Mineral Resources (MinRes) has marked a significant milestone in its lithium growth strategy with first new spodumene concentrate delivered at the Wodgina Lithium Project, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Wodgina is one of the world’s largest known hard rock lithium deposits and operates under the MARBL JV – an unincorporated joint venture between MinRes (40 per cent) and Albemarle Corporation (60 per cent) – with a current processing capacity of 750,000 tonnes per annum of 6 per cent spodumene concentrate. In late 2021, following two years in care and maintenance, the MARBL JV agreed to resume production at…
Core Lithium Ltd has received final assays from its 2021 drilling program at the Finniss Lithium Project near Darwin in the Northern Territory. During the lithium exploration drilling undertaken at the Finniss Project throughout the 2021 field season, 22,454m of RC drilling and 6,619.8m of diamond drilling was completed. Assay results are from drilling undertaken to test for a southern extension to the pegmatite hosting mineralisation at BP33, resource extensions to the north of Hang Gong and to the north of Lees as well as a number of regional targets. The drilling program has confirmed there is mineralisation within the…
Vimy Resources Limited will commence a major resource extension drilling program next month at the high-grade Angularli deposit, part of the company’s Alligator River project in the Northern Territory. Work completed since the acquisition of Alligator River in 2018 has shown the potential of the project to develop into a Tier 1 global uranium project. Vimy is accelerating its resource extension drilling program at the Angularli deposit following the lifting of access restrictions due to COVID-19. The main Angularli deposit is open at depth and parallel uranium-bearing structures have been identified to the south-west and along strike to the north…
Assay results returned from the recent 10,312m aircore drilling (AC) program have highlighted strong potential for further gold discoveries at BMG Resources Limited’s Abercromby Gold Project in the Wiluna greenstone belt in Western Australia. The drilling program was completed south of the highly mineralised Capital Prospect in February 2022, testing the significant prospective 5km strike potential between Capital and the previously identified Barrack/Archer prospects to the very south of the Abercromby tenement area. The AC drilling broadly tested a number of targets generated by the SAM survey completed in December 2021 which identified an extensive strike of SAM anomalism trending…
Core Lithium Ltd has been granted environmental approval for the BP33 Underground Mine in the Northern Territory by the NT's Minister for Environment. The grant of the environmental approval completes the Environmental Impact Assessment process for the proposed BP33 Underground Mine and paves the way for the company to submit a Mining Management Plan (MMP) to the Department of Industry, Tourism & Trade (DITT) for assessment. Core anticipates that a successful review of the MMP by DITT could result in a Mining Authorisation for BP33 Underground by mid-2022. Approval of the MMP is the last step in the BP33 Underground…
St George Mining Limited has expanded its nickel exploration focus with a major campaign to test several priority targets within four projects in Western Australia. Complementing the company’s most advanced exploration project at Mt Alexander and its emerging Paterson Project, St George is now heading towards the next phase of work at the Broadview Project in the Wheatbelt and the identification of a major intrusion at its newest project – Ajana in the Mid West. At the Mt Alexander Project, seismic and EM surveys starting this month will assist in defining potential for massive NiCu sulphides in untested areas of…
Nyrstar Australia has announced that, with the support of the Federal Coalition and the Tasmanian State Government, it will invest in the construction of a new electrolysis plant at the company’s ‘Zinc Works’ operations in Hobart, ensuring a long-term future for metals refining in Australia. The development of the new electrolysis plant will secure the future of 500 direct jobs in Tasmania and in total approximately 1,600 direct jobs and over 5,000 indirect jobs across Nyrstar’s Australian operations in both Hobart and Port Pirie, the hometowns of Nyrstar Australia’s interlinked operations. The new Electrolysis Plant will incorporate the latest technology…
Leigh Creek Energy (LCK) has announced it is exploring options to produce domestic AdBlue to address chronic supply shortage across Australia. Recent curbs on fertiliser exports from China and the announced closure of Australia’s only urea manufacturing facility (Incitec Pivot Limited’s major Gibson Island fertiliser plant in Brisbane) has created a growing shortage and increase in the price of urea both worldwide and in Australia. Urea is a key chemical used in the manufacturing process in several industries including fertiliser, chemical production, AdBlue fuel additives, resin production and the medical sector. LCK’s Leigh Creek Urea Project (LCUP) is set to…
A Curtin research team will work to bring leading broadband fibre optic acoustic sensing technology to the Australian oil and gas, mining and environmental monitoring industries, offering a more cost-effective and safer resource extraction process. As part of the Federal Government’s Global Innovation Linkages Program, the research team – led by Professor Roman Pevzner from Curtin’s WA School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering – will partner with international collaborators to test the viability of the technology in the Australian landscape. The project will seek to produce a suite of passive and active geophysical data acquisition and analysis techniques…
