NRF eyes critical minerals, green iron and renewables as it races to deploy $1.5b
NRF chair Martijn Wilder has told Capital Brief investing in the fund's other priority areas of agriculture, forestry, transport, military and green manufacturing is proving “difficult”.
The National Reconstruction Fund will likely double down on its “favoured sectors” of critical minerals, green iron and steel, and value-added renewable energy as it races to deploy $1.5 billion over the next 12 months.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Clean Energy Summit this week NRF chair Martijn Wilder told Capital Brief the fund is in advanced due diligence on projects across most of the seven government priority sectors, despite having only invested in three areas since launching 18 months ago.
The fund has concentrated its 10 investments made since November 2024 in quantum computing, medical science and critical minerals — areas where Wilder argued Australia has a "strong leadership role on a global scale."
But the NRF has yet to make a single investment in military equipment, transport, agriculture, forestry, green steel, sustainable aviation fuel or hydrogen, where Wilder pointed out that "business models are less proven and commercialised technologies are yet to fully mature."
