Perth has long been a central hub for mining and resources in Australia. And of course, structural engineers play a crucial role in the delivery of mineral processing plants, ensuring that these complex facilities are safe, efficient and built to last.
In this blog, I explore mineral processing plant projects currently in delivery or development across Western Australia. With the recent US-Australia landmark $8.5 billion critical minerals agreement, I’ve given a emphasis on rare earths - now part of a geopolitically significant supply chain supporting the defence, electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors.
Hastings Yangibana Project
A rare earth mining and beneficiation plant, the mining operations feed approximately 1.1 million tonnes per annum into a processing plant that includes crushing, grinding, flotation and tailings handling, among other processes. Structural engineering design crushing and grinding circuit structures, flotation tanks, tailings containment and handling, heavy foundations and integration of structural supports for process equipment.
Lynas Rare Earths Processing Plant
An investment of approximately $500 million to build a new processing plant in Kalgoorlie to process rare earths, and now a key beneficiary of the landmark agreement, this plant requires robust structural design for handling large volumes of material, chemical process buildings, containment structures and ensuring safety and compliance in handling rare earth minerals processing.
Caravel Copper Project
Located just 150km outside of Perth, this project sees a processing plant under development for porphyry-style copper ore. It includes high pressure grinding rolls to increase efficiency and a molybdenum recovery circuit to capture by-products. Structural engineering is involved in the design of HPGR support, mills, crushers and recovery circuits, as well as heavy concrete and steel structures and foundations sized for dynamic loads.
Critical Minerals Advanced Processing Facility
A proposed facility located in Western Australia - currently under feasibility study - to serve as a common-user advanced processing plant for critical minerals. Funding has been committed by the Western Australian and Federal Governments to explore downstream processing capacity and demonstration-scale facilities. The project requires structural design for pilot/demonstration-scale processing infrastructure, including modular units, chemical/hydrometallurgical plant structures, safety and containment systems, process pipework support and flexibility for variations in feedstock.
Looking at the bigger picture, engineers are right at the heart of some major shifts in WA's minerals sector. With the global push for decarbonisation, there's growing demand for critical minerals like rare earths and lithium - used in everything from EVs to wind turbines. That's putting extra pressure on structural engineers to design facilities that meet increasingly stringent environmental, safety and regulatory standards.
We're also seeing a rise in modular and demonstration-scale plants, like the proposed CMAP facility. These smaller, more flexible operations need engineers to think differently, designing for adaptability, scalability and rapid deployment.
With government funding flowing into early-stage projects, engineers are becoming involved earlier in the process. That means placing more emphasis on feasibility, risk mitigation and long-term structural integrity, thereby setting these projects up for success from the outset.
It's exciting times in the rare earths and critical minerals mining. If you'd like to know more about structural engineering opportunities, then get in touch or search current structural engineering jobs on our website.
