A 271.5‑tonne Herrenknecht Mixshield TBM, Caroline, has started driving a 2.2km electricity cable tunnel with a 4m internal diameter beneath the River Thames in Essex for National Grid’s Grain to Tilbury project, delivered by the Ferrovial BEMO joint venture. The drive will pass through variable Thames estuary ground conditions between 35m‑deep launch and reception shafts of 15m and 12m diameter, with tunnelling continuing into 2026 and overall scheme completion targeted for 2029. The new tunnel will replace the 1969 Thames Cable Tunnel and carry new high‑voltage circuits between Grain and Tilbury substations.

A 13.46m diameter Herrenknecht Mixshield TBM has broken through into the future Balboa station on Panama Metro Line 3 after completing the first-ever TBM undercrossing of the Panama Canal at depths exceeding 60m below sea level. The 5,600kW, 26,616kNm machine, fitted with an accessible cutterhead and more than 4,500 sensors linked via the Herrenknecht.Connected platform, has achieved peak advance of 150 segment rings (about 300m) per month through mixed sandstone, tuff, breccias and basalt. Around 1.5km of the 4.5km twin-track tunnel remains to final breakthrough.

Federal funding for New York’s US$16bn Hudson Tunnel Project has been frozen, forcing the Gateway Development Commission to suspend works from 6 February after spending over US$1bn and employing about 1,000 site workers. A Manhattan federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, giving the administration until 5 p.m. on 12 February to restore reimbursements or appeal, while contractors warn that demobilisation, resequencing and remobilisation will add cost and delay. Sites are now in “safe-pause” mode, with dewatering, ground support and environmental monitoring maintained, and assembly of two Herrenknecht TBMs in New Jersey likely to slip beyond the planned spring 2026 launch without funding certainty.

Swiss Federal Railways has awarded an Implenia/Marti 50:50 joint venture five of six MehrSpur Zurich–Winterthur lots worth just under CHF 1.7 billion, including the 8.3 km Brüttener tunnel (Lot 240) with twin 10 m diameter single-track tubes and a 1 km spur to Zurich Airport. TBM excavation will start in August 2029, with a roughly ten-year construction phase using BIM for planning and execution and extensive special foundations, earthworks and embankments. Additional works cover full redevelopment of Dietlikon station, about 6 km of new track across Dietlikon and Wallisellen sections, multiple underpasses, bridges and the Neumühle railway bridge and Storchen underpass near Winterthur.

A sinkhole roughly 8–10 m wide and several metres deep has opened on the AJ Burkitt Reserve sporting oval in Heidelberg, directly adjacent to the North East Link tunnel alignment in Melbourne’s northeast. Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority has confirmed the “surface hole” is in the vicinity of active tunnelling operations, leading to a work pause while engineers and emergency crews carry out geotechnical investigations and monitoring. No injuries or structural damage have been reported, but the area remains fully cordoned off pending cause determination and stability assessment.

TBM Xihe, a 7.3m-diameter, 100m-long, 1,000-tonne Herrenknecht slurry machine, has completed the up-track drive to the future Tung Chung West Station and has begun boring the down-track tunnel towards Tung Chung Station for MTR’s Tung Chung Line Extension in Hong Kong. The Bouygues Travaux Publics–Dragages Hong Kong JV turned the TBM underground within the launch shaft using a push-pull method and self-propelled modular transporter, avoiding full disassembly and surface transport. About 1.3km of new twin-bore tunnels are being driven close to existing rail and urban structures, with commissioning targeted for 2029.

Gamuda Engineering has secured the Sydney Metro Stations Package West as principal contractor, covering design and construction of five new underground stations at Westmead, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays on the 24km Sydney Metro West line between Greater Parramatta and the CBD. The scope includes deep station boxes, entrances and access points, full station fit-out and integration with surrounding precincts, with Laing O’Rourke and DT Infrastructure joining as MetroVista delivery partners. Site works are scheduled to start on Monday, 5 January 2026.

