Author: Chloe Coutinho

Australia welcomes Chinese Premier’s visit as Fortescue and Tianqi lead energy transition Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted a three-day visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and China’s high-level delegation in June as part of efforts to foster improved Australia-China trade relations. Premier Li’s visit, the first by a Chinese Premier since 2017, featured a tour of...

$37.7m to support NSW mining communities and protect workers The NSW Government is making additional investments in mine safety and rehabilitation in the 2024-25 NSW Budget. A total strategic investment of $37.7m will support mining communities, ensure rehabilitation of mines and support health and safety for mine workers in NSW. This includes $13.6m over four years for mine rehabilitation, a key priority for regional communities. This funding package increases dedicated regulatory resources to ensure compliance with rehabilitation requirements and provide support for local communities. Inspectors at the NSW Resources Regulator will oversee a projected increase in rehabilitation...

Thiess secures 4-year extension at Caval Ridge Thiess Group has been awarded a four-year contract extension with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) for the Caval Ridge Operations in Queensland. With a revenue of $580m, the contract sees Thiess continuing to provide mining services at the Caval Ridge mine, operating and maintaining mining equipment to move overburden to support BMA’s production requirements. Thiess executive chair and chief executive officer Michael Wright says the extension is a contributing factor in Thiess’ continued success. “We are very pleased that our ongoing commitment to safe and sustainable mining has resulted in BMA awarding us a four-year...

Whitehaven transitions 100-year-old Werris Creek to full time rehabilitation Whitehaven Coal is winding down mining activities at Werris Creek mine in NSW to transition to full time rehabilitation which is expected to conclude in 2027. Last coal was extracted in April and the final train is set to depart the site by the end of June. The site has delivered over 26mt of high-quality thermal coal since Whitehaven commenced operations in 2005 while maintaining its position as Whitehaven’s lowest-cost producer. Werris Creek operations manager Murray O’Keefe praises the high standards set by Whitehaven’s personnel over a near-two decade run. “The...

Queensland SuperGrid soars thanks to renewable energy Powerlink, in partnership with Queensland startup Infravision, is using drones to string 50km of transmission lines to connect the Genex pumped storage hydro system to the Queensland electricity SuperGrid. The world-class powerline stringing system, which is developed, manufactured and assembled out of Coolum Beach, Queensland is the longest section of high voltage electricity transmission line strung by drones in the Asia-Pacific region. Infravision air operations global president Josh Williams says this system sets a new standard in renewable energy. "Infravision and Powerlink Queensland are setting new standards in the energy sector...

Solid rock home for Queensland water battery The Queensland Government reports promising investigative geotechnical drilling at the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project which is expected to deliver the largest water battery of its kind in the world. Investigations drilled to 850m, yielding 3,800m of geotechnical cores, mostly extracted by local Mackay, Queensland drillers, Twin Hills Engineering. WSP and SMEC have identified very strong, coarse competent granite rock ideal for dam construction, tunnels and potentially multiple underground multi-turbine powerhouses. Queensland Government geologist Tony Knight says the samples are ideal for this project. “The samples I inspected from the site...

Green is a go: WA initiative approves first project A solar project in the Pilbara, WA, is the first project approved under the WA Government’s Green Energy Approvals Initiative. The approved project of up to 150MW will be located within a 13,000km2 in the Pilbara and is part of Indigenous-led Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation’s (YEC) plans for one of Australia’s largest renewable energy developments intended to total 3GW of solar, wind and storage capacity. Pilbara member Kevin Michel says this project sets a new standard for renewable energy developments. “I'm thrilled the first project assessed under the Green Energy Approvals...

Liebherr celebrates global milestones 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the Liebherr Group, with celebrations taking place in locations all over the world. Liebherr also celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Zambia company earlier this month. The company was founded in June 2014 to provide support for mining activities in the Zambian Copperbelt. Liebherr Zambia administration managing director Henri Wassink says the company has expanded over 10 years. “When we first opened, we had a handful of employees: one accountant, one parts representative, and a single technician,” he said. “Today, Liebherr Zambia is more than 100 employees strong, and we are present on different customer sites.” Despite being home to 20%...

Energy transition tops global mining trends: State of Play Energy transition is now in the top three global trends that are expected to have the biggest impact on innovation in mining over the next 15 years, according to latest reports by State of Play. The reports, entitled Mining Strategy in a Changing World and Unearthing Tomorrow: Trends Shaping the Future of Mining, analyse surveys and interviews with industry leaders to identify changes in attitudes and practices. State of Play founder and chairman Graeme Stanway says the reports showcase a significant shift in attitudes towards the energy transition. “In recent years the survey results were pretty evenly...

QLD passes new laws to protect resources worker safety Queensland Parliament has passed new laws to protect the health and safety of workers in Queensland’s mining industry. The newly passed Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Bill addresses serious risks on mine sites and includes reforms of critical controls and the introduction of enforceable undertakings. Queensland Resources and Critical Minerals Minister Scott Stewart says resources workers’ safety is his primary focus. “The most important thing to come out of out of any workplace at the end of each shift is its workers, and that is why safety is...

Moranbah pilot program lights the way for a career in mining A pioneering Moranbah, QLD program designed to equip local talent with cutting-edge electrotechnology skills is creating career pathways into the mining industry while fostering thriving communities. Anglo American – which operates five steelmaking coal mines in the Bowen Basin – partnered with Moranbah State High School (MSHS) and Major Training to deliver the electrotechnology course in the region. The course provides an entry-level understanding of electrical systems, circuitry and safety while allowing graduates to carve six months off an electrical apprenticeship....