MOVUS appoints new CEO to drive industrial AI growth

A new Industry Reference Group (IRG) will provide advice to government on the development of the Western Trade Coast (WTC) as Perth’s premier strategic industrial area continues to grow. The group will inform the delivery of common-user infrastructure in the region and consider industry needs in government policy and decision-making. The Western Trade Coast — which covers the Kwinana Industrial Area, Rockingham Industry Zone, Latitude 32 General Industrial Area and Australian Marine Complex —contributes $15b to the WA economy each year and supports around 42,000 direct and indirect jobs, according to the WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy (WA CME). The region is home to major infrastructure initiatives including Westport and the Henderson Defence Precinct, as well as industrial processing…

Rio Tinto rules out Glencore merger  Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has confirmed it is no longer considering a possible merger or other business combination with Glencore. While outlooks for Rio Tinto have been rejigged with the appointment of Simon Trott to chief executive, a merger with Glencore would have been doubly surprising. According to Glencore, the offer would have seen Rio Tinto retaining both the chairman and chief executive roles and delivering a proforma ownership of the combined company. Glencore said this arrangement would significantly undervalue the company and that the proposed acquisition would not be in the best interests of its shareholders.  The talks have been watched closely as copper appears central to the deal. Rio is actively building scale in copper, while Glencore brings an established global copper portfolio. But beyond copper, the companies’ portfolios are difficult to reconcile. Rio remains anchored in iron ore and has spent years simplifying its exposure to higher-emissions commodities, including exiting coal, while Glencore remains one of the world’s largest coal producers.  Rio’s push to streamline around ‘future-facing’ commodities sits awkwardly with Glencore’s coal exposure — meaning copper alone may not have been enough to justify what could have been a complex integration. 

Mineral Resources (MinRes) (ASX: MIN) achieved first underground firing at its Mt Marion lithium operation in WA. Full development earthworks targeting a depth of 350m are expected within the next 18 months. Mt Marion general manager Marcelo Avecilla says the underground cut marks an important step forward in Mt Marion’s transition to an open pit and underground operation. “We’ve always considered Mt Marion a world-class asset and having recently doubled our underground Resource, MinRes is now working hard to deliver an exciting new phase for the mine,” he said. “We’re expanding our lithium workforce to strengthen our technical and operational expertise, while partnering with experts in underground mine planning, geotechnical, ventilation and operational readiness to streamline Mt Marion’s evolution.” This…

2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the Liebherr Group, with celebrations taking place in locations all over the world. Liebherr also celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Zambia company earlier this month. The company was founded in June 2014 to provide support for mining activities in the Zambian Copperbelt. Liebherr Zambia administration managing director Henri Wassink says the company has expanded over 10 years. “When we first opened, we had a handful of employees: one accountant, one parts representative, and a single technician,” he said. “Today, Liebherr Zambia is more than 100 employees strong, and we are present on different customer sites.” Despite being home to 20% of the world’s emeralds and being the seventh largest copper producer in the world,…