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Mineral Resources installs 2.1MW solar-battery system at Wonmunna Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) has successfully installed a 2.1MW solar-battery system at its Wonmunna iron ore project in WA’s Pilbara region. Installation of the 4000 solar panels is now complete and following testing and optimisation, the technology is providing significant benefits for site operations and reducing dependency on diesel fuel. The solar-battery system will produce more than 30% of the mine’s power requirements and cut diesel consumption by roughly 760,000l per year. It will also reduce the site’s carbon emissions by around 2000t of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. Additionally, the crusher is 100% powered by the solar-battery system during the middle of the...

Rio Tinto makes $40.4m investment in Sovereign Metals Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) has made a $40.4m investment in Sovereign Metals (ASX:SVM) for an initial 15% shareholding. The mining giant has agreed to initially subscribe for and purchase 83,095,592 new fully paid Sovereign shares at a price of 48.6¢ per share. The subscription also involves Rio being granted options to acquire 34,549,598 further shares in Sovereign within 12 months of the initial subscription to increase its shareholding to 19.99%. Sovereign will use the proceeds from Rio to advance the Kasiya rutile graphite project, including progressing a definitive feasibility study focused on developing a world-class, low carbon dioxide mine capable of supplying...

EQ Resources installs third TOMRA XRT ore sorter EQ Resources (ASX:EQR) has installed its third TOMRA XRT ore sorter. Over the past 12 months of operating and sorting the low-grade stockpile, EQ Resources has seen an average 10% to 12% mass yield from the feed concentrate and has optimised the processing parameters to maximise tungsten recoveries. Since starting to process the primary ore from the Andy White open pit, an increased mass yield ranging between 15% to 18% have been achieved, with stable tungsten trioxide recoveries above 95%. Now that the new sorter has been installed, TOMRA technicians are set to arrive on site this week for commissioning....

BHP, China Baowu and Monash University form an industry knowledge centre BHP (ASX:BHP), China Baowu and Monash University have formed an industry knowledge centre to accelerate the deployment of technology capable of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from steel production. The industry knowledge centre will enable the real-world testing and assessment of carbon dioxide abatement technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the blast furnace route for steel production. It will also facilitate the assessment of several potential CO2 abatement options and review funding applications from partner institutes in Australia and China. BHP sales and marketing sustainability vice president Dr Rod Dukino said the industry knowledge centre is an important...

Clara Resources progressing with route-to-market option for Ashford coking coal project Clara Resources (ASX:C7A) is continuing to make good progress on the route-to-market option for transporting Ashford coking coal from the mine to the port. Road Haulage Specialist transport consultants Smith Global (SG) are continuing to refine the options study commissioned by Clara for road transportation of coking coal between the proposed Ashford mine in NSW and the soon-to-be-completed Inland rail project (IRP) line. Clara engaged SG to examine viable road-based transportation solutions to move coking coal from the Ashford mine to a rail head on the closest segment on the IRP. SG identified a list...

Roy Hill contracts K2fly’s ground disturbance solution for Pilbara operations Roy Hill has contracted K2fly’s ground disturbance solution for its integrated iron ore mining, rail and port operations in the Pilbara region of WA for five years. The contract is expected to generate annual recurring revenue of $300k and it has a total contract value of $2m. K2fly chief executive Nic Pollock is pleased with the partnership. “This agreement firmly establishes K2fly as the leading supplier of natural resource governance solutions in the Pilbara region of WA,” he said. “Our commercial off the shelf ground disturbance solution is unique globally and supports mining companies to protect their licence to operate in an...

Diatreme Resources to provide its high purity silica to the world’s largest manufacturer of PV grade glass Emerging silica sands developer and producer Diatreme Resources (ASX:DRX) will provide its high purity low iron silica to one of the world’s largest manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) grade glass, FLAT Glass. The companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which will see the supply of high purity silica from Diatreme’s Northern silica project (NSP) to FLAT’s glass manufacturing operations in China. The non-binding MoU provides the template and mechanisms for co-operation and allows the exchange of mutually sensitive operational and commercial information between the companies. It also includes FLAT...

Tivan and Cambridge Gulf to collaborate on Speewah project Tivan (ASX:TVN) has signed a heads of agreement (HoA) with Cambridge Gulf to collaborate on opportunities to support its Speewah vanadium-titanium-ion project.   Speewah is located in the Kimberley region of northwest WA, roughly 100km south of the port town of Wyndham. Cambridge Gulf operates and manages Wyndham Port and has business interests in shipping, fuel and logistics across northern Australia. Under the HoA, Tivan and Cambridge Gulf have begun discussions to explore potential opportunities for Cambridge Gulf, through its Wyndham Port operation, to support the Speewah project. This potential support extends to operational facilitation, import and export services from...

https://australianminingreview.com.au/FMG and the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC sign co-management MoU Iron ore miner Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the PKKP Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC to guide the development of a co-management model for FMG’s projects on Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura lands. The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura lands and waters cover roughly 10,888km2 of WA’s Pilbara region between Onslow and Tom Price. Fortescue chief executive Fiona Hick said the agreement will shape a new direction for the company. “Fortescue is proud of our strong relationship with the PKKP Traditional Custodians, which is built on open and transparent engagement,” she...

Glencore goes to bat for Aussie vanadium players Neometals (ASX: NMT) has signed an initial five-year agreement with Glencore for all saleable vanadium bearing products from its Vanadium Recovery Project (VRP1). The deal, done through its indirectly-owned entity, Novana Oy, which is a unit of Recycling Industries Scandinavia AB, whereby Neometals holds 72.5% ownership and Critical Minerals holds 27.5% stake, automatically renews in two-year increments unless otherwise chosen. Neometals managing director Chris Reed says this offtake agreement represents a significant milestone as it “further emphasises the anticipated future need for high-purity materials in the market”. “This is supported by significant expected demand from the vanadium redox flow battery sector and other potential...

Diversifying alumina supply chains in Gladstone, Queensland Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Corporation will build a first-of-a-kind hydrogen plant in Gladstone, Queensland, as part of a A$111.1m program aimed at lowering carbon emissions from the alumina refining process, it was announced yesterday. This came on the same day the Queensland Government formally announced $21.7m in funding for Alpha HPA Limited’s second stage of HPA First Project, a $300m-plus high-purity alumina (HPA) facility in Gladstone. The Rio Tinto-Sumitomo Yarwun Hydrogen Calcination Pilot Demonstration Program, where hydrated alumina is heated up to 1000 °C, received a $32.1m funding boost from the Federal Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Rio Tinto Aluminium...