Did you know critical minerals are key to driving the green energy transition?
The race to live more sustainably is on, and critical minerals are the secret ingredients powering everything from smartphones and laptops to electric vehicles (EVs) and rechargeable batteries.
As global demand for clean energy skyrockets, we need innovative minds to help us sustainably extract, refine and recycle these precious resources. If you’re passionate about solving problems, new tech and limiting global warming, the critical minerals industry needs you.
Choose your own adventure
Want to power Australia’s future and make your mark on the global stage? You can be involved anywhere along the journey…
- Discovery and exploration: You’re an adventurer who loves remote fieldwork and geological mapping.
- Processing and refining: You’re a problem-solver who loves developing efficient, sustainable and cost-effective solutions.
- Innovation and sustainability: You’re a fan of planet Earth and keen to find ways we can use less energy,create less waste and power the transition to Net Zero living
Also known as…
Never heard of critical minerals? These international minerals of mystery go by many other names:
- Essential minerals: Modern life just doesn’t work without them.
- Strategic minerals: Having a secure supply is vital to our security and economy.
- Critical raw materials: They need processing before they can be used.
- Energy transition minerals: They’re powering the shift to cleaner energy options.
- New economy minerals: They’re essential in emerging industries like renewable energy and electric vehicles
Meet the minerals
Cobalt (Co)
Used for: Renewable energy batteries, cancer therapy
Looks like: Shiny, silver-grey metal
Mined in: WA and Qld, alongside nickel and copper. Around 8kg of cobalt is needed to make one EV battery
Manganese (Mn)
Used for: Steel, EV batteries
Looks like: Brittle, grey-white metal
Mined in: WA and the NT. With 91 million tonnes of manganese, Australia holds the fourth largest reserves in the world.
Tungsten (W)
Used for: Drill bits, rocket engines, light bulb filaments
Looks like: Shiny, silvery-white metal
Mined in: Tas, Qld and WA. Combined, China, Vietnam and Russia produce about 90% of the world’s tungsten, while Australia currently only produces 1%.
Vanadium (v)
Used for: Stronger steel, long-life batteries
Looks like: Silvery-grey metal
Mined in: WA, SA and Qld. The electrolyte used in vanadium batteries is nearly 100% recyclable.
Lithium (Li)
Used for: Rechargeable batteries, including in EVs and grid storage
Looks like: Soft, silvery-white metal
Mined in: WA and the NT. WA’s Greenbushes mine started in 1888 as a tin mine and is now the largest lithium mine in the world.
Start your career here!
ENGINEERING + CRITICAL MINERALS + STUDY
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) (Honours), UNSW Sydney
- Bachelor of Science (Geology)/ Bachelor of Engineering (Mining)( Honours), Curtin University, WA School of Mines, Kalgoorlie
- Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) (Honours), The University of Queensland
- Bachelor of Materials Engineering (Honours), Monash University
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mining Engineering) (Honours), The University of Adelaide
- Bachelor of Engineering Science, Charles Darwin University
ENGINEERING +CRITICAL MINERALS + JOBS
- Mining engineer: $81K–$173K
- Metallurgical engineer: $79K–$168K
- Process engineer: $70K–$129K
- Geotechnical engineer: $65K–$129K
- Environmental engineer: $62K–$150K
Salaries sourced from payscale.com
This article originally appeared in Careers with STEM: Engineering 2025.
