Key points
- Cobalt Blue CEO Dr Andrew Tong and BD manager Joel Crane hosted an April 1 webinar on the newly announced Glomar Minerals consortium.
- The partnership applies Cobalt Blue’s patented flowsheet and metals-processing expertise, complementing rather than competing with its Australian cobalt projects.
- Over 12 to 18 months Cobalt Blue will run a feasibility study and piloting testwork at the Broken Hill Technology Centre.
- The company flagged high-grade nodules’ 15 to 20 percent manganese content and growing demand for high-purity manganese sulphate in batteries.
CEO Dr Andrew Tong and Business Development Manager Joel Crane hosted a live webinar on April 1st, sharing details on the recently announced consortium with Glomar Minerals.
A recording is available to watch below. Here are the key takeaways from the discussion and Q&A.
A New Partnership, Complementary to our Australian Assets
Glomar Minerals’ partnership with Cobalt Blue is based on our patented flowsheet and our expertise in metals processing across multi-feedstocks. It complements, rather than competes with, our existing Australian projects and cobalt focused platform. We remain committed to work programs advancing towards a Financial Investment Decision (FID) for the Kwinana Cobalt Refinery.
Our Role
Over the coming 12-18 months, Cobalt Blue’s contribution involves undertaking a feasibility study including a piloting testwork program at the Broken Hill Technology Centre. Contractual details will be provided when they are finalised.
Why Polymetallic Nodules Matter
Polymetallic nodules represent a compelling opportunity to supply multiple critical minerals from a single resource stream — manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper. The 15-20% manganese content high-grade nodules are potentially a segment killer. Of particular note, most of the world’s largest battery manufacturers are actively developing manganese-rich chemistries for rechargeable batteries, indicating a rapid growth in demand for high-purity manganese sulphate.
The US Opportunity
Developing a refinery in the United States presents an exciting growth opportunity for Cobalt Blue. The favourable funding environment, combined with proximity to rapidly expanding demand for lithium-ion batteries — particularly in applications beyond EVs such as Robotics, Material Handling Equipment, and Industrial Mobile Equipment — makes the US an attractive and logical location for this next stage of growth.
