STAFF WRITER

Image: AIMEX

Australia’s longest-running mining exhibition returns to Sydney Showground from September 2–4 2025, bringing the country’s mining suppliers and professionals together under the one roof.

As the key event on the mining calendar, the Asia-Pacific’s International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX) is an internationally renowned platform showcasing the latest technology, equipment and services, pushing the envelope for what’s possible in mining innovation.

As Prime Creative Media general manager – events Siobhan Rocks attests, AIMEX 2025 is all about defining the next generation of Australian mining.

“After a successful 2023 edition, AIMEX 2025 will be bigger than ever, with opportunities to connect with some of the most important decision-makers in the Asia-Pacific region,” Rocks said.

“This is a truly international event, with exhibitors from China, India, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Italy and Germany.

“It’s an ideal opportunity for Australian miners to connect with some of the most prominent industry minds from all over the world.”

AIMEX 2025 will offer a unique opportunity for leading suppliers and buyers to conduct face-to-face business, learn about the latest trends, and network in an interactive forum.

Attendees will come from all corners of the resources sector, from senior leaders to site management to engineers to maintenance personnel to digital innovators and everything in-between.

“There is something for everyone at AIMEX,” Rocks said.

“The 2025 event will feature more than 250 local and international suppliers, as well as a free-to-attend multi-stream conference with leading experts examining the most pressing issues in the mining industry.”

AIMEX 2025 will also feature an extensive Meet the Buyers platform, providing exhibitors with the opportunity to connect directly with the industry decision-makers most important to them.

“Our Meet the Buyers platform offers people the chance to schedule invaluable meetings to ensure they can get the most out of their time at AIMEX 2025,” Rocks said.

The AIMEX 2025 program will have a strong focus on women in mining, with keynote speakers and panel discussions challenging the status quo, generating new ideas and solutions for a more inclusive mining industry. The annual Women in Industry Awards will also be co-located at AIMEX 2025, celebrating the achievements of women in traditionally male-dominated fields.

At the Mining House Pavilion, attendees will be able to rub shoulders with the sector’s leading miners and understand the operational landscape of Australia’s vast resources industry.

As always, there will be lots of networking opportunities, while a Decarbonisation Showcase will highlight the latest electrification concepts and technologies helping the industry drive down carbon emissions.

Now under new ownership, AIMEX 2025 will showcase the best of the Asia-Pacific mining sector and provide attendees with the ultimate destination to source the latest insights, products and innovations.

Sales are now open for returning exhibitors to secure early bird prices, with spots assigned on a first come, first serve basis.

For more information on rebooking, or if you are a new exhibitor looking to secure your spot on the waiting list, visit aimex.com.au/exhibitors

KELSIE TIBBEN

The Mount Weld rare earths project. Image: Lynas Rare Earths.

Lynas Rare Earths has announced its Malaysian arm will become a producer of two new separated heavy rare earths (HRE) as soon as next year.

A new process will produce separated dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb) at Lynas Malaysia for the first time and will complement Lynas’ existing light rare earths product range.

Dy and Tb are both essential to high performance rare earth permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and high-tech applications such as micro-capacitors which are essential to all electronic devices.

Currently, Dy, Tb and other HRE oxides from Lynas’ Mount Weld ore body are sold as a mixed HRE compound known as SEGH.

The reconfiguration of one of Lynas Malaysia’s solvent extraction circuits will facilitate the production of Dy and Tb.

The new circuit is designed with capacity to separate up to 1500 tonnes of SEGH per year.

“Lynas’ Mount Weld deposit is remarkable for its endowment of heavy rare earth minerals as well as light rare earth minerals,” Lynas managing director and chief executive officer Amanda Lacaze said.

“This circuit reconfiguration at Lynas Malaysia provides a pathway to accelerate our commitment to processing all of the elements in the Mount Weld ore body.

“Dy and Tb are important inputs to high performance magnets and electronic devices and we are pleased to enhance our product range to meet current and prospective customers’ needs.”

As a result of the separation of Dy and Tb from the SEGH compound, Lynas’ HRE product range will increase to include Dy, Tb, unseparated samarium, europium, and gadolinium, as well as holmium concentrate and unseparated SEGH.

Lynas is also progressing pre-construction activities for its planned US rare earths processing facility.

