Monadelphous lands major Rio contract

Rio Tinto secures power for Gladstone Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) and Edify Energy have signed two new solar and battery hybrid services agreements (HSAs) to increase the supply of reliable, competitively priced electricity to Rio Tinto’s Gladstone aluminium operations in Queensland. Under the agreements, Rio Tinto will purchase 90% of the power and battery storage capacity generated by the Smoky Creek & Guthrie’s Gap Solar Power Stations for 20 years. Edify Energy will build, own and operate the projects, with construction due to begin in late 2025 and targeting completion in 2028. Located...

Whitehaven inspires future STEM leaders The Tamworth Regional Science and Engineering Challenge provided an exciting opportunity for regional students to test their STEM-based problem-solving skills at the Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre in NSW. Organised by The Rotary Club of Tamworth First Light in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, the annual event is designed to encourage students to consider future careers in the field of STEM, by involving them in a series of activities they wouldn’t normally experience in a classroom. Since its inception in 2001, the challenge has provided students with hands-on experiences in a series of...

NSW looks for new critical minerals projects The NSW Government has launched a new $2.5m co-investment seed funding program to unearth the state’s next major critical minerals projects. The new Critical Minerals Exploration Program is a key part of the government’s Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy. The $2.5 million fund requires a 50% co-investment from successful applicants and is aimed at encouraging more exploration in the state by supporting companies to undertake drilling, geophysics and geochemistry, all crucial steps to determine the scale of a...