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Construction begins at $5b CopperString 2032 project Ground has been broken at Powerlink Queensland’s CopperString 2032 project with construction beginning on the project’s first and largest workforce accommodation site. The accommodation site will house those charged with building the nearly 1000km high voltage transmission line that will unlock renewable resources and critical minerals to the State. ATCO structures will deliver the workforce accommodation which is due to be completed by early 2025. At the ceremony in Hughenden, Powerlink Queensland was officially...

New NSW compliances for mine safety and rehabilitation The NSW Resources Regulator has launched new compliances priorities for H2 CY24 for safe and sustainable mining across the State. These include: risk management and supervision in open cut coal mines; airborne contaminants in metalliferous mines; mobile plant work platform attachments; safety management systems for Tier 2 quarries; revegetation, surface and groundwater management, and tailings dam management; and compliance with exploration licence conditions, including community consultation and rehabilitation signoff. NSW Resources Regulator executive director Peter Day says the priorities have been developed in response to incidents and feedback from industry and the community. "By listening to industry and analysing incident data,...

WesTrac reveals new ESG initiatives driving its sustainable equipment Leading Cat® dealer WesTrac has revealed a series of new ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives as part of the company’s long-term commitment to becoming a more sustainable equipment provider. From adding a new Sustainability Badge to sustainable machinery, equipment and technology, to improving recycling across the country, the new processes play a vital role in minimising WesTrac’s environmental impact.   Sustainability Badge implementation WesTrac’s new Sustainability Badge helps customers easily identify the company’s more sustainable machinery, equipment and technology offerings. This includes...

Flash joule heating set to revolutionise lithium extraction Initial flash joule heating (FJH) tests have shown a 92% reduction in calcination time of spodumene concentrate from a lithium mine compared to conventional processing. FJH is an advanced processing and recycling technology that is being developed to extract critical metals, including rare earth elements, titanium, nickel, cobalt and lithium from waste material such as lithium-ion batteries, e-waste and coal fly ash. The process involves the rapid and intense heating of material to directly recover critical metals and make materials more amenable to metal recovery through conventional...

Orica takes top AFR Sustainability Leaders award Orica (ASX: ORI) was the overall winner for impact and the resources, energy and utilities category in the 2024 Australian Financial Review (AFR) Sustainability Leaders awards. This follows a $37m investment from Orica, the NSW Government and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation for innovative low-carbon technologies at Orica’s Kooragang Island ammonium nitrate plant in Newcastle, NSW. ...

Rio Tinto supports Indigenous languages preservation The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) has launched AIATSIS Centre for Australian Languages and the ‘Our Languages Keep Us Strong’ program with support from Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO). Rio Tinto committed $10m in 2022 for their establishment and implementation to protect and preserve Indigenous Australian cultures and knowledge. Rio Tinto Australia chief executive Kellie Parker says the launch is a significant milestone in the ongoing effort to preserve and celebrate the linguistic diversity of Australia’s First Peoples....

QRC launches digital media campaign to attract Gen Z workers The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has launched the ‘Shape Your Future, Innovate Our World’ digital campaign to attract Gen Z workers. The campaign is based on research into career motivators for Gen Zs and shares the stories of young people in the workforce enjoying the lifestyle. It was developed by QRC with support from the University of Queensland and Central Queensland University. QRC chief executive Janette Hewson says the campaign was developed to excite and entice young people into joining the minerals and energy...

Epiroc establishes live work elimination program In line with the Paris Agreement and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Epiroc has set long-term 2030 sustainability targets within the areas of people and planet. Under the People – Health and Safety target, Epiroc is aiming to have no work-related injuries and to contribute to this, it has established a live work elimination (LWE) program. Epiroc live work elimination program manager Lori-Anne Fleming commented on the program. “The goal of our LWE program is to make sure that when people work on our equipment, they are not exposed to any energy...

WA EPA green light for South32 expansion The WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has recommended the proposed expansion of South32’s (ASX: S32) Boddington bauxite mine and Worsley refinery. But the recommendation is subject to strict conditions, including exclusion zones around rivers, streams and significant flora and fauna. This follows the WA Government’s recent decisions to allow Alcoa to continue bauxite mining and downstream alumina refining in the southwest of the State. Alcoa recently received an exemption allowing it to implement mining proposals while the WA EPA assesses...

Findings shared from Australia’s first hydrogen microgrid The WA Government has released findings from a public knowledge sharing report on the Denham renewable hydrogen microgrid. The first of its kind in Australia, the project includes a 703kW solar farm, a 348kW hydrogen electrolyser and a 100kW fuel cell in Denham, WA. It will provide an innovative alternative to diesel and is expected to offset 140klpa of diesel. The public knowledge sharing report will help to advance learnings in technology, costs, regulatory requirements and community sentiment around using hydrogen as a fuel source. WA Premier Roger Cook says the microgrid will...

South32 deploys innovative technology worldwide South32 (ASX: S32) is making progress across Australian and American mining operations with the development of automated exploration technology and energy efficient grinding plant equipment. In Australia, South32 has successfully completed the trial of its Evolution Drill Rig prototype. The prototype was trialled over three months at the Jessica and Cararra exploration projects in the Northern Territory, where South32 is in farm-in agreements with Encounter Resources (ASX: ENR). The drill rig, operated by contract partner DDH1 Drilling, improves safety performance without reducing productivity by removing the manual rod handling process during drilling. It...