ABx Group Limited (ASX: ABX) announced today that construction of its ALCORE pilot plant is accelerating, following the receipt of a crucial building permit. ABx Group Limited (ABx) is an Australian company focused on delivering materials for a safer, cleaner future, with priority projects in heavy rare earths, clean fluorine chemical production (ALCORE), and near-term bauxite production. The ALCORE pilot plant, an initiative of ALCORE Limited, an 83%-owned ABx subsidiary, is located at the ALCORE Technology Centre (ATC) in northern Tasmania, adjacent to Rio Tinto’s Bell Bay aluminium smelter. This facility will demonstrate ALCORE’s world-first proprietary process for producing hydrogen fluoride from a by-product generated during aluminium smelting, a critical chemical for fluorine applications like lithium-ion batteries, which Australia currently lacks domestic production for.
Significant progress has been made across various construction fronts. Civil works have commenced, encompassing foundations, bunded covered process areas, and supporting infrastructure for process equipment, utilities, chemical storage, and control functions. Concurrently, TasNetworks is coordinating with ALCORE for the site power supply upgrade, including new high-voltage infrastructure and a substation. Equipment for the pilot plant is also arriving regularly at the ATC, with items such as a process water treatment plant, demineralised water generator, air compressors, and chemical storage containers already on site.
Detailed engineering, equipment manufacture, and Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) studies are advancing to support commissioning. Formal HAZOP studies for major process modules are complete, with resulting actions being implemented for design finalisation. A comprehensive 3D model of the site and pilot plant has been developed to integrate utilities, piping, and electrical routing. Dr Mark Cooksey, Managing Director and CEO of ABx Group, expressed satisfaction with the progress, noting that receiving the building permit, commencing civil works, and equipment arrival are important milestones. The company targets completion of civil construction and power upgrades in late Q4 2026, with major process module delivery from early Q4 2026 to Q1 2027. Staged installation and cold commissioning are scheduled for early Q2 2027.
