Everest Metals Corporation Ltd has taken a significant step forward in developing Australia’s first rubidium industry. The company, in collaboration with Edith Cowan University and CSIRO, completed an Engineering Scoping Study (ESS) at its Mt Edon Critical Minerals Project in Western Australia. The study demonstrated that its innovative Direct Rubidium Extraction (DRE) technology could achieve an impressive 97% recovery rate of rubidium from the Mt Edon ore. With the provisional patent now being advanced to a standard patent, the company has secured crucial intellectual property protection for its extraction process. The Mt Edon project, located near Paynes Find, boasts a maiden inferred resource of 3.6 million tonnes grading 0.22% Rb2O, containing over 7,900 tonnes of rubidium oxide. Optimized purification processes using ion exchange and selective precipitation have advanced the project from laboratory tests, which initially showed an 85% recovery rate to later tests achieving up to 91% and finally 97% recovery in Phase 3. The study outlines a future processing plant with a capacity of between 750 and 1,000 tonnes per annum of rubidium chloride, and upcoming work will validate the process through bench and pilot-scale testing. Technical details highlight that the process involves mining, beneficiation, roasting, leaching, and crystallisation to produce high-purity rubidium chloride, while also generating lithium as a valuable by-product. Future plans include scaling operations to a pilot plant by 2026, with a target to produce 1 kilogram per week at a minimum of 95% purity under controlled continuous processing conditions. The project’s success is buoyed by strategic partnerships, ongoing funding applications, and heightened interest spurred by global market projections that show rubidium demand growing from US $4.46 billion in 2023 to US $7.2 billion by 2032. The news carries a bullish sentiment for the company as it pioneers a critical mineral extraction process amid rising global demand from high-tech, defence, aerospace, and communications sectors. The technical milestones, secured IP, and strong university and research collaborations position Everest Metals Corporation Ltd as a potential leader in a market with increasing demand fueled by a scarcity of substitutes like caesium. Conversely, some bearish factors remain, including the need for further technical and economic validation at bench and pilot scales, along with potential scalability and funding risks. Investors are advised to weigh these risks against the promising advancements and strategic positioning in a critically important industry.