Sunrise US critical minerals reserve bid: offtake and HPAL notes for engineers
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

First reported on Australian Mining
30 Second Briefing
Sunrise Energy Metals is positioning its Sunrise nickel–cobalt–scandium project in New South Wales to supply the newly announced US strategic critical minerals reserve, targeting long-term offtake into the American defence and clean energy supply chain. The laterite project is designed around high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) processing of nickel and cobalt, with scandium oxide as a key by-product for high-strength aluminium alloys in aerospace and automotive applications. Any US reserve participation would likely require binding offtake contracts, compliance with US sourcing rules, and investment in export logistics from eastern Australia.
Technical Brief
- HPAL flowsheet selection drives requirements for high-pressure autoclaves, acid plants and residue storage facilities.
- Laterite ore characteristics necessitate detailed geometallurgical modelling to optimise leach conditions and acid consumption.
- Similar HPAL laterite projects show that commissioning risk and ramp-up timelines are critical to offtake reliability.
Our Take
Sunrise Energy Metals’ interest in the US critical minerals reserve aligns with Canberra’s push outlined in the recent Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus, which mapped 49 mining and 29 midstream proposals, signalling that Australian-listed players are positioning to plug both US and domestic supply gaps.
With both Australia and the United States flagged in this piece, Sunrise’s move suggests it is trying to straddle dual policy frameworks – US strategic stockpiling on one side and Australian critical minerals promotion on the other – which can de-risk offtake but may complicate permitting and funding timelines.
Critical minerals items in our database often feature Iluka Resources’ Australian projects; Sunrise appearing alongside this theme indicates a widening field of Australian operators seeking to convert policy momentum into concrete contracts, particularly where US-backed reserves or incentives are in play.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
Related Articles
Related Industries & Products
Mining
Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.
Construction
Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.
CMRR-io
Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.
HYDROGEO-io
Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.
GEODB-io
Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.