Australia’s first Cat 793 XE Early Learner battery-electric haul trucks have arrived at BHP’s Jimblebar iron ore mine in the Pilbara. This marks the start of on-site testing of Caterpillar’s battery-electric heavy-haulage technology in collaboration with Rio Tinto. The two Early Learner trucks, delivered through an industry-first collaboration between BHP, Rio Tinto and Caterpillar, represent a major step toward a…
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FutureCoal chief executive Michelle Manook has urged Australia to restore balance, honesty and engineering-based decision-making to its energy debate during a recent Australia National Press Club discussion when she warned that ideology has overtaken practical policy. At her recent November address, Manook emphasised that the Paris Agreement never mandated a fossil-fuel phaseout. She reaffirmed that it was built on technology…
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Fortescue has delivered its first-ever large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) to its North Star Junction (NSJ) complex in the Pilbara, a major step forward in the miner’s push to decarbonise its iron ore operations in the region. The installation is the first in a planned 4-5 GWh rollout of large-scale storage systems Fortescue will need to decarbonise its energy…
Read MoreSchlam founder Ryan Schlam has confirmed the 100% sale of Western Australia-based CruServices (Schlam Cru) and subsidiary The Pilbara Clean Machines (TPCM) – the group’s field maintenance and labour services arm – to FMS Group, a leading Australian provider of integrated maintenance solutions. The acquisition, he said, is a significant step forward in FMS Group’s vision to deliver an integrated,…
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Freeport plans to restore large-scale production from PT Freeport Indonesia’s Grasberg operations in Central Papua, Indonesia, following a fatal mud-flow disaster in early September. Remediation activities are advancing to prepare for a phased restart and ramp-up of the Grasberg Block Cave underground mine beginning in the second quarter of 2026. On September 8, seven workers were killed when around 800,000…
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Augustus Minerals has successfully applied for Exploration Licence ELA2955 in the Kira Koiari District, Central Province, Papua New Guinea, following a site visit in late October. The tenement is located 40 kilometres southeast along strike from the Tolokuma gold mine and 35 km north of Port Moresby. “We are very pleased to have been invited into the Hira Koiari District…
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The first brand-new, purpose-built battery-electric locomotives (BELs) in Australia have arrived in Port Hedland. Delivered in partnership with Wabtec, the two are fully battery-powered heavy-haul units that will be trialled on BHP’s iron ore rail routes between its Pilbara mines and Port Hedland operations. Purpose-built to withstand the region’s extreme heat and demanding conditions, the locomotives have been designed to…
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BHP has been ordered by Australia’s Federal Court to compensate 85 coal mine workers employed by its labour hire arm in Queensland for unlawfully requiring them to work Christmas and Boxing Day holidays without providing a reasonable right of refusal. The workers have been compensated between A$800 and A$2400 each for being required to work the public holidays in 2019…
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CDE, a leader in wet processing solutions for the waste recycling and natural processing sectors, is preparing to install its first X5 ProPress in Australia in the coming months – the first commissioning of this technology globally. “The ProPress is our response to minimising freshwater dependency and maximising water recycling, all while improving processing capacity, reducing operating costs, and minimising…
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Mining investment firm Cove Capital will develop a large tungsten deposit in Kazakhstan with state mining firm JSC Tau-Ken Samruk under a deal to be announced by the Trump administration, reported Reuters. The agreement is part of a suite of deals announced between Washington and Astana to tighten economic partnerships between the countries. Cove Capital will control 70% of a…
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