Australia’s Rubidium Supply Race: Can EMC Break China’s Grip?

Grant Funding to Propel Rubidium Extraction

Everest Metals Corporation Ltd (ASX, EMC) has secured a significant boost to its Mt Edon Critical Minerals Project with a $490,500 grant from Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) Ignite program. Partnering with Edith Cowan University (ECU), the funding will fast-track the development of EMC’s proprietary Direct Rubidium Extraction (DRE) technology, aiming to elevate it from laboratory testing (Technology Readiness Level 4) to a near-operational pilot prototype (TRL 6) within 12 months.

This grant is a strong endorsement amid stiff competition, with only 174 grants awarded from 838 applications nationwide, and just 14 in the resource sector. It underscores the strategic importance of rubidium, a critical mineral with growing demand in high-tech, defence, and energy applications.

Strategic Importance of Rubidium and Mt Edon’s Potential

Rubidium is a rare alkali metal used in advanced technologies such as night vision equipment, aerospace ion propulsion, fibre optic communications, and emerging energy power generation. Despite its broad applications, global production remains limited, with China dominating supply chains. EMC’s Mt Edon project in Western Australia hosts one of the world’s highest-grade rubidium deposits, boasting an inferred mineral resource of 3.6 million tonnes grading 0.22% Rb2O, including a high-grade subset at 0.33% Rb2O.

The project’s location within the Paynes Find Greenstone Belt offers excellent infrastructure access and exploration upside, with mineralisation open along strike and near surface, suggesting potential for resource expansion and cost-effective open-cut mining.

Collaborative Innovation and Commercialisation Pathway

EMC’s collaboration with Edith Cowan University’s Mineral Recovery Research Centre and CSIRO has already yielded impressive laboratory results, including up to 97% rubidium recovery. The company has filed a provisional patent for its extraction method and joined the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium, opening avenues for defence-related funding and applications.

The AEA Ignite grant will support three key phases, refining sorbent purification, enabling multi-stage extraction, and demonstrating a scalable pilot prototype. These steps are critical to bridging the gap between laboratory success and commercial viability, aiming to establish Australia’s first commercial rubidium industry.

Positioning Australia in a Critical Mineral Market

With global rubidium demand projected to grow at over 5% annually and prices around USD 1,200 per kilogram, EMC’s initiative addresses a strategic supply gap. By developing a sovereign rubidium supply, Australia can reduce reliance on dominant global suppliers, particularly China, and tap into expanding markets in defence, electronics, and emerging energy technologies.

Everest Metals’ progress at Mt Edon, supported by government grants and research partnerships, marks a significant step in establishing a new critical minerals sector in Australia, with potential economic and strategic benefits.