The AFR yesterday:Taxpayers will back another $2 billion into...

The AFR yesterday:

Taxpayers will back another $2 billion into cheap loans and guarantees for Australian critical minerals miners and processors to bolster their chances of tapping America’s mammoth green energy subsidy scheme known as the Inflation Reduction Act.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will double the amount available under the Critical Minerals Facility to $4 billion, helping projects get off the ground that were struggling to attract bank finance, and creating jobs across clean energy, manufacturing and defence supply chains.

While ILU's REE refinery is fully funded with an existing $1.2 billion loan from the Critical Minerals Facility, it will produce intermediate-stage elemental oxides, not manufacturing-ready metals. That final stage is the subject of advanced studies, addressing the need for further different custom treatment of each elemental oxide (feel free to correct me)

I anticipate substantial R&D grants and financial and technical support from governments to enable and speed this work.

Governments? Yes. ILU's REE refinery is as important to the EU, Japan, Korea, Taiwan as it is to the US and Australia.

All are clutching their credit cards like rich grandparents at the long-delayed birth of the first grandchild - any difficulty that can be solved with money will be overcome. Sure, serious risks remain.

TO'L & team have a vision to double the business into unique future-facing and essential REE metals. This will be an interesting ride.

Ash