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The playing field has shifted, says BHP’s Geraldine Slattery BHP president of Australia Geraldine Slattery has addressed the Melbourne Mining Club for the first time, calling on governments and industry to embrace a more competitive mindset in the face of one of greatest industrial shifts in history – the energy transition. Offering what she calls “a blunt assessment”, Ms Slattery says the nation’s access to skills and talent is under threat, investments in technology and innovation trail some of biggest global competitors and that Australia is not keeping pace as an attractive place to invest. “Nearly 50% of the skilled engineering...

CPC Engineering seals deals for major gold projects CPC Engineering will enter 2025 with two new contracts in the surging gold sector totalling $24m, after sealing deals with AngloGold Ashanti and Capricorn Metals (ASX: CMM). The contracts continue CPC’s momentum, coming after a $2.87m Federal Government grant to work with Edith Cowan University on a potentially transformational process to produce low-cost, low-carbon, high purity alumina, and a separate contract with AngloGold Ashanti for a gold recovery project. In the latest deals, AngloGold Ashanti Australia has appointed CPC on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to provide engineering and design services for a new...

Fauna-friendly crossings on the Carmichael rail network Coal from Bravus Mining and Resources’ Carmichael mine near Clermont in central Queensland is making its way to port on a rail line where cutting edge freight technologies are rivalled by the sophistication of fauna-friendly crossings. Bravus Mining and Resources chief operating officer Mick Crowe says the 200km Carmichael Rail Network includes hundreds of design features to support local biodiversity on a line also setting new standards for freight transport. “The design means not only does our coal get to port using safe and efficient rail operations, but it also allows local fauna to...

Phins up! Dolphins boost kids self-esteem in Moranbah, Queensland Hundreds of Moranbah school kids put their Phins up as the Dolphins brought their wellbeing team to Central Queensland schools. From touch footy drills to classroom sessions aimed at boosting self-esteem, Dolphins wellbeing and education team members visited three schools as part of Anglo American’s partnership with the NRL team. The partnership focuses on improving education and sporting outcomes in Central Queensland, and the sessions at Moranbah State School, Moranbah State High School and Moranbah East State School provided kids the chance to learn new skills and build teamwork...

Rio Tinto’s second Beyond Rare™ Tender glitters with pink, red, violet & yellow diamonds Rio Tinto’s second Beyond Rare™ Tender: The Art Series 02 has delivered a strong result with successful bidders from all ends of the earth. Titled Colour Awakened, the collection comprises 76 diamonds in 48 lots, including legacy inventory of pink, red and violet diamonds from the Argyle diamond mine, together with white and yellow diamonds from Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories of Canada. (Image source: Rio Tinto) The Rio Tinto second Beyond Rare™ Tender: The Art Series...

Rio sells 30% of Winu, Sumitomo pays $618m Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) and Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM) have reached an agreement on the Winu copper-gold project in the Great Sandy Desert region of WA, with the Japanese giant paying $618m (US$399m) for a 30% share of the project. The Winu project is a long-life copper-gold deposit discovered by Rio Tinto in 2017, close to the miner’s Pilbara iron ore operations. The global miner will continue to develop and operate the project as a managing partner, with both companies intending to work together more on exploring other commercial, technical and strategic opportunities across copper, other base metals...

ARENA awards Fortescue $10m for 6MW heavy vehicle fast charger Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has been awarded $10m from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to develop a 6MW fast charger test unit to support the global miner’s innovative fast charger technology. The mining company’s $35.3m ‘Fast Charger for Heavy Battery Electric Vehicles’ project will develop these fast chargers, capable of charging 240t battery electric trucks in less than 30 minutes. The project involves building, testing and validating multiple test unit chargers with the aim to deploy the first production charger by the end of 2025. Developed by Fortescue Zero, the 6MW fast charger will be compatible with a wide range of battery electric...

The best Christmas cheer for Collie residents Collie locals in southwest WA are warming up their voice boxes ready for the annual Carols in the Park festive extravaganza, with Premier Coal (ASX: YAL) proud to be the major sponsor of the event after a donation of $4,200 towards the free community event. Over 1,000 locals are expected to join in on December 8 from 4pm, when the Combined Churches of Collie will host the family-friendly event at the Bendigo Bank Music Shell...

Rio completes Lake MacLeod sale, launches new London future materials centre Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) completed the sale of Dampier Salt Limited’s Lake MacLeod salt and gypsum operation in Carnarvon, WA, to Leichhardt Industrials Group yesterday. The sales agreement, entered into in January this year for a price of $375m, comes with the commitment by the new owner that the existing 127-person workforce will continue employment. Rio Tinto Iron Ore managing director for port, rail and core services Richard Cohen comments on the full transfer of ownership. “We are proud of Lake MacLeod’s legacy and the strong contribution of the operation and its workforce to the Carnarvon...

Mineral carbonation combats emissions at scale The WA Government is looking at ways to fast-track industry-scale mineral carbonation as part of its recently released Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Action Plan which highlights the process as a potential emissions reduction technology. Mineral carbonation is a naturally occurring carbon sequestration process that has the potential to lock up carbon emissions on a gigatonne (Gt) scale in WA. For context, 1Gt is equivalent to one billion tonnes. Global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2023 was 37.4Gt (or 37.4bt), according to the International Energy Agency. Australia, on the other hand, emitted 432.9mt CO2 e in the year to December...

Pilbara Minerals-POSCO complete Korean lithium facility construction Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) and POSCO Holdings celebrated the completion of their joint chemical facility in Gwangyang, Korea, last Friday, making this the country’s first lithium hydroxide plant and one of the few lithium chemical producers outside China. The ceremony, attended by Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and POSCO Group Chairman, Chang In-Hwa, marked the conclusion of construction of Train 2 of the lithium hydroxide monohydrate chemical facility, which comprises Train 1 and Train 2. The facility has the potential to produce up to 43,000tpa of lithium hydroxide at full capacity, enough to make batteries for around one million electric vehicles, with...