A proposed $1.3 billion hydrogen-gas turbine power station in Port Kembla has been declared Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI), given its importance to renewable energy capacity in New South Wales. Deputy Premier John Barilaro said it is a massive step towards safeguarding the state’s future energy security while providing jobs during challenging times. “The Port Kembla Power Station will be a gamechanger, not just for NSW but Australia,” Mr Barilaro said. “It will provide the energy capacity our state needs as existing coal-fired power stations reach their end of life, and household power bills will be the big winner as…
Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s proposal to construct a gas-diesel power plant in Kurri Kurri, 25 kilometres west of Newcastle, has stirred up a hornet’s nest, both locally and nationally. “Community groups in the Hunter look to NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean and Planning Minister Rob Stokes to reject this unnecessary and harmful power plant and double down on making New South Wales a renewable energy superpower,” said Carly Phillips, Co-coordinator of the Gas Free Hunter Alliance. Snowy Hydro’s ‘Response to Submissions’, released on Monday, has drawn fire from community groups in the Hunter. Of the 261 submissions from government agencies,…
Woodside is investigating the supply of approximately 50 megawatts of solar energy to the Woodside-operated Pluto LNG facility on Western Australia’s Burrup Peninsula. The solar power would be supplied from the proposed Woodside Power Project, which could comprise more than 210,000 solar panels, making it one of the largest solar projects in Western Australia. Woodside has undertaken a range of environmental, geotechnical and engineering studies and is progressing key stakeholder consultations ahead of seeking regulatory approvals for the power project. Woodside Acting CEO, Meg O’Neill, said Western Australia is uniquely placed to capitalise on the state’s renewable energy resources and…
The Federal Government has committed up to $600M in the 2021-22 Budget, for Snowy Hydro Limited to construct a 660 megawatt (MW) open cycle gas turbine at Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Valley. The Hunter Power Project is expected to deliver an economic boost to the region, creating up to 600 new jobs during peak construction and 1,200 indirect jobs across New South Wales. The Government said the $600M project, together with EnergyAustralia’s 316 MW Tallawarra B open cycle gas plant, will help shore up the security, reliability and affordability of electricity for consumers in NSW, expected to be generating…
Australian Gas Networks (AGN) - part of Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) - has officially opened its $14.5 million hydrogen production facility Hydrogen Park South Australia and commenced blending renewable hydrogen into part of its natural gas distribution network in Adelaide. At Hydrogen Park South Australia (HyP SA), located at the Tonsley Innovation District, a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser uses renewable electricity (solar and wind) to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. AGN will blend approximately 5 per cent renewable hydrogen into its existing natural gas distribution network to deliver a blended gas to more than 700 homes in…
A proposed multi-billion chemical complex producing green hydrogen and green ammonia is a step closer with a strategic partnership agreement initiating the first phase of the H2-Hub™ Gladstone project. Acting Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles joined developer of green hydrogen infrastructure The Hydrogen Utility (H2U) and mining and infrastructure solutions provider Orica, in Gladstone for the announcement. “Commitments like this help to propel Central Queensland towards becoming a clean energy powerhouse, as part of Queensland’s plan for economic recovery,” Mr Miles said. “I can also announce today the Coordinator-General has declared the H2-Hub Gladstone a Coordinated Project.…
AGL has closed the first unit at its Liddell power station in the NSW Hunter Valley, marking a major milestone in its energy transition and a further step in the development of AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub. The full closure of the Liddell Power Station will take place in April 2023. It will be the first of AGL’s thermal generation sites to be converted into an integrated, low-carbon industrial energy hub, which will support energy reliability and regional economic development. AGL Chief Operating Officer, Markus Brokhof said the closure of the first of four units at Liddell was a significant moment…
AGL’s proposed 500-megawatt (MW), two gigawatt-hour (GWh) grid-scale battery on the site of its Liddell power station has been granted approval by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE). The grid-scale battery will form part of AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub that is planned for the site of Liddell power station, following its retirement in 2023. AGL Chief Operating Officer, Markus Brokhof said the transition of Liddell power station into an integrated, low-carbon industrial energy hub would be AGL’s first rehabilitation of a thermal coal site. “As we decarbonise, firming technology like this grid-scale battery will become the backbone of…
Construction is now underway on one of the world’s largest off-grid mining solar and battery energy storage systems being built by TransAlta to help power BHP Nickel West’s Mt Keith and Leinster operations, the Northern Goldfields Solar Project. The project, which was announced last year, includes a 27.4 MW solar farm at Mt Keith, a 10.7 MW solar farm and a 10.1 MW battery at Leinster, and will be integrated into TransAlta’s Northern Goldfields remote power grid. The project, which will replace power currently supplied by diesel and gas, will help BHP Nickel West reduce scope 2 emissions at its Mt…
