Robowash

Barminco awarded $393m mining contract Perenti’s (ASX: PRN) underground mining business Barminco has been awarded a $393m contract for mining services at Regis Resources’ (ASX: RRL) Duketon operations in WA. Under the three-year contract, Barminco will provide underground development, production and support services for Duketon. Perenti managing director and chief executive Mark Norwell says the company is pleased to continue the partnership with Regis. “We’re very pleased to continue our partnership with Regis Resources at the Duketon operations where Barminco has been providing value to our client through both development and production works since February 2019,” he said. “This award adds Australian-based underground earnings to our portfolio, which is...

ARENA awards Fortescue $10m for 6MW heavy vehicle fast charger Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has been awarded $10m from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to develop a 6MW fast charger test unit to support the global miner’s innovative fast charger technology. The mining company’s $35.3m ‘Fast Charger for Heavy Battery Electric Vehicles’ project will develop these fast chargers, capable of charging 240t battery electric trucks in less than 30 minutes. The project involves building, testing and validating multiple test unit chargers with the aim to deploy the first production charger by the end of 2025. Developed by Fortescue Zero, the 6MW fast charger will be compatible with a wide range of battery electric...

Gold explorers and capital markets advisers predict that the Aussie-dollar price of the precious metal will hit $3000 by Christmas. That was the clear prediction among panellists of a high-profile chatroom at a recent Mines and Money APAC virtual conference. Featuring White Rock Minerals managing director Matt Gill, Artemis Resources executive director Alistair Clayton, Hartleys executive chairman Ian Parker and PCF Capital managing director Liam Twigger, the panel discussed the remarkable sharemarket recovery, the importance of foreign investment, exploration hotspots and – of course – the likely trajectory of the gold price. Mr Parker said the Perth brokerage had seen a surge in new accounts while the COVID-19 triggered downturn appeared to have prompted investors to show a willingness for risk exposure that had typically been missing from the resources sector. “I’ve never...

DOWNER has managed to nab contracts worth around $165m to build FMG’s 60MW Chichester Solar Farm. Awarded by Alinta Energy, the contracts cover construction of a new solar photovoltaic generation facility and supporting power infrastructure as part of the solar gas hybrid project. Work includes the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of the Chichester Solar Farm, approximately 60 kilometres of transmission line (linking Fortescue’s Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak mining operations with Alinta Energy’s Newman gas-fired power station and 35MW battery facility), as well as two new substations and the upgrade of another. Downer chief executive officer Grant Fenn said the award is another endorsement of the company’s experience and leadership in delivering renewable energy projects. “We are looking forward to...