Western Australia Signs Letter of Intent on Critical Minerals Cooperation with France
en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 28, the Government of Western Australia and French representatives signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on critical minerals cooperation during the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Sydney. Western Australia's Minister for Development David Michael and Benjamin Gallezot, France's Interministerial Representative for Ore and Metal Supply, jointly signed the document. The scope of cooperation covers critical minerals supply chains, mineral processing, metallurgical technology, recycling, scientific research, and talent development.
The two sides intend to combine Western Australia's mineral resources and mining technologies with France's mineral processing, metallurgical engineering, and industrial technologies to explore cooperation in midstream and downstream processing of critical minerals, resource recovery, and value-added manufacturing. The cooperation document also addresses expanding bilateral trade and investment opportunities, though it is a cooperation framework in nature.
During the conference, French representatives mentioned that support for Western Australian critical minerals projects could be provided through equity investment and loan financing. The two sides also discussed cooperation in green steel, mineral refining, and low-emission industrial technologies, with the French side expressing interest in potential processing projects that combine Western Australia's iron ore resources with renewable energy.
