Cobalt Blue Holdings (ASX: COB) has reported strong progress on the development of its Kwinana cobalt refinery (KCR) in Western Australia and supporting programs at the pilot-scale Broken Hill Technology Centre (BHTC) in New South Wales.
The company continues to build technical momentum and commercial confidence as it implements its strategy to establish Australia’s first cobalt refinery and position the project for a Final Investment Decision.
Key recent activities include advances in customer qualification, deeper offtake engagement, expanded intellectual property protection, and ongoing evaluation of battery black mass feedstock options.
High-Purity pCAM Samples
Cobalt Blue recently achieved a significant milestone, producing cobalt samples containing precursor cathode active material (pCAM) at BHTC using the company’s proprietary flowsheet to meet stringent buyer specifications.
The achievement places Kwinana among a select group of non‑Chinese refineries capable of delivering high‑purity product quality.
pCAM contains cobalt and is used in battery applications including energy storage systems, as well as portable devices such as lithium-cobalt-oxide chemistries for drones and robotics.
Cobalt Blue recently received formal confirmation that cobalt sulphate heptahydrate samples produced at target offtake specifications met strict trace metal purity and physical specifications identified by potential pCAM buyers.
The company anticipates an ongoing cycle of sample production and assessment in parallel with offtake negotiations.
BHTC Development Support
Since 2021, Cobalt Blue has invested more than $15 million in the BHTC to validate its end‑to‑end process, optimise the refinery flowsheet across multiple feedstocks, and deliver key technical data to support commercial development.
The facility continues to produce samples of cobalt metal and cobalt sulphate for customer qualification programs, and is central to the ongoing evaluation of black mass.
Cobalt Blue received a letter of intent in November from global commodities trading house Hartree Partners for the purchase of cobalt metal from BHTC using feedstock from recycled battery black mass and other industrial waste materials.
The company has delivered four kilograms of cobalt sulphate monohydrate from BHTC to Australian national science agency CSIRO for use in a cathode precursor production pilot plant it is currently developing with Minerals Research Insitute of WA and Curtin University to support the development of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
Cobalt Blue has also commenced a co-development program with CSIRO to design and validate a process to recover and purify graphite from battery black mass with a target of battery-grade specifications.
Potential Domestic Feed Source
Battery black mass typically contains up to 40% graphite and is being assessed as a potential domestic feed source for KCR, supporting greater feedstock optionality and enhanced project economics.
Cobalt Blue is working with CSIRO on a process to recover graphite from black mass as an additional marketable product.
CSIRO has developed methods to purify graphite-rich residues to obtain battery-grade graphite, which will be applied and optimised to the Cobalt Blue residue.
Cobalt Blue expects the partnership will help it establish a sovereign Australian capability to recover and purify graphite from end-of-life batteries, converting waste into a saleable and value-added product.
