OreSand Knowledge Hub: Building practical pathways for OreSand

We connect research, industry, and public partners to turn OreSand from a promising idea into real projects—reducing pressure on natural sand while improving productivity and safety in mining operations.

OreSand is sand produced from the ore body as part of mineral processing. It is not tailings. When designed as a co-production strategy, OreSand can reduce tailings generation, smooth production flows for the primary commodity, and create new, responsible supply for sand users.

The OreSand Knowledge Hub, hosted by The University of Queensland, exists to speed up adoption by sharing evidence, decision supports, and partnerships.

Our focus is practical: we pair technical rigour with the enabling conditions (policy, finance, markets, skills) that let projects succeed and scale. We work with operators, buyers, and public-interest actors to turn site-specific opportunities into viable projects and, over time, into investable OreSand portfolios.

What is an OreSand Project?

An OreSand project is a structured effort to co-produce OreSand at, or from, a mine site and put it to use in real markets.

The OreSand Toolkit

The Toolkit is organised around decision contexts. Each tool is starting its life as a beta version in simple, accessible formats (for example, .xlsx, .pptx, .docx).

OreSand Inc

A proposed for-impact commercial vehicle for OreSand, being developed to give partners a way to work with us commercially.

Who we are

The OreSand Knowledge Hub is a University of Queensland initiative, developed by the Global Centre for Mineral Security with support from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing, and Regional and Rural Development.

Our mission is to catalyse innovation and systemic change, so OreSand becomes a scalable, responsible alternative to natural sand by connecting science, industry, policy, and society. We convene partners, build decision supports, and share learning from demonstrations to shape markets and practice.

The Hub sits within the Global Centre for Mineral Security and links directly to ongoing research on circular economy, mineral security, and tailings reduction.

What we do

Curate practical tools and methods that teams can use.
Broker collaboration across supply, demand, and public-good actors.
Support pilots and evidence generation to inform standards, regulation, and policy.
Host dialogues and share updates en route to the UQ Tailings Innovation Summit to be held in partnership with the ICMM in June 2026, and the global OreSand symposium to be hosted back-to-back with this event.

How the Hub is designed

The online Hub uses a simple, low-fi layout on purpose. It keeps pages light and fast to load, even where internet access is limited. Resources are easy to find and download in formats like PDF and ZIP, without complex log-ins or interactive tools.

This design fits our values and our way of working. We focus on accessibility and broad reach. We prototype, share, and improve tools based on real use before investing in more complex digital features. The look is a little retro, but the aim is clear: make it easy for people to get what they need and put it to work.

Governance

The Hub is guided by an Advisory Expert Committee and a small coordination team at UQ. Together, they set strategic priorities, review progress, and help ensure that the Hub reflects diverse perspectives across regions and disciplines.

For governance and strategic enquiries, please contact Dr Louise Gallagher

Professor Daniel Franks
View Daniel Franks’ research profile

Dr Louise Gallagher
View Louise Gallagher’s research profile

Dr Juliana Segura-Salazar
View Juliana Segura-Salazar's research profile

Dr Lulit Habte Ekubastion
View Lulit Habte Ekubatsion's research profile

Dr Elin Jennings

View Elin Jennings' research profile

Whether you are developing an OreSand co-production pathway, seeking resilient sand supply, or leading public-interest projects, we would like to work with you. Share your context and we will connect you to emerging tools, dialogues, or pilots where we can add value.

Please complete our online form and we will contact you:

Online form