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Wabtec-Roy Hill partner for the first FLXdrive battery locomotive Wabtec and leading iron ore miner Roy Hill, majority-owned by Hancock Prospecting, have debuted the world’s first 100% battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for mainline service. Unveiled as the FLXdrive battery locomotive, at a ceremony at Wabtec’s design and development centre in Pennsylvania, USA, the pink livery symbolises Roy Hill’s commitment to assisting research and those suffering from breast cancer. Wabtec president and chief executive Rafael Santana commented on the unveiling. “This FLXdrive locomotive represents a major step in the journey to a low-to-zero-emission future in the rail industry,” he said. “The FLXdrive is driven from within by our battery technology...

CopperString 2032 receives $1.3b investment from Queensland Government The Queensland Government has announced a $1.3b package to progress work on CopperString 2032. CopperString 2032 is a $5b, 1100km transmission line from Townsville to Mount Isa that will connect Queensland’s North West Minerals Province to the national electricity grid. It includes an increased transmission capacity of 500kV (from 330kV) for the section of line between Townsville and Hughenden for renewable energy for that region. It will connect vast renewable wind and solar resources with critical minerals in mining and processing that can be used to make batteries and renewables. The $1.3b funding will get CopperString ready for construction to begin mid-2024, a...

Fortescue receives first T 264 haul truck from Liebherr Fortescue has received the first T 264 haul truck for its Eliwana mine in the Pilbara, WA. These trucks form part of a deal for the supply of 120 zero emission T 264 trucks to be deployed to Fortescue by 2030. The initial delivered units will be diesel powered and converted to Fortescue’s in-house battery solution — developed by Fortescue WAE — before the end of the decade. Fortescue chief executive Dino Otranto says the company is excited by the delivery of this truck which marks an important step in its decarbonisation journey. “Our...

Boosting Durability and Safeguarding Assets: A Comprehensive Look at Rhino Linings' Australian Product Lineup In the realm of industrial coatings, Rhino Linings stands tall as a beacon of excellence. As a revered player in the industry, Rhino Linings has forged a reputation for delivering top-tier protective coatings engineered to withstand Australia's demanding conditions. With an extensive range of products showcased on www.rhinolinings.com.au, let's dive into the world of Rhino Linings and explore how their offerings are reshaping protection for various industries across the country. The Rhino Linings Heritage Before we delve into the product range, it's crucial to appreciate Rhino Linings' rich history. Established in 1988, the company began as a small venture specialising in spray-applied protective linings, primarily for...

Rio Tinto and Prysmian enter aluminium supply partnership Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) and cable solution provider Prysmian have partnered up to build a more sustainable North American supply chain for materials needed to expand power grids for the energy transition. Power generation from renewables in the United States is expected to increase from 21% in 2021 to 44% in 2050, requiring significant investments in power grids and boosting demand for innovative materials used in electrification projects. Under the five-year supply agreement, Rio will supply low-carbon aluminium made with renewable hydropower from its Canadian operations. This will support Prysmian’s decarbonisation drive towards its objective of being carbon neutral by 2050. Rio Tinto vice president of aluminium...

Thiess deploys autonomous mining solutions at Olive Downs Thiess has made history at Pembroke Resources’ Olive Downs Complex, making it the world’s first mining operation to deploy Cat MineStar Command. Recently, Thiess began fully autonomous hauling and drilling operations at Olive Downs from a purpose-built facility on site. This includes deploying 21 haul trucks and three drills fitted with autonomous technology. Additionally, Thiess established a private LTE network in Pembroke’s onsite communication infrastructure, enabling the safe operation of more than 85 connected assets within the autonomous operating zone. Thiess Head of Autonomy and Operations Technology Trent Smith says the company is pleased to achieve this milestone. “We’re pleased to achieve this...

Stage one Flat Rocks Wind Farm hits construction milestone Stage one of the Flat Rocks Wind Farm in WA has hit a milestone with more than half of the 18 wind turbines in place. This wind farm is part of a power purchase agreement (PPA) between BHP and Enel Green Power — a leading multi-national renewable energy company. Once complete, stage one of the Flat Rocks Wind Farm will provide enough renewable energy to fully power BHP’s Kalgoorlie Nickel Smelter and Kambalda Concentrator every year, based on current requirements. Nickel West Asset President Jass Farrell says it’s impressive to see the scale of the wind turbines and the co-existence of power...

Revo Group bringing a high-tech approach to NDT solutions Non-destructive testing (NDT) plays a critical role in the safe and reliable operation of many products, transportation systems and resource industry structures bring used every day around the world. A range of industries now accept that NDT is a crucial part of quality control and is necessary wherever there is the need to be sure of the safety, reliability, and dependability of daily operations. A local NDT specialist, Anthony Lima of Revo Group, says it can also save lives. We caught up with Mr Lima recently and asked him what would be the worst-case scenario if an item failed after not being regularly inspected or tested. “There are a number of...

NTA helping Australian mining companies refine their present and future fuel needs The Australian resources sector has a major push across the country to improve its Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) standards. A key to successfully integrating the industries’ strategies in that direction is ensuring the right fuels, lubricants, technical services and management systems are incorporated into a site’s environmental and operational footprint and a Brisbane-based specialist firm is helping Australian mining companies with a number of key outcomes in that area. Owned by former Shell downstream business executive Graham Box, NTA is pointing its mining clients in the direction of what fuels lubricants...

Raiden Resources executes Native Title and Heritage Deed for Andover drilling Raiden Resources (ASX:RDN) has executed a Native Title and Heritage Deed with the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) across its recently acquired Andover tenements. This deed adds onto the existing Native Title and Heritage Exploration Agreement (NTA) which allows Raiden to engage proactively with the Traditional Owners through the NAC to conduct heritage surveys across the area. Raiden has prepared a program of work for submission to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) for a drilling program targeting the outcropping discovery pegmatites. Mapping has defined swarms of outcropping pegmatites, defined within a pegmatite field which extends up to 3.5km along strike...

iDrilling Australia on solid business growth path Drilling services specialist iDrilling Australia is ramping up its environmental focus as it prepares for a growth in new activity. The Australian Mining Review recently caught up with the company’s managing director, Shannon Harding, to gain a run down on the company’s future plans and past successes. “The real focus at the moment is a to work closely with our clients and their sustainability and safety focus,” he said. “We are also improving our own green footprint and we are really benefitting from having a great management team with a dedicated path forward which is utilising technology and sustainability trends to help improve the work we do.” For example, to help “green” its...