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$200m in grants for regional steel manufacturing The Federal Government is providing $200m in grant funding to BlueScope Steel Limited and Liberty Steel Australia to secure Australia's steelmaking industry. The first round of the Powering the Regions Fund (PRF) will provide funding to both companies to progress projects in NSW and South Australia. BlueScope has been awarded $136.8m towards the reline and upgrade of its No. 6 blast furnace at the Port Kembla Steelworks. This...

State-of-the-art pilot processing plant for critical minerals in Mackay, Queensland The concept design for a pilot critical minerals processing plant, FlexiLab, has been unveiled in Mackay, Queensland. Unveiling the concept at the Resources Centre of Excellence, Queensland Resources and Critical Minerals Minister Scott Stewart says FlexiLab will provide a dedicated facility for industry to test processing and recovery of minerals not normally produced. “"Mackay is a key player in Queensland’s critical minerals sector,” he said. “Investments in initiatives like FlexiLab, will help to...

Mineral Resources launches direct flights from Brisbane to Pilbara Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) has launched the first of its direct flight services between Brisbane and WA’s Pilbara region with another set to commence in February as the company seeks to expand its workforce. The inaugural flight from Brisbane to Ken’s Bore took off on January 11, with the 3700km route taking 5 hours and 45 minutes travelling west and just under five hours on the return leg. Ken’s Bore is at the heart of...

DMI-65® for arsenic removal Drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) filtration system for arsenic removal - Toquepala copper mine, Peru Removal of arsenic DMI-65 is a manganese dioxide (MnO2) infused media whose surface acts as a good oxidant and is effective in removing both arsenite and arsenate, as well as iron/arsenic complexes and precipitants. Iron and manganese buildup Build up of iron and manganese results in very high maintenance overheads, loss of production and potentially system failure. DMI-65® efficiently removes dissolved iron to the almost undetectable levels as low as 0.005mg/L and manganese to 0.001mg/L as well as particulate, effectively removing this risk. Reduced costs The total cost of the iron and manganese removal water filtration system is significantly less than...

Tivan progresses with fluorite mine in WA after critical minerals list addition Critical minerals company Tivan (ASX: TVN) has announced it will progress with plans to develop a fluorite mine in WA’s Kimberley region. Fluorite is used to produce fluorine, which the Federal Government added to Australia’s critical minerals list in December 2023. Tivan stated the Federal Government added fluorine to Australia’s critical minerals list in recognition of its role in the energy transition and lack of production in Australia. The company, which plans to mine fluorite in the Speewah region of the Kimberley, says fluorine can be utilised for chemical manufacturing and emerging sectors including...

4000 LTI-free days for Whitehaven’s Gunnedah CHPP Whitehaven Coal’s (ASX: WHC) Gunnedah coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP) recently achieved 4000 Lost Time Incident (LTI) free days, equivalent to about 11 years without a Lost Time Incident. Production superintendent Derek Welsh says this achievement is a testament to the strong leadership and safety processes that have been diligently maintained within the CHPP. “I strongly believe that this achievement is the result of a work culture based on hard work and commitment to teamwork,...

Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus released The Australian Critical Minerals Prospectus was today released by the Federal Government, showcasing 52 high-quality, investment-ready critical minerals projects. The Prospectus includes projects that are ripe for funding including mining, processing and value-adding opportunities across the critical minerals supply chain, all of which will create more employment for Australians. Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King says Australia’s critical minerals are key to the world’s energy transformation. “But we need to attract investment to get these minerals out of the ground, to process them here, to build the batteries, wind turbines and solar panels required make the switch to a lower carbon economy,” she...

Magnetic South donates defib to Dingo, Queensland Residents of Dingo, in central Queensland, are better protected in the case of an emergency thanks to the donation of a defibrillator by Magnetic South, which has been installed outside the township’s library. The donation was made as part of the launch of Magnetic South’s pre-construction Community Benefit Fund, which is now open and taking applications. Magnetic South communications manager Sharni Mancell says the Fund is designed to provide residents from the Dingo district with an opportunity to apply for grants of up to $2,000 to support programs and events that help create a strong, vibrant and healthy community. “Our priority is to...

Evion begins commissioning activities at expandable graphite facility Evion (ASX:EVG) has begun commissioning activities at its newly constructed expandable graphite facility in India. The operation (Panthera Graphite Technologies PGT)) is a 50:50 joint venture between Evion and Metachem Manufacturing Company. This commissioning process places Evion one step closer to become the first ASX-listed expandable graphite company with production of the expandable graphite expected to begin next month. A highly experienced team of graphite processing specialists from Metachem’s operational facility and staff have been assembled. All members have a track record in expandable graphite processing, with competence in maintenance, technical aspects and operational analysis. Commissioning of services areas...

Lake Johnston heritage survey completed A Cultural Heritage Survey has been completed at Rubix Resources (ASX:RB6) Lake Johnston project in WA. A survey team comprising of registered Native Title Holders, the Ngadju People, Terra Rosa Cultural Heritage Consultancy and Rubix staff has reviewed the sites of proposed new access tracks and drill holes. The survey approved the location of 30 holes for exploration activities with modifications that will authorise Rubix to avoid mature vegetation and to preserve the integrity of the local flora and fauna. The initial phase of exploration will largely use existing access tracks with proposed...

Battery anode testing a success at Graphite Bull Electrochemical work has demonstrated the suitability of graphite from Buxton Resources (ASX:BUX) Graphite Bull project in feed for lithium-ion battery anode manufacture. Since April 2023, graphite industry specialist ProGraphite in Germany has been managing mid and downstream testwork on Graphite Bull concentrate. Final results confirm that the uncoated purified spherical graphite (uPSG) made from the Graphite Bull concentrate is suitable for manufacture of lithium-ion battery anodes, yielding above average to good performance characteristics. Work involved constructing an anode and lithium-ion battery from Graphite Bull uPSG with subsequent electrochemical testwork including multiple charging and discharge tests to determine electrical capacity and durability characteristics. This...