Liontown secures offtake with China’s BSIT

Liontown Resources said it has executed a full-form offtake agreement with Beijing Sinomine International Trade Co. (BSIT) for the supply of spodumene concentrate from its flagship Kathleen Valley lithium project in Western Australia. “Securing a near-term offtake with an established lithium refiner to sell initial volumes over the ramp-up period, de-risks sales during our ramp-up of the plant towards nameplate…

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Tetra Tech tapped for refinery work

Cobalt Blue Holdings has selected Tetra Tech for the engineering works of its cobalt-nickel refinery in the Kwinana Industrial Area of Western Australia. Financial details were not disclosed, nor was a timeline for work, but Coalt Blue said the scope of work will include detailed process plant design and construction participation in the projects. “We are excited to partner with…

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BHP to suspend WA nickel operations amid saturated market

BHP said it will temporarily suspend its Western Australian nickel operations as it has not “been able to overcome the substantial economic challenges driven by a global oversupply of nickel.” The miner said the suspension will begin in October and last at least until February 2027.  “We understand this is a challenging period for the Western Australia Nickel team and…

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MinRes pioneers on-site mental health push

Western Australian miner Mineral Resources (MinRes) has become the first resource company in the Australian state to send out a team of mental health counsellors to its mine sites. In a model it hopes will set the tone for others in WA, MinRes said the move will offer services to all of its employees, including the 7,500 it has working…

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MinRes to shut down Yilgarn iron ore hub

After completing a comprehensive viability assessment, Mineral Resources (MinRes) has decided to cease iron ore shipments from its Yilgarn hub in Western Australia by 31 December 2024. The miner said the outcome was influenced by several factors, including the limited remaining mine life across five operating mines at the hub and the significant capital cost and lead time required to…

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BHP goes electric with first CAT Early Learner truck

Before the first Early Learner CAT 793 battery-electric haul truck (BEHT) rolls into BHP’s Jimblebar mine in Western Australia in October, the miner’s Operational Decarbonisation team visited Caterpillar’s Tucson Proving Ground (USA) to witness it in action. “It’s incredibly exciting to be here in Tucson seeing this battery-electric truck in action. Not only do these trials represent an important step…

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Curtin University tapped to run GreenTech Hub

Curtin University said it has been selected as the operator of Western Australia’s new GreenTech Hub, an initiative designed to accelerate green technologies and services across the state. The GreenTech Hub is a key component of the Cook government’s $40 million partnership with the Chevron-operated Gorgon Joint Venture, aimed at funding green technology and lowering carbon emissions. Innovation and the…

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Rio Tinto invests in BioIron R&D facility

Rio Tinto said it will invest A$215 million to develop a research and development facility in Western Australia to further assess the effectiveness of its low-carbon ironmaking process, BioIron. The facility, located south of Perth in the Rockingham Strategic Industrial Area, will include a pilot plant that will be 10 times larger than its predecessor in Germany. It will also…

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Ramelius’ Cue project gets key approval

Australian miner Ramelius Resources said the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety gave its mining proposal for the Cue gold project in Western Australia the greenlight.  Early works is expected to commence this month.  Acquired by Ramelius in September 2023 from Musgrave Minerals, Cue is located 40 kilometres north of the Checkers Mill at Ramelius’ Mt Magnet gold…

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Fortescue, Liebherr turn key on hydrogen haul truck test

Fortescue and Liebherr recently completed a first-ever test: the operation of a hydrogen-powered Liebherr T 264, which has been dubbed Europa, at a site outside Perth, Western Australia. The prototype, which has a 1.6-MWh battery (developed by Fortescue WAE) and 500 kilowatts of fuel cells on-board, was tested 19 May. Both companies have called the test a major step forward…

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