As Australia and Japan mark 50 years of modern partnership and sign new agreements to bolster cooperation on energy, defense and critical minerals, Chalice Mining is positioning itself as a long-term partner to Japan in securing the critical minerals that underpin decarbonization, advanced manufacturing and energy security.
Now in its 20th year, the Perth-based company has evolved from a gold explorer into a developer of platinum group metals (PGM), nickel, copper and cobalt — key inputs for electric vehicles, hydrogen technologies and emissions reduction systems.
This shift was driven by Chalice’s 2020 discovery of the Gonneville deposit in Western Australia — one of the most significant greenfield discoveries globally in recent decades. The Gonneville Project hosts a largescale polymetallic resource of palladium, platinum, nickel, copper and cobalt within a single system.
Chalice is now aiming to develop a new globally significant, multidecade critical minerals mine, which is forecast to generate 4.7 billion Australian dollars ($3.3 billion) in free cash-flow over an initial 23-year life.
“Gonneville is the leading PGM development project globally with a unique basket of metals and very competitive cost profile which makes it strategically attractive to global investors,” said Alex Dorsch, Chalice’s managing director and chief executive officer.
Chalice has already invested over AU$250 million in advancing the project to date and, with a feasibility study due next year, is aiming to bring the first stage into production by 2030, at an estimated cost of AU$820 million.
“We are aiming to deliver a new state-of-the-art resource project that is designed to support resilient, transparent and sustainable supply chains — aligned with the shared priorities of Australia and Japan in an increasingly complex global economy.”
Alex Dorsch, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Chalice Mining
The company has moved to strengthen ties with Japan, signing a memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Corp. in 2024. The partnership reflects Japan’s long-standing role as a strategic investor in Australia’s resources sector and its growing focus on securing stable, long-term supply chains for critical minerals.
“Japan has a long history of successful investment in Australia’s mining and energy industries, with relationships typically built for the long term,” Dorsch said.
“We are aiming to deliver a new state-of-the-art resource project that is designed to support resilient, transparent and sustainable supply chains — aligned with the shared priorities of Australia and Japan in an increasingly complex global economy,” Dorsch said.
