Author: Samantha Bawden

Fortescue backed pilot plant makes debut Sparc Hydrogen has launched a pilot plant using first of its kind green hydrogen reactor technology at the University of Adelaide in South Australia. The company is a joint venture between Fortescue (ASX: FMG), Sparc Technologies and the University of Adelaide founded to translate research conducted at the university. The Sparc Hydrogen Advanced Research Pilot (SHARP) is a test bed for photocatalytic water splitting (PWS), a process which harnesses solar to extract green hydrogen from water. The method, unlike traditional processes, does...

Whyalla sale attracts international interest The sale process for the Whyalla Steelworks formally opened after receiving strong interest from global steelmakers. Selected prospective buyers have now been given access to a secure data room, enabling parties to prepare non-binding indicative offers as part of a phased approach to the sale. The Federal and South Australian governments have committed a combined $1.9b in funding support to transform the operations into a commercially viable, low-emissions, ‘pit to port’ iron and steel facility. This funding is part of previous broader $2.4b assistance package underpinning long-term jobs and economic resilience for Whyalla and the Upper Spencer...

NSW budget supports industry future The NSW 2025 state budget has been delivered and includes important initiatives to support the growth of the state’s resource industry. Amongst the initiatives, $17.7m was allocated towards the new Investment Delivery Authority (IDA) which is expected to assist around 30 large projects, bringing forwards more than $50b of investment annually. Association of Mining and Exploration (AMEC) chief executive Warren Pearce says the mineral exploration and mining industry looks forward to receiving further information about the IDA...

Rio commits $5m to Aboriginal health care Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has partnered with Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance (PAHA) to provide vital community-led health services for First Nations people across the Pilbara in WA. The funding will be provided to PAHA to advance its objective of improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, families and communities across the region. The first project supported by the partnership is the new dialysis unit at Tom Price, with funds helping to provide transport, accommodation and wrap around support for patients. Construction of the Tom price Dialysis Unit has...

Australia’s green metals future CSIRO is leading an initiative to advance Australian green metals production by strengthening industry-research collaboration. The Green Metals Innovation Network (GMIN) is a $10m initiative funded by the Federal Government and will be supported by a partnership between CSIRO and the Heavy Industry Low-carbon transition Copper Research Centre (HILT CRC). GMIN will bring together research, government and industry to accelerate the development of domestic green metals industry for Australia’s iron, steel, alumina and aluminium sectors. The initiative is part of the Federal Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda that seeks to leverage the country’s renewable...

Hancock Prospecting and Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) will invest $1.2b each to develop the Hope Downs 2 iron ore project in the Pilbara region of WA.

The Copper Advantage: Powering the Future As the world transitions to cleaner energy systems and greener economies, few materials are more essential than copper. Its unmatched conductivity, durability and recyclability make it a foundational resource for everything from EVs and wind turbines to data centres and digital infrastructure. But while global demand for copper continues to climb, accessing and processing the metal efficiently, sustainably and at scale is becoming more complex. Ageing deposits, environmental expectations and the urgency of decarbonisation all place pressure on the industry to innovate — and fast. That’s where Copper to the World 2025 steps in. Returning to Adelaide from 26–27 August, this year’s event, hosted by Austmine on...

Securing Mount Isa’s future The Queensland Government held a meeting last week to discuss options for a viable pathway forward for the Mount Isa smelter. Glencore has previously declared its Mount Isa copper smelter as unviable and is undergoing talks with the Federal and Queensland Government to discuss the future of operations and protect the future of the region. The potential closure of the smelter has incited concerns surrounding the downstream effects on Australia’s copper value chain and the economies of the regional communities that rely on its mining and processing...

Approvals advance US Resolution Copper Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) and BHP (ASX: BHP) have received environmental approval from the US Department of Agriculture to advance on of the largest undeveloped copper mines in the world. The republication of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) by the US Forest Serve (USFS) allows the congressionally mandated land exchange, enabling future underground mine development and places thousands of acres of land into permanent conservation. The copper project is expected to produce more than 18mt over its...

Public gets say in Yallourn’s future EnergyAustralia has released a draft Declared Mine Rehabilitation Plan (DMRP) for Yallourn coal mine, located in Latrobe Valley in Victoria, for public consultation. Yallourn has produced more than 1bt of brown coal since operations commenced in the 1920s and is responsible for 85% of the electricity in Victoria. Scheduled for closer in mid-2028, EnergyAustralia is developing plans to rehabilitate the site back to its original state. The rehabilitation strategy outlined in the draft DMRP has been shaped through continued conversations...