Ardea Resources' joint venture (JV) Kalgoorlie Nickel has secured lead agency status for the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project (KNP)-Goongarrie Hub in Western Australia (WA).
This follows an application submitted by Kalgoorlie Nickel to WA's Department of Energy and Economic Diversification (DEED) in late 2025.
The Goongarrie Hub, part of the broader KNP in the Goldfields region, is regarded as one of the largest nickel-cobalt resources in the developed world.
The KNP-Goongarrie Hub is expected to play a significant role in global battery supply chains as demand for critical minerals grows, particularly for use in electric vehicles and battery storage technologies.
Lead agency status aims to help strategically important projects by coordinating engagement with government agencies and streamlining approvals and infrastructure pathways.
According to Ardea Resources, the newly awarded status for the Goongarrie Hub highlights the project’s perceived importance to WA’s ambitions in downstream processing and the supply of battery minerals.
Ardea Resources CEO and managing director Andrew Penkethman said: “We are very pleased to receive confirmation from the Western Australian Government of the KNP-Goongarrie Hub’s Lead Agency Status.
“The KNP-Goongarrie Hub represents one of the largest and most strategically significant nickel-cobalt development opportunities in the developed world, and this support reflects the project’s importance to Western Australia’s and Australia’s critical minerals ambitions.
“Lead agency status provides an important framework for coordinated engagement as we continue advancing studies, approvals and stakeholder engagement activities for the KNP-Goongarrie Hub, which now enjoys whole-of-government support, including the Commonwealth.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with DEED, government stakeholders, local communities and our joint venture partners as we progress this globally significant critical minerals project.”
The other partners in the Kalgoorlie Nickel JV are Mitsubishi and Sumitomo Metal Mining.
Earlier this year, Kalgoorlie Nickel secured potential financial backing totalling approximately A$1bn ($714m) for the Goongarrie Hub Project.
