A joint research to turn bauxite residue into fertile soil receives a special recognition

Rio Tinto, Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) and The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Sustainable Minerals Institute have received a recognition for their joint research into technologies that could turn bauxite residue, also known as red mud, into fertile soil.

They are trying a new process that uses eco-engineering technology to alter the minerals in the red mud into a soil-like material suitable for plant growth. If successful, the research could help transform the way alumina refineries rehabilitate red mud dams.

Led by the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Professor Longbin Huang, the research team works closely with employees at the Yarwun and QAL refineries in Gladstone and Gove in the Northern Territory.

Earlier this year, the trio won the Achieving Resilient Environments and Livelihoods Award at the UQ Partners in Research Excellence Awards in Brisbane. The award was given to acknowledge the quality of the research and the strength of the partnership.

Bauxite residue is a major waste product generated during alumina refining. Worldwide, there are currently hundreds of millions of tonnes of red mud, with significant rehabilitation work required to return the land to a natural ecosystem once refining operations cease.