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Komatsu has granted one of its employees $10,000 to make a significant impact to an organisation of their choice and for Diana Easter, it was the Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC). The Live your Dream program from Komatsu grants $10,000 to select employees each year to put towards a charity or organisation — whether that be a local community charity, a fundraising opportunity or community support service. Ms Easter’s charity of choice, the RMHC provides a home-away-from-home for seriously ill or injured children and offers free accommodation, meals, tutoring programs and support to them and their families. More than 20,000 families in Mackay, Queensland, benefitted from the RMHC in 2023. Ms Easter commented on the work she does. “When the…

Kestrel Coal Resources is the second partner in the Queensland Government’s $520m Low Emissions Investment Partnerships (LEIP) with a new gas-to-electricity power project that aims to reduce the mine’s emissions by more than 1mt of CO2 over eight years. The project will expand Kestrel Coal’s underground mine’s drainage system to capture more fugitive gas, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere. A 30MW power station will built on-site, north of Emerald, which will generate enough electricity to power more than 40,000 homes. Kestrel Coal Resources chief executive Shane Hansen comments on this. “Kestrel has focused our resources on targeting substantive and innovative emissions reduction projects. “This funding is a key enabler of our decarbonisation strategy and we welcome the…

Australian Potash Limited (ASX: APC) has executed a land access agreement and will begin exploration activities at its Nexus rare earth elements and critical minerals project in the West Arunta of WA’s Kimberley region. The aboriginal corporation Tjammu Tjamu, the registered native title body corporate for the Kiwirrkurra Native Title Determination, has agreed to the land access agreement with the exploration company, including the Aboriginal Reserve which requires entry permits governed under the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority Act 1972. Australian Potash managing director and chief executive Matt Shackleton says the execution of the agreement follows fruitful and respectful meetings with the Kiwirrkurra common law holders. “It is self-evident that the West Arunta has become a hot-spot for high value exploration…

Antimony mineralisation has been identified in waste rock from the historic Carry On mine at Dart Mining’s (ASX: DTM) Tallandoon antimony prospect in Victoria. Pleasingly, antimony mineralisation was also observed in waste rock at the historical Antimony mine, with initial portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis confirming elevated levels. Mapping and sampling took place over 20 days with 20 samples taken from waste dumps surrounding historical mines. Discarded material was dominated by quartz with sporadic sulphide mineralisation also observed and two samples showed significant stibnite (antimonite) mineralisation. These 20 samples have been submitted for multi-element analysis with results expected in due course. The presence of antimony in both massive sulphide and crystallised form confirms the prospectivity of Tallandoon and supports Dart’s…

Titan Minerals Limited (ASX: TTM) has signed a binding agreement with Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Hanrine Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining S.A for the Linderos copper-gold project in Southern Ecuador. This strategic partnership allows Titan to gain access to the exploration and resources expertise of one of Australia’s most reputable mining investors, with the agreement enabling Titan to earn up to a 75% interest in the project through an earn-in and joint venture structure. Titan Minerals managing director Melanie Leighton says the company is very pleased to enter into this agreement. “ The JV & earn-in agreement represents endorsement of what we believe is an exciting early-stage porphyry copper-gold discovery,” she said. “We are well advanced in our technical…

Hitachi Energy is building on more than 240 years of innovation to advance a sustainable energy future for all. The company is a key industry partner with more than 45,000 employees globally, delivering significant customer value with a comprehensive portfolio addressing decarbonisation, electrification, and digitalisation. Hitachi Energy is well positioned to address the key challenges for the Australian mining industry. Its pioneering technologies ensure reliable energy supply at remote mine sites for 24/7 operations increasingly a challenge for the industry in an environment where electrification is adding to power demand. The company’s products, solutions, services, and software solutions allow miners to meet ESG targets and regulations, maintaining health & safety records and global competitiveness. According to Bernard Norton, country managing…

China recently approved the build of 11 new nuclear reactors and, with the East Asian country having the fastest growing nuclear energy program in the world, we find out where Australia stands in the transition to reliable renewable energy and how long it might take to build a reactor here. CSIRO’s GenCost 2023-24 report estimates a development timeline of at least 15 years for a nuclear reactor in Australia, including construction. But this is in the absence of a local development pipeline, additional legal, safety and security requirements, as well as stakeholder evidence. Nuclear For Australia founder Will Shackel says a shorter timeframe is possible. “The best experts suggest it’s anywhere between 10-15 years for Australia,” he said. “The UAE…

In early September, Thiess held its inaugural industry experience day at the Mackay Training Hub in Queensland. Students from Clontarf Foundation, Project Booya Mackay and Kutta Mulla Gorinna School were offered the opportunity experience a complete view of the mining industry and participate in different mining streams. Thiess staff demonstrated various functions in a mine, including production, maintenance, autonomy, mine management, surveying, coal handling and preparation. Project Booyah Mackay senior constable Keiran Horsefall expressed his gratitude. “I’d like to sincerely thank the team at Thiess for allowing us to attend the Thiess mining day experience,” he said. “It was incredible for our group of young men to interact with trained professionals within the industry from different mining backgrounds.” Big hits…

As part of a new biofuels pilot, Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) will develop Pongamia seed farms in Australia to explore the potential of Pongamia seed oil as a feedstock for renewable diesel. The pilot program aims to determine if Pongamia seed oil can contribute to Rio’s renewable diesel needs while potentially contributing to the growth of a new biofuel sector in Australia. Currently, Rio is in the final stages of acquiring around 3000ha of cleared land near Townsville in north Queensland to establish farms to study growth conditions and measure seed oil yields. Rio has partnered with woodfibre processor and exporter Midway to oversee the planting and management of the Pongamia seed farms. Midway will engage with nurseries, agricultural experts…

Curtin University has entered a three-year, $2.4m agreement with carbon capture and storage research organisation, CO2CRC. Researchers from the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences will apply their seismic monitoring expertise and geophysics knowledge to monitor thousands of tonnes of CO2 to be injected underground at the Otway International Test Centre in Victoria. The team from Curtin will use new fibre optic sensors to monitor how the gas behaves during the next stage of the Otway project. A pioneering initiative, the Otway project aims to improve the understanding of carbon capture and storage technology by testing its safety and feasibility for reducing the impact of carbon emissions on a large scale. Project lead Professor Roman Pevzner says carbon capture and…