I hope it works for them...and for others who might be able to use renewables to process minerals locally.
But you have to remember we already do a lot of ‘value add’ minerals processing in Australia now (Mt Isa, Townsville and Hobart to name a few). I’m not sure how many additional minerals refining / smelting operations could be created...a couple maybe, but where are the new deposits to provide the feedstock?
The bigger issue is that, whilst additional domestic base metals processing is welcome, it can in no way replace the jobs, tax revenue and royalties that are created through our export coal and LNG industries, which are massive.
