Minerals and Energy

SECTOR OPPORTUNITY

Solar, wind and battery systems – Minerals processing exploration – Extraction – Hydrogen export supply chains

Highlights

The global energy transition will drive the world's economy for decades to come, and with South Australia’s unique combination of sun, wind and valuable minerals in the Upper Spencer Gulf and surrounds, we have what the world wants. What the world demands.

South Australia’s renewable energy share has surged from 1% in 2007 to 74% in 2023. We are Australia’s renewable energy superpower.
South Australia is also home to Australia’s richest copper resource, with global demand for copper set to surge for use in sustainable technology such as electric vehicles and wind turbines.
The Upper Spencer Gulf has superior magnetite iron ore resources which is essential for the production of green steel, with demand set to surge as the world seeks to decarbonise.
The State Government is seeking to harness our renewable energy resources into hydrogen, by building the world’s largest Hydrogen Power Station at Whyalla. Hydrogen is also essential to the production of green steel. View South Australia - A rising force in renewable hydrogen

South Australia - Building global partnerships in renewables and hydrogen

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ICN South Australia's Hydrogen Industry Supplier Directory

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Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park

Located in resource-rich South Australia, the Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park (PAREP) is a combined wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) hybrid project, designed to provide predictable power more uniformly across the day.

Watch the video to find out more about the Southern Hemisphere’s largest hybrid renewable project.

Low Carbon Minerals for a Low Carbon World

As the world’s largest economies target net zero emissions, green minerals, metals and fuels are in growing demand. How these commodities are sourced, and reducing the footprint required to produce them is of increasing interest to manufacturers, investors and miners alike.

Watch to see how South Australia has become a destination for companies looking to transform the energy and mining sector.

Clean Hydrogen: The Fuel of the Future

South Australia is a renewable energy powerhouse pioneering the way to a more sustainable future, and on track to reach the target of 100% net renewables by 2027.

Renewable energy investments:

Two world-leading home battery schemes
Twenty two wind farms
Three utility scale solar farms
World's leading lithium-ion battery at the Hornsdale Power Reserve.

The South Australian government has committed funding of $593 million to the delivery of the Hydrogen Jobs Plan (the Plan) and has established the Office of Hydrogen Power SA to deliver the plan.

Under the Plan, the South Australian government will be delivering significant hydrogen infrastructure by 2025, including 250MWe of electrolysers, 200MW of power generation and hydrogen storage facilities in the Whyalla local government area. The Hydrogen Jobs Plan will deliver a range of benefits for South Australia:

Create jobs for South Australians
Enhance South Australia’s grid security with new dispatchable generation
Prove hydrogen production and generation technology at scale
Help to unlock pipeline of renewable energy developments and associated manufacturing opportunities
Support South Australia’s continued clean energy transition and decarbonisation.

Find out more about hydrogen in SA at the
Office of Hydrogen Power South Australia

Critical minerals project opportunities in South Australia

Discover South Australia's significant global and national resources of critical minerals.

Explore opportunities

Renewable Energy Zones

South Australia has excellent solar and wind resources particularly around the Spencer Gulf region. Thermal winds from temperature differences between land and sea, lead to wind energy production. When combined with the midday solar generation this results in a better generation output.

World leading regulatory regime - Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act 2023

The Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act 2023 passed Parliament in November 2023 and will provide a leading practice regulatory framework for the development and regulation of large scale renewable energy and hydrogen projects from development through to decommissioning of this significant infrastructure.

The Act establishes a competitive process for developers to bid for access to government owned land and State waters within “release areas” in which environmental, cultural and other impacts will be taken into consideration to inform where large scale renewable energy and hydrogen projects can and cannot be hosted.

The Act is intended to commence in mid 2024 after regulations have been drafted and consulted, and potential release areas identified and developed through a consultative process. It will be a significant enabler for large scale renewable energy and green hydrogen projects, including the Hydrogen Jobs Plan.

