Author: Chloe Coutinho

MinRes charters first Newcastlemax for Onslow Mineral Resources' (ASX: MIN) Onslow Iron teams have celebrated a significant milestone with first loading of a Newcastlemax ship at the Port of Ashburton in WA.  A Newcastlemax is the next size of bulk carrier after a Capesize vessel and has an intake of about 190,000-210,000wmt with a maximum beam of 50m and a maximum overall length of 300m.  In November, a total of 203,100wmt was successfully loaded onto the MV Mount Aconcagua, representing 22,900wmt more than any previous shipment from Onslow Iron’s anchorage at the Port of...

Alcoa to relocate Australian head office  Alcoa Australia (ASX: AAI) will relocate its head office to the Perth, WA, Central Business District (CBD) in the second half of 2025 in a move that will see it situated closer to key stakeholders and more attractive to prospective employees.  The integrated aluminium company has been operating in Australia for 61 years with 40 of those from its head office in Booragoon, 15km south of Perth’s CBD.  It will move to 235 St Georges Terrace, Perth, located at the western end of the CBD.  Alcoa Australia president Elsabe...

MinRes: Australia-first rehabilitation robot Thanks to Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) and Healthy Strides Foundation, WA children with neurological conditions and injuries are the first in Australia to access a cutting-edge rehabilitation robot to improve their mobility. ZeroG 3D, a gravity-defying body weight support system, was this month installed at Healthy Strides’ clinic in Victoria Park, giving paediatric rehabilitation patients full freedom of movement without the fear of falling or injury. The first machine to be installed outside of the United States, it...

Sandvik acquires Universal Field Robots Sandvik has completed its acquisition of Universal Field Robots (UFR), a fast-growing Australia-based provider of autonomous interoperable solutions for the surface mining and underground mining markets. UFR’s solution portfolio is built on a common autonomy platform, which is a strong complement to Sandvik’s automation offering and includes original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agnostic robotic and autonomous solutions for trucks, loaders and auxiliary equipment. According to Sandvik, the acquisition will help to increase the addressable market for the company and further strengthens the market position of Sandvik AutoMine. Sandvik president and chief executive Stefan Widing comments on the transaction. “Universal Field Robots...

Tivan finalises Speewah acquisition Tivan Limited (ASX: TVN) has finalised its acquisition of the Speewah project in WA, as the company made its final payment to King River Resources (KRR). Tivan acquired the Speewah project from KRR in Q1 2023. The acquisition included all mining, exploration and miscellaneous titles that comprise the Speewah fluorite project and the Speewah vanadium titanomagnetite project. Tivan agreed to pay KRR $20m, comprised of $10m in cash and $10m equivalent of shares in Tivan. Tivan executive chairman Grant Wilson says the acquisition of Speewah was a transformative event for Tivan, providing the company with...

Northern Star to acquire De Grey Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST) will acquire 100% of De Grey Mining (ASX: DEG) and its flagship WA project, Hemi, under a binding scheme implementation deed. The Hemi project is one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in a Tier-1 mining jurisdiction globally, with mineral resources of 11.2moz and ore reserves of 6moz and forecast annual gold production of 530kozpa over its first 10 years. The combined Northern Star Group will operate across two Tier-1 jurisdictions and four production centres, with proforma...

Liontown supports FIFO worker wellbeing Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) is partnering with Edith Cowan University’s Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety (MARS) Centre on an important research project aimed at enhancing the mental health and wellbeing of FIFO workers. Liontown work health and safety manager Hayden Spencer attended the research showcase alongside government representatives, prominent researchers, industry peers and the academic community to discuss the company’s participation in the initiative. Supported by the WA Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) and conducted between March and April 2024, the study explored how team belongingness can influence the wellbeing of workers...

Metso launches next generation technology Metso is launching the Next Generation Fluid Bed Roaster, encompassing all the features developed and implemented in recent roaster projects executed globally. The Next Generation Fluid Bed Roaster is a reactor with improved individual components and digital tools to enable more efficient and stable roasting plant performance. Metso fluid bed technology director Jörg Hammerschmidt says the company is excited to launch the product. “It is a logical progression in this digital age, combining advanced roaster...

MinRes introduces new decarbonisation fund Mineral Resources (MinRes) (ASX: MIN) has introduced a new decarbonisation fund to support the company’s interim emissions reduction target and long-term ambition of net zero by 2050. Since July 1, 2024, all projects under MinRes’ operational control — including operational sites, exploration sites, warehouses and corporate offices — are charged for every tonne of emissions they produce. Funds generated from the initiative will be invested in MinRes decarbonisation initiatives spanning power generation and material movement, such as electrification and automation of mining, haulage and transport systems. The fund also supports the purchase of Australian Carbon Credit...

South32 creating safe spaces South32 (ASX: S32) is continuing its partnership with the Patricia Giles Centre for Non-Violence (PGCNV), a WA organisation dedicated to supporting women and children affected by domestic and family violence. Research by UN Women has found that almost one in three women experience violence in their lifetime — and in 2023 a woman was killed by partners or family members every 10 minutes. South32 chief legal and external affairs officer Kelly O’Rourke says the crisis of gender-based violence is urgent. “There is no excuse for violence against women and...

WA Government to protect lithium jobs The WA Government is acting to provide assistance to its critical lithium industry, supporting thousands of local jobs and the State's push to become a global battery minerals processing hub. WA's lithium industry has grown rapidly in recent years to be the biggest hard rock industry of its type in the world, supplying approximately 50% of the world's lithium. However, the industry has experienced a sudden and unexpected...