From a paddock in Yendon to bulletproof windows: a mineral found east of Ballarat could one day be coming to a car or phone near you.
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An application has been lodged to explore for alumina in kaolin, which could one day be used in mobile phone and electrical car batteries.
Yendon HPA PL is based in Perth and has applied for a licence covering almost 13 sq km of west Moorabool, excluding the Lal Lal Falls Reserve.
If granted, the licence would be valid for five years - but would not allow the company to carry out any mining for the mineral - also known as Aluminium Oxide.
That would be subject to a separate application.
A 2018 pre-feasibility study for Yendon HPA described it as generating "outstanding technical and financial outcomes" with "low production costs underpinning exceptional margins resulting in potential earnings before interest, tax and depreciation of US $133 million (AUD $206 million)".
The study also said the project would yield 8,000 tonnes a year of high purity alumina.
The authors said the compound had a high melting point and did not conduct electricity, making it ideal for mobile phone, lithium and electric vehicle batteries as well as LED lights, bullet proof windows and smartphone camera screens.
"High purity alumina prices are forecast to remain firm with demand growth matching or exceeding supply," it said.
"Quality challenges will constrain supply growth, particularly at the higher purity levels."
The document also describes the location as 100 kilometres via freeway to the Port of Melbourne and "mining friendly - kaolin has been mined in the area for decades".
It outlines a proposed open cut mine with a maximum depth of 30m with no blasting, crushing or grinding.
It also describes a plans to truck kaolin concentrate to a Melbourne hydrometallurgical facility with reject silica stored at the mine and possibly sold.
The application refers to land north of Yendon-Lal Lal Road.
In July 2020 the State Government allowed the company to retain the rights to minerals in a licence area (RL6734) south of the road, despite mining being not yet commercially viable there.
The retention licence expires in 2025.
People have until mid November to lodge feedback with the Manager of Licencing at the Earth Resources Regulation in Melbourne.
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Gabrielle Hodson
'All-rounder' journalist since 1993. I've worked in print, radio, TV & online as well as radio & TV producing and radio presenting. Working on Wadawurrung land. There are 7.9 billion stories out there. I'd love to hear yours...
'All-rounder' journalist since 1993. I've worked in print, radio, TV & online as well as radio & TV producing and radio presenting. Working on Wadawurrung land. There are 7.9 billion stories out there. I'd love to hear yours...
