Coal guidance down, aluminium production up, for South32

South32 has lowered its annual coal output forecast, citing a double whammy from a workers’ strike over pay and an extended longwall move at its Appin mine in the flagship Illawarra metallurgical coal project in New South Wales. Staff at Appin had initially threatened a partial strike for a week in August as they negotiated …

First ever battery-electric surface drill makes debut at bauma 2022

A demonstrator of the first ever tophammer battery-electric drill rig from Epiroc, SmartROC T35 E, is being presented at bauma. The rig is an important step in the shift towards zero emission drilling in surface mines and quarries. The design of SmartROC T35 E is based on the well-proven SmartROC T35 surface drill rig. In …

Liebherr hydrogen excavator wins bauma Innovation Award

The 2022 bauma Innovation Award in the climate protection category has been awarded to the R 9XX H2 hydrogen excavator. This is the first Liebherr hydraulic excavator to be powered by a hydrogen engine. Working on alternative drive solutions, Liebherr takes a technology-neutral approach. Hydrogen combustion engines are one technology being explored by the Group. …

Recommendation and rebuke for Turquoise Hill offer

The arguments for and against Rio’s takeover bid for Turquoise Hill Resources continue, with proxy advisor Glass Lewis recommending that the company’s shareholders vote in favour of the offer. This is in contract to opinions expressed by Pentwater Capital Management and SailingStone Capital Partners, which combined hold about 14 per cent of the Canadian miner. …

Final obstacle cleared for New Acland Stage 3

After years of being put on hold, New Hope Corporation’s New Acland Stage 3 project is on the fast track to redevelopment. The Queensland Government Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water has granted the mine a Stage 3 Associated Water Licence, the last restriction to be cleared. It follows the Land Court process, the …

Cost blowout for Mt Peake project

Australian resource and mineral processing technology company TNG has warned of higher-than-expected expenditure at its proposed Mt Peake vanadium/titanium/iron project in the Northern Territory. Cost blowouts have been experienced by the Clough Group, which had been appointed to develop an optimised plant layout for the project, which was completed in November 2021. Clough was also …

Alarm bells over Alcoa loss

A surprise quarterly loss by US economic bellwether and aluminum giant Alcoa has created jitters as the metal used in everything from iPhones to soft drink cans hits headwinds. Metals have slumped as hawkish central banks fight inflation, Europe faces an energy crisis and China’s economy struggles to recover. Alcoa has posted an adjusted loss …

Counterfeit parts not worth the risk, warns Cummins

It’s a warning often repeated by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), yet some businesses continue to put their operations at risk – knowingly or otherwise – by using cheap counterfeit parts. Powering more types of equipment in more markets than any other engine company, Cummins encounters and fights against counterfeiting every day while constantly warning that …

Miners hope for foreign labour help as skills shortage continues

As the skills shortage continues, large mining companies are hoping that foreign workers can help solve the problem. Mining giants BHP and Whitehaven Coal have reported lower coal outputs over the past three months, while shipments through the Port of Newcastle were over 12 per cent lower in the past nine months. Both miners have …