For more information visit the Hydrogen and renewable energy act

Infrastructure SA’s Northern Water Desalination Project

Northern Water aims to provide a new, climate independent water source for the Far North, Upper Spencer Gulf and Eastern Eyre Peninsula regions of South Australia, to enable the growth of industries crucial to achieving net-zero goals, including the emerging green energy and hydrogen industries. See the Business Case Summary

Investing in Minerals and Energy

Nationally, we are leading the uptake of renewable energy, while also broadening our energy sector into batteries, thermal storage, hydrogen production and storage and pumped water storage in disused mine pits.

South Australia boasts an abundance of natural assets – including significant renewable energy zones for wind and solar, mineral deposits of copper, gold, iron ore, graphite, gas and petroleum products – meaning that global demand for resources can be serviced and our technical expertise is already high.

Investment advantages

South Australia contains 68% of Australia’s copper resources, 79% of Australia’s uranium and 25% of its gold. Additionally, South Australia has 66% of Australia's graphite, 5% of its iron ore and 7% of its zircon.

South Australia’s excellent solar and wind resources, particularly close to the Spencer Gulf where thermal winds resulting from the temperature differences between land and sea, means wind energy production, when combined with the midday solar generation, results in a better generation output.

Nationally, we are leading the uptake of renewable energy, while also broadening our energy sector into batteries, thermal storage, hydrogen storage and pumped water storage in disused mine pits.

Connected ecosystem

Here in South Australia we’re proud to have fostered a strong relationship between government, industry and academia.

We provide a scalable state of being able to interlink clusters across sectors such as critical technologies and global players include MIT.

Our technology and innovation ecosystem can provide support across mining technology capabilities such as artificial intelligence, automation, robotics and drones, as well as blockchain technology which allows for the creation and maintenance of a continuously growing list of records (blocks).

Innovation precincts

Collaboration is in our DNA here in South Australia. You will have access to some of the best innovation precincts where high-profile businesses, academia, industry bodies and government are co-located and working together.

Lot Fourteen

Lot Fourteen is a space that fosters collaboration and innovation across sectors and disciplines, including defence and space, artificial intelligence, digital health, machine learning and robotics, cyber security and creative industries.

Learn more >

Business clusters

Our industry clusters provide strong intellectual and research foundations, providing opportunities to share talent, technology and infrastructure.

Adelaide Airport

With global acknowledgement that aviation is a vital catalyst for economic growth, Airport Business District is a key economic gateway that seamless integrates zones for a range of industries.

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Lot Fourteen

Lot Fourteen is a space that fosters collaboration and innovation across sectors and disciplines, including defence and space, artificial intelligence, digital health, machine learning and robotics, cyber security and creative industries.

Learn more >
Tonsley Mining Energy Services

The Tonsley innovation district is home to key energy and mining organisations, including CORE Innovation’s satellite office, Onshore Petroleum Centre of Excellence, and the South Australia Drill Core Reference Library, Australian Hydrogen Centre, SIMEC Energy Australia and ZEN Energy, and CMW Geosciences.

Learn more >

Investment opportunities

View All Projects

Investment: Direct investment
Leigh Creek Energy (LCK)

LCK is focused on developing its Leigh Creek Energy Project (LCEP), in northern South Australia, for the production of low-cost urea fertiliser and/or hydrogen.
- Energy and mining
View details
Investment: Greenfield
Twin Creek Wind Farm

51 wind turbines, roads, hardstandings, substation, O&M facility, office and terminal switching station.
- Energy and mining
- Investment range:
  A$450M
- RES Australia Pty Ltd
View details
Investment: Brownfield
Maldorky Iron Ore Project

Maldorky is a well located iron ore deposit that can be upgraded to yield a high quality 65% iron fines product.
- Energy and mining
- Investment range:
  A$10M - A$50M
- Havilah Resources Limited
View details