Junior mining companies CuFe, Emmerson Resources and Tennant Minerals have secured A$600 000 in combined federal and Northern Territory government funding to advance plans for a shared critical and base metals processing facility in the Tennant Creek region.

The funding has been awarded to the Tennant Creek Copper Alliance (TCCA), which was formed in October 2024, and will support a feasibility study into the development of a multi-user processing plant to treat copper, gold and other critical minerals from the partners’ projects.

The grant funding comprises equal contributions from the federal government’s Critical Minerals National Productivity Initiative and the Northern Territory government’s Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations. Alliance members will match the government contribution and fund additional costs required to complete the study.

The feasibility study is expected to be completed by June and will assess plant configuration, capital and operating costs, site selection, infrastructure requirements, logistics, environmental approvals, product streams and ownership and governance frameworks.

The outcomes of the study are expected to feed into the feasibility assessments of each alliance member’s individual development projects.

CuFe executive director Mark Hancock, Emmerson MD Mike Dunbar and Tennant Minerals general manager Chris Ramsay said in a joint statement that the funding reflected growing momentum in the region.

“Since forming the Tennant Creek Copper Alliance, the partners have continued to make strong progress on their respective projects that will underpin the proposed processing plant. CuFe has announced significant increases to its Gecko and Orlando mineral resources, Tennant Minerals has reported its maiden mineral resource for Bluebird, and Emmerson continues to deliver exciting drilling results from the Hermitage deposit,” they said.

They noted that several of the alliance’s deposits contained not only copper, but also bismuth, gold and silver, with Tennant Creek remaining one of the few areas in Australia hosting commercial bismuth deposits.

If successfully developed, a shared processing facility would significantly reduce the capital costs and environmental footprints of the projects compared to stand-alone plants, and provide a more efficient, cost-effective pathway to development for future discoveries.

Northern Territory Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations Robyn Cahill said the study would strengthen the Territory’s critical minerals value chain.

“The Barkly region is home to some of Australia’s largest deposits of critical minerals it is therefore important that we have the right infrastructure in place to support industry and to extract the maximum social and economic benefit for the Territory,” Cahill said.

“The feasibility study is an important piece of work that will enhance the Northern Territory’s capacity to process critical minerals and attract new investment.”

Minister for Mining and Energy Gerard Maley added that the project could unlock new mining opportunities in the region.

“The feasibility study marks another step forward for Tennant Creek and the Northern Territory’s critical minerals future. This study is about unlocking the next chapter of mining in Tennant Creek by looking at how a common-user processing facility could reduce costs, attract new investment and make smaller and more complex deposits commercially viable,” he said.

“A shared processing facility has the potential to strengthen the Territory’s mining sector, encourage exploration and help position the Northern Territory as a key player in Australia’s critical minerals supply chain.”