ABx Group said its 83%-owned subsidiary ALCORE Limited has made substantial progress constructing a continuous pilot plant intended to demonstrate its proprietary process for producing hydrogen fluoride from an aluminium-smelting by-product.
The plant is being installed at the ALCORE Technology Centre beside Rio Tinto's Bell Bay aluminium smelter in northern Tasmania. ABx said major equipment manufacture is substantially complete, while piping, valves, instrumentation and supporting structures are being integrated.
TasNetworks has installed a new substation for additional site power, while the main switchboard remains in manufacture with delivery planned for November. Site infrastructure and foundations are also being prepared for installation of major process modules, ABx said.
EPA Tasmania has advised that the project's Environmental Effects Report has been accepted as the final case for assessment, which ABx described as a significant step toward planning approval. The company is targeting pilot plant commissioning in the second quarter of 2027.
ABx said the local council will shortly publicly advertise the planning documentation and Environmental Effects Report. The company cautioned that forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and may differ materially from actual outcomes.
Source: Download ABX official ASX announcement, 2026-10-22.
Manufactured ALCORE pilot plant process equipment, from ABx Group's 22 October 2026 company announcement.