out more about the amazing 2025 WIRA finalists here - https://hubs.ly/Q02_H8YM0

Big news for WA with Kwinana today unveiled as the location for the NeoSmelt electric smelting furnace pilot plant. The groundbreaking project combines the expertise of BlueScope, BHP and Rio Tinto to test technology to enable the use of Pilbara iron ore to produce iron without the need for traditional blast furnaces, as the companies come together to try to accelerate the decarbonisation of steelmaking. Woodside Energy is also poised to join the consortium as an equal equity participant and energy supplier, subject to finalising commercial arrangements. CME welcomes the exciting announcement, which has also been supported by a $75 million contribution from the WA Government. Read the full statement here: https://hubs.ly/Q02_T9GK0

Congratulations to Chevron Australia and Alcoa on the latest chapter in a long and mutually beneficial relationship - with those benefits including a significant contribution to WA's economy and thousands of jobs over the past four decades. Natural gas and aluminium both have critical and long-term roles in the global energy transition. #WAresourcesmakeitpossible

Congratulations to all finalists gearing up for CME’s night of nights, the Women in Resources Awards, now in its 16th year. Learn more about each finalist, their positive impact and the premier industry event that is WIRA 2025 - https://hubs.ly/Q02_H7DM0

Environmental approval for the North West Shelf Project Extension from the WA Government is a significant win for both domestic and regional energy security. The robust State assessment took six years to finalise. CME now calls on the Commonwealth to swiftly complete its own review and provide some much-needed certainty for what is an immensely important project for the future prosperity of our State. Not only has the North West Shelf provided more than $40 billion in royalties and taxes over the past 40 years, the affordable gas it produces is ideally suited to backing up renewables in our energy grid. That same gas is also displacing more emissions-intensive coal in the power stations of our regional trade partners, including Japan, South Korea and China. Read the CME's full statement here: https://hubs.ly/Q02_yzsS0