Middle East conflict threatens global aluminium supply

NeoSmelt bolstered by $19.8m Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed funding to support NeoSmelt joint venture’s planned pilot plant in Kwinana, WA. The funding will progress a front-end engineering design (FEED) study for the project which aims to prove Pilbara iron ore can be used to produce lower-carbon iron using a direct reduced iron-electric smelting furnace (DRI-ESF) pathway. If successful, this technology has the potential to unlock longer term alternatives to the traditional blast furnace steelmaking route and help ensure the longevity of Australia’s iron ore industry. All five joint venture...

Fortescue signs $350m electric drill deal Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has confirmed it has signed a $350m major contract with mining equipment manufacturer Epiroc to acquire more than 50 electric drills. This decision is part of Fortescue's progress towards operating at net-zero emissions. The company has committed to purchasing a fleet consisting of both autonomous electric platform drills and autonomous electric contour drills. The fleet is anticipated to be operational by 2030, aligning with Fortescue’s goal of replacing ageing diesel-powered equipment. The autonomous electric fleet will be operated from Fortescue’s Integrated Operations Centre in Perth, WA and is expected to cut diesel consumption...

Westgold to increase production by 25% Westgold (ASX: WGX) has delivered a high confidence plan that lifts annual gold production at its WA projects from 326koz to 470koz by FY28. Underpinned by the company’s ore reserves of 56mt at 1.93g/t gold for 3.5moz of gold, the plan will see increased output from the company’s four existing processing hubs, currently operating at a 6mtpa capacity, fed from its operating mines and ore purchase agreement. Westgold managing director and chief executive Wayne Bramwell says the outlook provides a baseline for a larger, more...

Ivanhoe delays ASX IPO Ivanhoe Atlantic has pushed back its mid-year initial public offering (IPO) target and is now aiming to launch its IPO in Australia before the end of 2025. Privately-owned US-based Ivanhoe is looking to develop the Kon Kweni high-grade iron-ore deposit in Guinea, West Africa, to provide a supply of high-grade iron ore that can be readily processed in Middle East into low emissions steel that can feed a US supply chain. At the WA Mining Club August luncheon, Ivanhoe...