Western Australia’s largest solar farm on a remote network, the 60 MW Alinta Energy Chichester Hub Solar Farm in the Pilbara region, has begun production for Fortescue Metals Group. The solar farm includes over 160,000 solar panels over 120 hectares and has already powered up to 100 per cent of daytime operations at Fortescue’s Christmas Creek and Cloudbreak mines, and will displace around 100 million litres of diesel every year. Supply will be backed up by battery storage and gas generation at Alinta Energy’s Newman Power Station. Alinta Energy’s MD & CEO Jeff Dimery said the commencement of operations…
Queensland's Planning Minister has given notice of a proposed call in for a proposed coal-fired power station on a cattle property located 30 kilometres north-west of the town of Alpha. Waratah Coal applied for a development approval to the Barcaldine Regional Council as a code assessable development, that does not require public consultation, under an outdated 2006 planning scheme. Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Steven Miles said Barcaldine Regional Council had done a good job of assessing the application given the small council has never assessed a project of this size. Miles added: “Currently, this application isn’t subject to public…
Heavy vehicles powered by renewable hydrogen will be used in a first-of-a-kind deployment based in Townsville, helping to reduce emissions in the transport and mining sectors. On behalf of the Australian government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced that it has conditionally approved $3.02 million in funding to Ark Energy H2 Pty Ltd (Ark) to support the deployment of a 1 megawatt electrolyser with storage and refuelling infrastructure to fuel five new 140-tonne rated fuel cell electric trucks. The project will be located at the Sun Metals zinc refinery in Townsville, which is owned by Ark’s sister company…
Newmont has agreed to sell its Kalgoorlie power business to Australia’s Northern Star Resources Limited for US$95 million, inclusive of the US$25 million option payment previously received from Northern Star as part of its purchase of Newmont’s 50 per cent stake in Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) in 2020. The Kalgoorlie power business includes a 50 per cent interest in the 110MW Parkeston Power Station and associated infrastructure which provides electricity to KCGM, and the Kalgoorlie area through its connection to the South-West Interconnected System. The Kalgoorlie power business has been a profitable asset for Newmont since the sale of…
The Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC) has signed contracts with a consortium of companies, the WA Government, contractors and academic institutions to design and commission its flagship Cathode Precursor Production Pilot Plant in Western Australia which will provide technical capability towards the production of advanced battery materials on an industrial scale. The FBICRC and its partners will make an investment valued at over $18 million ($9.2 cash and $9.2 in-kind including the repurposing of BHP’s existing nickel sulfate pilot plant) to produce the present generation of cathode chemistries used in electric vehicles from locally sourced materials. The pilot…
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Renascor Resources and POSCO, one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates, will support a $209 million investment in South Australia to develop a Battery Anode Material (BAM) manufacturing facility in the Eyre Peninsula. The MoU provides for the purchase of up to 30,000 tonnes per annum of Purified Spherical Graphite (PSG) from Renascor’s planned BAM manufacturing facility and a potential equity investment by POSCO in Renascor. The South Australian Government states that the project is forecast to create 190 full-time roles, more than 100 jobs during construction and has the potential to generate around $260…
Covalent Lithium has entered into a long-term lease for a 40-hectare site in the Kwinana Strategic Industrial Area (SIA) where it will construct a lithium refinery. The Covalent Lithium refinery, a joint venture between the subsidiaries of Wesfarmers and Chilean company SQM, forms a part of the integrated Mount Holland Lithium project. The project, which is expected to create 1,000 construction and 350 operational jobs, involves the construction and operation of a spodumene mine and concentrator near Mount Holland in Western Australia. Once complete, the Kwinana refinery will have the capacity to support the production of batteries for up to…
Western Australia will soon be home to the longest electric highway in Australia with the State Government today announcing the 45 locations that will make up the electric vehicle fast-charging network. The infrastructure network includes up to 90 fast-charging stations and backup chargers at 45 different locations connecting Perth and regional Western Australia - stretching north to Kununurra, south to Esperance and east to Kalgoorlie. Electric vehicle owners will easily be able to travel the state along these routes, with the average distance between charging stations around 160 kilometres. Most electric cars can run for at least 400 kilometres in…
