ABx picks new CEO to drive refining technology

Alumina technologist and rare earths explorer ABx Group has chosen the CEO of its subsidiary, Alcore, to run the ASX-listed parent.  The move comes after long time ABx leader Ian Levy said he was stepping down from the 1^st of February.  Dr Mark Cooksey previously held the position of CEO of Alcore, an ABx company that has been developing an aluminium fluoride refinery in NSW.

Dr Cooksey originally started smelting aluminium with Comalco/Rio Tinto Alcan before a long tenure at the CSIRO where he was involved with new process technologies in the minerals and metals industries, including bauxite processing and rare earth element technologies.

Outgoing ABx Group CEO Ian Levy, said; “This appointment was delayed 18 months by the Covid pandemic, during which, Mark found ways to overcome setbacks and proved he has the skills and determination to lead our company through its biggest development phase ahead.”

“Mark is taking on this corporate leadership role at a time when Australia is wisely increasing the development of new technologies, especially those that increase security and environmental excellence of Australian industry.”

ABx said Mr Levy will remain on its board and will continue to work on its rare earths exploration projects.

ABx broke ground on the construction of a NSW pilot plant in December last year that will look to produce precursor chemicals for recycling aluminium smelter waste into high-value products such as aluminium fluoride.

Aluminium fluoride is typically used in the production of aluminium in welding applications and in ceramic glazes and enamels.

The Sydney-based company is using a proprietary technology via its 87 per cent-owned chemical refining subsidiary, Alcore, to build its refining business. It is looking to provide economic and environmental benefits to Australian aluminium smelters that are currently reliant on international imports.

Alcore’s proprietary technology requires the production of precursor chemicals in an aluminium fluoride refinery to enable extraction of fluorine. Alcore and Bfluor Chemicals, a specialist chemical business and technology management consulting group from South Africa, have a deal to design pilot scale reactors to recover the chemicals.

In addition to the ABx/Alcore project, the company is also chasing promising early rare earths signs at its Binjour bauxite deposit in Queensland and at two prospects in Tasmania, the DL130 and Fingal Rail prospects. The DL130 prospect boasts a particularly high grade, indicating a different potential origin of the rare earths.

The Binjour orebody contains a total of 37 million tonnes and the first 10 to 15 years of operation will focus on high-grade zones requiring little processing. The resource sits at ABx’s 50 per cent-owned Sunrise project.

Abx has a number of interesting and diverse projects on its books that are all part way down the commercialisation pathway - Cooksey’s role will be to push them all along at pace and to get them to scale the commercialisation hurdle in the shortest possible time frame.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au