Both Lynas Malaysia and the planned US rare earths processing facility have been designed to accept third party feedstocks as they come online.

TOM PARKER

uranium mineral isolated on black background. Highly radioactive and dangerous ore.

Paladin Energy is looking to grow its global uranium footprint through the acquisition of Canadian-focused Fission Uranium. (PDN收购优质铀矿后复盘补跌5.1%，本次配股收购稀释股东权益，在股东将要看到拉格矿有收益的时候再添新吞金兽，2029年计划投产的帕特森湖项目未来5年间预计非常烧钱，这也是股东们没有因该溢价收购就立即炒高股价的原因。)

Fission shareholders would receive 0.1076 Paladin shares for each Fission share as part of the deal, which represents an implied value of $C1.30 per Fission share and an implied equity value of $C1.14 billion.

This is a 25.8 per cent premium to Fission’s closing share price of $C1.03 on June 21.

Fission shareholders would own 24 per cent of Paladin if the transaction closes, with the enlarged Paladin holding a market capitalisation of $US2.5 billion.

The two companies hope to create a “clean energy leader” and deliver several benefits to shareholders of both companies:

• Enhanced project development pipeline
• Multi-asset production expected by 2029
• Diversified presence across leading uranium mining jurisdictions of Canada, Namibia and Australia
• Increased exposure to highly attractive long term uranium fundamentals
• Increased scale and global profile of Paladin with TSX listing

Fission owns the Patterson Lake South (PLS) project, which proposes a high-grade uranium mine and mill in Canada’s Athabasca Basin.

Paladin is a uranium producer once again through its Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia, with which it holds a 75 per cent stake. The company also holds exploration assets in Canada and Australia.

“The acquisition of Fission, along with the successful restart of our Langer Heinrich mine, is another step in our strategy to diversify and grow into a global uranium leader across the top uranium mining jurisdictions of Canada, Namibia and Australia,” Paladin chief executive officer (CEO) Ian Purdy said.

“Fission is a natural fit for our portfolio with the shallow high-grade PLS project located in Canada’s Athabasca Basin. The addition of PLS creates a leading Canadian development hub alongside Paladin’s Michelin project, with exploration upside across all Canadian properties.”

Fission president and CEO Ross McElroy echoed Purdy’s sentiment.

“The combination of Fission and Paladin will create a world class diverse uranium producer, adding a class leading development project in a Tier 1 jurisdiction with the ability to expand production and cash flow profiles in the near term,” he said.

“The culture and assets between Fission and Paladin are very complimentary. Shareholders will have exposure to a producing asset with a long life of mine, located in a politically stable and globally significant uranium jurisdiction with a long history of uranium production.”

The Fission board recommends its shareholders to vote in favour of the transaction.

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KELSIE TIBBEN

Drilling to determine Goschen’s footprint in Victoria. Image: VHM

The Victorian Government has released a raft of exploration licences for projects relating to minerals critical to the energy transition.

The new licences have now been approved to target minerals and metals including antinomy, zircon, copper and mineral sands.

Victoria has demonstrated resources of antinomy, titanium, zirconium and rare earth elements. There are also opportunities for other key raw materials including copper, high purity alumina and silica.

“We have strong critical mineral opportunities across the state – the CSIRO assessed that the Murray Basin mineral sand deposits alone, which are mostly in Victoria, contain an in-ground value of at least $200 billion,” Resources Victoria chief executive officer Matt Vincent said.

The Earth Resources Regulator has now approved 50 new minerals exploration licences this financial year with six awarded so far in June covering ground across the state.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, exploration expenditure across Victoria for the year to March 2024 was over $130 million.

In central Victoria, fresh exploration activity in the Bendigo and Nagambie areas will target gold, silver and antinomy through three new licences.

In south-west Victoria, one new mineral exploration licence near Casterton and another near Dartmoor will target mineral sands that could include titanium, zirconium and rare earth elements.

Another new licence for an area near Mortlake will target copper and zinc as well as lead and gold.

In western Victoria, a new retention licence near Maryborough will enable the assessment for zircon, gold, rutile and high purity quartz silica development.

Retention licences are the second phase of minerals development and allow explorers time to see if responsible development is feasible.

“In Victoria, we have stringent safeguards and our regulator is on hand to enforce the important provisions in place to protect the environment, community and infrastructure,” Vincent said.