EcoMag, founded by Dr Tam Tran and Tony Crimmins, set out to revolutionise the upcycling of magnesium-rich waste from sea-salt processing in Western Australia. Although Dr Tran had developed a proprietary method for converting this waste into magnesium hydrocarbonate, scaling and refining the process remained a major hurdle. Traditional ‘wet chemistry’ methods were labour-intensive and inefficient, creating a need for a more scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable production approach.
To address this, EcoMag partnered with Future Food Systems (FFS) and specifically FFS’s Research and Commercialisation Director, Prof. Cordelia Selomulya and her team of spray-drying experts at UNSW Sydney. Together, they optimised the spray-drying process, developing a streamlined protocol that consistently delivered high-quality magnesium salts while reducing labour, energy costs, waste, and contamination. This enabled EcoMag to significantly scale-up production and improve operational efficiency.
The collaboration led to a dramatic 60-fold increase in production of magnesium lactate—from 200g/day to 7–12kg/day, with future capacity to reach 24kg/day. This breakthrough allowed EcoMag’s sister company, Abundant Natural Health (ANH), to produce premium health products like magnesium-based pain-relief and sleep aids. As a result, ANH secured lucrative contracts with major US retailers such as CVS and Walmart and entered international distribution agreements.
In parallel, UNSW helped develop high mesoporous Mg-based particles, unlocking a potential $1.5 billion market in pharmaceutical applications. These advancements also helped EcoMag secure federal funding through the NAIF scheme to build a commercial-scale plant in Dampier, WA.
EcoMag’s next steps include attracting further investment to complete the Dampier production facility and securing a long-term supply of magnesium-rich brine waste. Once operational, the plant will create regional jobs and enable EcoMag to meet bulk international contracts efficiently.
Further FFS-backed research is underway to make EcoMag’s process carbon neutral by capturing CO₂ emissions during production. With its proven ability to convert waste into high-value ingredients, EcoMag is well-positioned for global expansion, job creation, and significant contributions to Australia’s economy and sustainability goals.
EcoMag, founded by Dr Tam Tran and Tony Crimmins, set out to revolutionise the upcycling of magnesium-rich waste from sea-salt processing in Western Australia. Although Dr Tran had developed a proprietary method for converting this waste into magnesium hydrocarbonate, scaling and refining the process remained a major hurdle. Traditional ‘wet chemistry’ methods were labour-intensive and inefficient, creating a need for a more scalable, cost-effective, and sustainable production approach.
To address this, EcoMag partnered with Future Food Systems (FFS) and specifically FFS’s Research and Commercialisation Director, Prof. Cordelia Selomulya and her team of spray-drying experts at UNSW Sydney. Together, they optimised the spray-drying process, developing a streamlined protocol that consistently delivered high-quality magnesium salts while reducing labour, energy costs, waste, and contamination. This enabled EcoMag to significantly scale-up production and improve operational efficiency.
The collaboration led to a dramatic 60-fold increase in production of magnesium lactate—from 200g/day to 7–12kg/day, with future capacity to reach 24kg/day. This breakthrough allowed EcoMag’s sister company, Abundant Natural Health (ANH), to produce premium health products like magnesium-based pain-relief and sleep aids. As a result, ANH secured lucrative contracts with major US retailers such as CVS and Walmart and entered international distribution agreements.
In parallel, UNSW helped develop high mesoporous Mg-based particles, unlocking a potential $1.5 billion market in pharmaceutical applications. These advancements also helped EcoMag secure federal funding through the NAIF scheme to build a commercial-scale plant in Dampier, WA.
EcoMag’s next steps include attracting further investment to complete the Dampier production facility and securing a long-term supply of magnesium-rich brine waste. Once operational, the plant will create regional jobs and enable EcoMag to meet bulk international contracts efficiently.
Further FFS-backed research is underway to make EcoMag’s process carbon neutral by capturing CO₂ emissions during production. With its proven ability to convert waste into high-value ingredients, EcoMag is well-positioned for global expansion, job creation, and significant contributions to Australia’s economy and sustainability goals.
