Australia Mineral Processing Equipment Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Australia Mineral Processing Equipment Market Trends and Insights

Record Pilbara iron-ore output driving replacement capex

Rio Tinto has allocated USD 1.8 billion to extend Brockman Syncline and USD 1.6 billion for Hope Downs 2 in 2025, replacing aging crushers, screens, and conveyors as existing assets near end-of-life in abrasive Pilbara conditions^{[1]“Brockman Syncline and Hope Downs 2 Investment Release,” Rio Tinto, riotinto.com}.The demand concentration in a single region encourages OEMs to establish localized rebuild centers and inventory hubs, cutting lead times and boosting service revenue. 

Battery-mineral boom spurring new concentrators

The Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive that starts in 2027 is catalyzing lithium, nickel, and rare-earth concentrator builds, each requiring custom flotation cells, magnetic separators, and fine grinding mills^{[2]“LithSonic Low-Carbon Lithium Extraction Technology,” CSIRO, csiro.au}. CSIRO’s LithSonic technology offers cleaner lithium extraction, underscoring the technical leap needed in new plants. Although Albemarle halted the third train at Kemerton, long-run EV adoption secures equipment demand. 

FMIA incentives for on-shore processing

The FMIA package commits USD 22.7 billion over ten years, more than one-fifth is earmarked for critical-mineral processing, tilting project economics toward local value-adding plants. Eneabba will house the country’s first fully integrated rare-earth refinery, favoring modular circuits that are easier to fabricate domestically and install in remote sites. 

Stricter tailings-dam rules boosting filtration demand

Regulators, responding to incidents such as the 2024 suspension at Newmont's Telfer mine, now mandate filtered tailings with over 80% water recovery. This shift has spurred a heightened demand for large-format filter presses and paste thickeners, which are critical for meeting these stringent requirements. Meanwhile, fines imposed at Cadia underscore the escalating compliance costs, prompting swift equipment retrofits to align with regulatory standards and avoid further penalties.

Environmental approval delays

Victoria significantly raised mining fees, impacting the operational costs for mining companies. Meanwhile, community challenges, such as those encountered by the FI Joint Venture in Yalgoo, are extending permit cycles by as much as two years. These prolonged cycles stall equipment orders, disrupt supplier capacity planning, and create uncertainties in project timelines. As a result, OEMs are now compelled to factor in schedule risks or offer flexible delivery clauses to mitigate potential delays.

Rising grid-power tariffs for grinding circuits

CSIRO’s GenCost report shows around one-fifth uplift in electricity technology costs in recent years, with WA and SA mines paying the steepest tariffs. Operators are adopting on-site solar plus storage, meeting more than half of the average load, yet the CAPEX burden diverts funds from new mill installations. Suppliers offering high-pressure grinding rolls or hybrid-power crushers gain an edge as clients seek lower specific energy draws. 

Segment Analysis

By Equipment Type: Crushers Anchor Spending while Tailings Drive Growth

Crushing systems accounted for 34.17% of the Australian mineral processing equipment market in 2024, underscoring their indispensable role in high-tonnage Pilbara iron-ore flowsheets. Rio Tinto’s Brockman Syncline plant includes a 34 million tpa primary crusher that epitomizes the throughput scale standard to the region. Grinding mills form the second-largest pool as miners pursue finer grind sizes to unlock grade uplift, especially in copper and gold circuits. Screens, feeders, and overland conveyors are integral to long-distance, mine-to-port logistics. 

Demand for tailings-filtration units is expanding at a 5.91% CAGR, the fastest of all equipment groups. New thickener designs and large filter presses enable operators to meet dry-stack mandates and recycle process water, which is crucial in arid WA and NSW settings. Sensor-based sorting, automated samplers, and AI-driven analyzers represent emerging sub-segments as mines adopt Industry 4.0 workflows. This evolution signals a pivot from bulk handling toward smarter, water-conserving equipment suites that can satisfy both productivity and ESG goals. 

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Mineral Commodity: Iron-Ore Rules as Lithium Accelerates

With 45.13% of the Australian mineral processing equipment market share in 2024, iron ore dominates procurement, propelled by Rio Tinto’s USD 13 billion spend to lift Pilbara capacity to 345–360 million tpy by 2027. Bauxite sits second thanks to substantial northern reserves, though miners lobby for its re-classification as a critical mineral to unlock FMIA funds. Copper appliances benefit from BHP’s plan to refine copper cathode in South Australia. 

Lithium circuits register the quickest climb at 5.95% CAGR. Australia produced around two-fifths of global lithium in 2024, and the state's push for hydroxide refining plants ensures robust order books for specialized flotation, calcination, and crystallization lines, even after Kemerton scaled back. Nickel and rare-earth equipment add niche volumes, while tungsten and mineral-sands facilities broaden the commodity base and underpin supplier diversification. 

By Mining Method: Surface Dominance with Underground Catch-Up

Surface operations captured 73.24% of the Australian mineral processing equipment market in 2024 as the Pilbara, Bowen Basin, and Hunter Valley rely on large-scale open pits, autonomous haulage, and in-pit crushing and conveying. Fortescue’s deal for 360 battery-electric trucks plus Caterpillar’s massive number of meters of autonomous drilling at Mt Arthur South reflect ongoing capex in surface fleets. Water- and energy-saving upgrades such as AI-controlled pumps continue to lower per-ton costs. 

Underground equipment is growing at a 5.89% CAGR as ore bodies deepen. Newmont’s Tanami expansion will sink Australia’s deepest shaft at 1.5 km, driving orders for battery-electric loaders like Komatsu’s WX04B that cut diesel emissions and improve air quality. Underground machinery commands higher unit prices and presents technology showcase opportunities, attracting premium margins for OEMs. 

By Automation Level: Semi-Automated Present, Fully Automated Future

Semi-automated rigs held 47.81% of the Australian mineral processing equipment market in 2024, balancing capital outlay with immediate productivity gains. Remote-operated drill rigs, AI-enabled predictive maintenance, and digital twins enhance availability without displacing entire crews, fitting current workforce transition plans. 

Fully automated assets post the leading 6.11% CAGR as Australia now hosts several autonomous trucks, the largest global fleet. Rio Tinto’s Autonomy Program and Epiroc’s Fortescue order for autonomous electric drills show greenfield projects skipping the semi-stage. As edge computing and reliable LTE networks reach remote leases, entirely crew-free plants are expected to spread beyond iron ore into base metal and critical mineral hubs. 

Geography Analysis

Western Australia dominates the Australian mineral processing equipment market, anchored by Pilbara iron ore and fast-growing battery-mineral hubs. Rio Tinto alone will channel USD 13 billion into the Pilbara region of Western Australia over the next three years. The state’s 2015 Code of Practice on autonomous mining tools fosters early uptake of driverless trucks and drills, positioning WA as a proving ground for cutting-edge processing trains. 

South Australia is the next growth pole, leveraging BHP’s plan to refine a considerable amount of copper cathode annually and emerging rare-earth projects such as Eneabba. The FMIA’s critical-minerals incentives and a new state skills program combat labor shortages, making Adelaide a growing hub for engineering talent. 

New South Wales and Queensland fill specialized roles: NSW hosts gold assets like the expanded Tanami operation. At the same time, Queensland supplies coal processors requiring heavy-duty screens and dense-medium cyclones, even as the state charts an energy-transition course. Victoria risks marginalization after hiking mining fees, a move industry groups predict will dampen exploration and equipment orders. Northern Territory and Tasmania remain small yet rising; the former benefits from greenfields critical-mineral finds, and the latter from mineral-sands upgrades that need compact, modular circuits.