Clean TeQ Water Secures Engineering Contract with Sunrise Energy Metals for Syerston Scandium Project Advancement
27 January 2026
Clean TeQ Water has been awarded a contract by Sunrise Energy Metals to update key engineering elements of the Syerston Scandium Project in New South Wales, Australia, supporting the project’s progression toward its next development milestone.
The contract, valued at A$665,160, involves updating and refining designs from the 2016 and 2025 feasibility studies. The scope covers the continuous Resin-in-Pulp (cRIP) circuit, underpinned by Clean TeQ Water’s proprietary MBIX (Moving Bed Ion Exchange) technology, together with the refinery design.
These updates will inform Sunrise’s Final Investment Decision and form part of the broader investment readiness package. The work will be completed within 16 weeks from commencement, with delivery expected in May 2026.
The Syerston Scandium Project hosts one of the world’s largest and highest-grade primary scandium resources. Sunrise Energy Metals recently announced a material increase in scandium inventory, substantially enhancing project economics.
Clean TeQ Water’s appointment reflects both companies’ long-standing technical collaboration and deep expertise in critical metals recovery. While Sunrise retains exclusive rights to MBIX for scandium, nickel and cobalt, Clean TeQ Water applies the technology more broadly in water treatment, industrial processing, and emerging applications across uranium, rare earths and other high-value critical minerals.
Upon a positive Final Investment Decision, Clean TeQ Water is well-positioned to deliver full Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services for the Syerston plant infrastructure. The Company’s track record in delivering advanced ion exchange systems and metallurgical process plants provides a strong foundation for project execution at scale.
“The increased scandium inventory underscores the project’s growing strategic relevance, and this contract exemplifies our core strengths in critical metals process design. We look forward to supporting Sunrise through FID and beyond.”
CLEAN-IX® Moving Bed Ion Exchange
Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) is Clean TeQ’s proprietary ion exchange technology platform, designed to deliver continuous counter-current operation for superior efficiency in water and metals processing. Unlike conventional fixed-bed systems, MBIX operates with moving resin beds, allowing higher stage efficiency, improved resin utilisation, and stable performance under variable feed conditions.
The advantages of MBIX include lower water consumption, reduced reagent consumption, more concentrated valuable product streams, and significantly lower losses of target ions compared to traditional fixed-bed ion exchange approaches. MBIX is highly robust, with the ability to process streams containing suspended solids, while maintaining continuous operation without the extended downtime associated with bed cycling.