The traditional resources model, built on bulk commodity relationships and ties to global mining majors, has not readily extended to critical minerals in Australian-Japanese cooperation. Bridging this gap requires a different approach: trusted partners, on the ground, with established standing.
“Tivan has earned that standing across the north of Australia through deep and respectful relationships with Traditional Owners in whose countries we operate, and with governments at every level,” said Grant Wilson, executive chairman of Tivan.
“These relationships are not adjuncts to project development. They are the foundation on which everything else is built,” he said.
Japan’s approach to resource partnerships is patient, technically rigorous and generational rather than transactional, affirming that long-term value accrues to those who invest in trust.
The Speewah Fluorite Project, developed in partnership with Tivan, Sumitomo Corp., the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security and ETFS Capital, will be the first integrated fluorite mine and acid-grade fluorspar processing operation in remote Western Australia. Acid-grade fluorspar is critical to the production of semiconductors, lithium-ion battery electrolytes and specialty chemicals — supply chains central to advanced manufacturing and energy security.
“In turbulent times, durable partnerships grounded in mutual respect, between companies, between communities, between nations, remain the most reliable foundation for progress.”
Grant Wilson, Executive Chairman of Tivan
A stage-gated, public-private risk-sharing model has unlocked the development pathway at Speewah, enabling our partners to invest at the project’s foundational phase with exposure that scales as the project advances. Sumitomo has secured offtake of up to 100% of production, anchoring the security of supplies designated for customers in Japan.
Speewah is a tangible demonstration of what trusted partners can achieve when enterprising spirit is matched by long-term commitment.
A memorandum of understanding between Tivan and Sumitomo extends this partnership to the Molyhil Tungsten Project and the adjacent Sandover Fluorite Project in Australia’s Northern Territory.
“In turbulent times, durable partnerships grounded in mutual respect, between companies, between communities, between nations, remain the most reliable foundation for progress,” Wilson said.
