The Parker Centre's hydrometallurgy pilot plant facility opened in April 2001. The hydrometallurgy facility, located at Murdoch University, is a joint project between the Parker Centre and Murdoch.

"We now have an excellent facility in which to undertake hydrometallurgy research at the pilot plant scale for up to two research projects concurrently," says Mr Mark Woffenden, the Centre's CEO at the time.

Perth company HiTec Energy Ltd used the facility to operate a demonstration plant for producing electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD). The Parker Centre provided the facility, a skilled workforce and expertise in hydrometallurgy. A number of Parker Centre PhD students operated the demonstration plant. These students gained hands-on experience with a processing plant run under operating conditions similar to those of an industrial plant.

The former HiTec Energy demonstration plant was purchased by Murdoch University during 2002-2003 as the core of a larger multifunctional hydrometallurgical pilot plant being constructed in the Parker Centre/Murdoch hydrometallurgy facility. The larger pilot plant will be used to undertake a wide range of test work.

In 2009, an electrowinning pilot plant was added to the Parker Centre/Murdoch facility. This plant was kindly donated to the Centre by BHP Billiton, and enhances the Centre's world-class electrowinning capability.

If you are interested in using the hydrometallurgy facility, please contact Dr Steve Rogers, the current Parker Centre Managing Director (Ph: 9334 8951; e-mail: s.rogers@parkercentre.com.au) for further information.