A National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF) is now one step closer, following the decision by the Minister for Resources and Water, Keith Pitt, to declare Napandee near Kimba, South Australia as the proposed site for the facility. Australia’s radioactive waste is currently stored in more than 100 locations around the country. To solve this problem, the Australian Government is establishing a single fit-for-purpose facility. In coming to this decision, Minister Pitt considered relevant material to inform a formal declaration. “This is the next step in progressing this nationally significant infrastructure project, which successive governments have been working on for…
A new research and teaching hub that will investigate carbon-neutral solutions for Western Australia’s resources sector has been launched at Curtin University’s WA School of Mines in Kalgoorlie. Renowned iron ore processing expert Dr John Clout has been appointed the Professor of Practice in Pyrometallurgy at the new Kalgoorlie Metals Research Laboratory, based at Curtin’s Kalgoorlie campus. Curtin’s WA School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering Head of School Professor Michael Hitch said the new research hub will explore cleaner alternatives through teaching and research that will pave the way for a greener future for the industry. “The Kalgoorlie…
Rio Tinto has become the sole owner of Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The transaction for Rio Tinto’s acquisition of the 40 per cent share held by Dominion Diamond Mines in Diavik was completed following the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta’s approval. With production at Diavik expected to end in 2025, its high-end, predominantly white gem quality diamonds with Canadian provenance continue to be in strong demand in all established and emerging consumer markets. Rio Tinto Minerals Chief Executive Sinead Kaufman said: “Diavik will now move forward with certainty to continue supplying customers with high…
The Santa Comba Tungsten Project has successfully delivered first production from the fully permitted underground mine. Rafaella Resources Limited has confirmed the successful delivery of first production as set out in March with the safe installation of a pilot plant and first production from high-grade stockpiles left from previous operations dating back to 1985. Managing Director Steven Turner said working closely with the authorities to ensure all the permits and approvals were obtained is a testament to the capabilities of the growing team at the site and in Madrid. "This is the first real step in bringing the Santa Comba…
Walkabout Resources has provided an update on recent activities and contracts it has awarded to progress its 100 per cent owned Lindi Jumbo Graphite Project in South East Tanzania. Lindi Jumbo Limited, a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Walkabout Resources, has commenced an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with Yantai Jinpeng Mining and Machinery Co. Limited (Jinpeng) for the Lindi Jumbo Graphite Process Plant in Yantai, China. Jinpeng – a medium-sized private manufacturing and construction engineering business with approximately 400 employees based in Yantai – is experienced in building graphite processing plants both locally and internationally. The company…
Delecta Limited has confirmed the resumption of exploration programs at its REX Uranium-Vanadium Project, located in Colorado. In June 2020, Delecta acquired 60 per cent of the shares in Sunrise Minerals Inc, a US-based company that holds 100 per cent of the REX Project, with the project consisting of 256 contiguous Bureau of Land Management (BLM) claims covering an area of approximately 2,072 hectares. The project lies within the Uravan Mineral Belt of Colorado within trucking distance of the White Mesa Mill, the only operating conventional uranium-vanadium mill in the US that has 90 per cent spare capacity available to…
Adriatic Metals Plc has announced the outcome of the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Vares Silver Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been completed by a number of international consultants and coordinated by Ausenco Pty Ltd. The Vares Silver Project hosts two Mineral Resources: the Rupice underground deposit (Rupice) and the Veovaca open-pit deposit (Veovaca). The two deposits are located approximately 11 kilometres apart. Veovaca was a previously operating open-pit mine producing lead, zinc and barite concentrates that ceased operations in 1988. The potential economic viability of the Rupice deposit was only determined in 2017 after it was…
Rio Tinto’s final Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender collection of rare pink, red, blue and violet diamonds is being showcased to connoisseurs, collectors and luxury jewellers in Antwerp, Belgium. The Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender, an annual invitation-only event for the past 38 years, is widely considered to be the most anticipated diamond sale in the world, showcasing the pinnacle of Argyle’s production to an exclusive group of collectors, diamond connoisseurs and luxury jewellery houses. Following 37 years of operations, mining ceased at the Argyle mine in Western Australia in November 2020 and the 2021 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender is the final…
Celsius Resources Limited’s Philippine subsidiary Tambuli Mining Company Inc. (TMCI) has been granted a two-year extension of its exploration program for its Sagay Copper-Gold Project. The Sagay copper-gold asset is located in the northern tip of Negros with a total area of 4,594.2 hectares where occurrences of large porphyry copper mineralisation potential have been confirmed. TMCI President Attorney, Julito R Sarmiento, said the announcement is an important step in developing another asset within the company’s copper-gold portfolio, and re-confirms the renewed commitment of the Philippine National Government to support the mining industry and the country’s path to economic recovery. “Our…
