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ECU, CPC Engineering and Impact Minerals trial new HPA process Edith Cowan University (ECU), CPC Engineering and Impact Minerals (ASX: IPT) have secured a $2.87m grant a trial a new high purity alumina (HPA) process. As part of the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) program, the grant will help fund the development of a pilot plant to validate Impact’s innovative, low-carbon process for producing HPA and sulphate of potash (SOP). Impact’s innovative approach uses a hydrometallurgical process with salts from lake-based deposits, eliminating...

Fleet Space Technologies and Rio collaborate for Rincon Australia’s leading space exploration company, Fleet Space Technologies, has partnered with Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) to advance exploration at the latter’s Rincon lithium project in Argentina. Leveraging Fleet Space’s end-to-end exploration solution, ExoSphere, Rio will develop 3D subface maps of the reservoir basement depth and brine influencing structures across 100km2 of the project’s salt flat and subvolcanic structures. Fleet Space co-founder and chief executive Flavia Tata Nardini commented on the partnership. “We are proud to deploy ExoSphere’s real-time Multiphysics capabilities in support of Rio Tinto’s data-driven exploration for energy transition minerals,” she said. “We look forward to...

New NSW coal ash advisory committee The NSW Government is calling on Lake Macquarie and Lake Munmorah residents to participate in a new coal ash advisory committee. The committee has been set up following the State’s Parliamentary Inquiry into remediation costs of sites containing coal ash repositories. NSW Health has commissioned a review of environmental data to determine whether people living close to power stations and coal ash dams are exposed to potentially harmful chemicals through air, water, soil or local fish and seafood. The committee will allow open discussions between NSW Health and representatives of the local community,...

Direct lithium extraction from extreme environments As the demand for lithium continues to grow, supply is expected to fall short of demand as early as next year, with up to 75% of the world’s lithium-rich saltwater sources remaining untappable using current methods. Monash University engineers have developed world-first technology, EDTA-aided loose nanofiltration (EALNF), enabling direct lithium extraction from difficult-to-process sources. The technology extracts both lithium and magnesium simultaneously, unlike traditional methods that treat magnesium salts as waste, making it smarter, faster and more sustainable. The work, co-led by Dr Zhikao Li, from the Monash Suzhou Research Institute and...

Liontown donates Kathleen Valley pegmatites to WA Museum Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) has donated five spodumene-rich lithium ore samples from its Kathleen Valley lithium project in WA to the WA Museum’s minerals collection. These samples are now part of the Earth and Planetary Sciences department, which manages a comprehensive collection of over 30,000 mineral specimens from across the state. This collection marks a valuable resource for prospectors, industry professionals and academics. Liontown senior mine geologist Lincoln Young led the initiative to donate samples to the museum and handed them over personally. These pegmatites also...

Maximising mining efficiency through responsible resource management and sustainable practices Many Australian mining companies take pride in their commitment to corporate and social responsibility. Low impact mining, sustainability, responsible resource extraction, diversity and inclusion are core values rather than buzzwords. Responsibility extends beyond ore extraction and employee welfare. It encompasses total site management and maintenance practices. Historically, low dollar value assets were often treated as consumable products, not critical to production and with limited useable life. Similar attitudes often existed with heavy mining equipment: maintain tonnage output, run it hard, replace the failed component and get the machine back to work. Is it possible to calculate the environmental impacts of this old approach? Premature failure or destruction of light vehicles,...

Round 30 of WA Exploration Incentive Scheme targets critical minerals WA Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael has announced the successful applicants for Round 30 of the Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) co-funded drilling program. A total of 50 applicants, including six prospectors, will receive grants worth $7.288m for projects to be drilled between December 2024 and November 2025. Seventeen of the successful companies are targeting battery minerals including lithium and Rare Earth Elements (REE). Minister Michael says the WA Government aims to position the State as a dynamic global supplier of future battery minerals and materials. "It is pleasing...

First gold doré bar poured at Golden Crown The inaugural gold doré bar has been poured from the bulk sampling program at Mt Malcolm Mines’ (ASX: M2M) Golden Crown prospect in WA. A bulk sampling program at Golden Crown has produced Mt Malcolm’s first gold via gravity processing. Notably, two gold doré bars were poured with a combined weight of 431g. The bulk sampling program forms an integral part of Mt Malcolm’s strategy to evaluate the potential of Golden Grove. So far, excavation has reached a depth of around 9m with efforts continuing to excavate and extract deeper mineralised material. Ongoing...

NSW Government releases $250m royalty deferral initiative The NSW Government has released a $250m royalty deferral initiative, the first of the State’s new critical minerals and high-tech metals strategy. Currently, there are 12 critical minerals mining and processing projects NSW that are ready for investment. These projects need around $7.6b in capital investment and are expected to generate around 4600 jobs during construction and 2700 after that. High initial investment costs for critical minerals projects are a challenge and the royalty deferral initiative will assist new projects in the early stages of development, ease financial pressures,...

Koonenberry Gold to strengthen portfolio Koonenberry Gold (ASX: KNB) is set to acquire a suite of projects from Global Uranium and Enrichment (ASX: GUE) and Gilmore Metals. These projects – the Enmore gold project and the Lachlan projects – will increase Koonenberry’s existing gold and copper assets in NSW. Under the acquisitions, GUE will receive 35m fully paid ordinary Koonenberry shares, while Gilmore Metals shareholders will receive 95m Koonenberry shares. All shares are subject to 12 months of voluntary escrow. The acquisitions are subject to Koonenberry completing a minimum $2m fund raising, shareholder approval and the end of the Enmore gold project’s 2% net...

One standard to rule them all: have your say A draft standard covering all commodities, facilities and locations worldwide is out for public comment over the next two months. Partners of the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) – ICMM, World Gold Council, Mining Association of Canada and The Copper Mark – launched their first public consultation yesterday and will...