Global mining majors added $250 billion in value in early 2026, lifting the MINING.COM Top 50 to a combined $2.41 trillion despite the US–Iran war and volatile gold at about $4,700/oz and silver above $70/oz, both off record spikes. BHP briefly exceeded a $200 billion market capitalisation, copper contributed $7.95 billion to its half‑year operating earnings, and six miners – including Agnico Eagle, Zijin Mining, Southern Copper and Newmont – now sit in the $100‑billion club. At the other end, Amman Minerals fell 27% on Indonesian smelter delays and Ivanhoe Mines cut Kamoa‑Kakula 2026 copper guidance to 290,000–330,000 tonnes, dropping it below the $18 billion Top 50 cut‑off.

Seequent, the Bentley Subsurface company, is expanding its subsurface modelling and data management tools to help miners better locate, characterise and extract orebodies, building on findings from its 7th Geoprofessionals Data Management Report. The report points to persistent issues with fragmented geoscience datasets, manual workflows and poor interoperability between drilling, geological modelling and mine planning systems. Seequent is responding by tightening integration across its portfolio (including Leapfrog, Central and GeoStudio) so multi-disciplinary teams can work from a single, continuously updated subsurface model.

Canadian processor pH7 Technologies is expanding its Vancouver facility, backed by up to C$4 million from NRC IRAP, to scale its organo-electrochemical platform that recovers platinum, palladium and rhodium from secondary materials without toxic reagents or tailings wastewater. The commercial plant already processes spent catalytic converters, producing 30,000–40,000 oz of platinum-equivalent PGMs per year under a tolling and offtake model involving partners such as Mitsubishi. pH7 is now piloting electrochemically generated oxidants to heap leach chalcopyrite and other sulphide ores without cyanide, targeting on-site mine deployment within 1–2 years across South America, Africa and Australia.

Dellner Bubenzer is supplying a wide range of industrial brakes and couplings for mining hoists, slewing drives and belt conveyors, developed in long-term collaboration with OEMs. The company focuses on both service and emergency braking solutions tailored to heavy-duty mining duty cycles and harsh environments, addressing controlled hoisting, precise slewing and high-tension conveyor stopping. For engineers, the key point is an integrated approach to drivetrain and braking design, rather than bolt-on safety systems, across multiple critical mining applications.

China’s Zijin Mining is expanding RG Gold’s Raygorodok operation in Kazakhstan with a $500 million processing plant while deploying SKRI’s ‘phytocapture’ system, planting over 100,000 Scots pines across more than 20 hectares about 1.7 km downwind of the open pit. Supercomputer modelling using regional wind-rose data sets tree species and spacing to form multilayered vegetative barriers, not simple landscaping. SKRI reports particulate-matter reductions above 40%, with the forest belt expected to capture roughly one-third of dust emissions as mining advances towards the barrier.

Barrick Mining has warned of “significant increases” to the capital budget and schedule for the 50%-owned Reko Diq copper-gold project in Balochistan, where Phase 1 was previously costed at US$5.6–6.0 billion and Phase 2 at US$3.3–3.6 billion, with first production targeted by end-2028. Citing escalating security risks in Pakistan and the wider region, Barrick will slow field development and extend the technical and financing review to mid‑2027, while keeping the project under “active management” with reduced capital spend. The porphyry deposit, holding an estimated 15 million tonnes of copper reserves and modelled for a 37‑year mine life, remains central to Barrick’s Tier 1 copper strategy and its long-term community commitments in Balochistan.

Orica is targeting smaller North American mines and quarries with the same digital blasting toolkit used on large sites, including its BlastIQ cloud platform for blast design and performance tracking and on-bench digital loading systems. Area Business Manager Elliott Giles told IM that these operations, aggregated, form a major explosives volume market, and are now adopting electronic detonators and precise blast modelling to cut oversize and improve fragmentation. For geotechs and drill‑and‑blast engineers, the shift means more consistent burden control, tighter vibration management and better data for pit wall stability assessment even on “small” jobs.

Komatsu Germany Mining Division has launched the PC9000-12 hydraulic mining excavator globally, after an initial rollout in Canada, positioning it as the largest and most advanced unit in Komatsu’s surface mining fleet. The machine targets large-scale open-pit operations, pairing with ultra-class haul trucks and leveraging Komatsu’s global dealer network for deployment and support. For mine planners and maintenance teams, the PC9000-12 signals further upscaling of primary loading fleets, with implications for bench geometry, truck fleet sizing, and pit infrastructure design.

United States Antimony Corp. has restarted mining at its Stibnite Hill property in Montana after a near five‑month weather-related halt, resuming ore supply to its Radersburg flotation mill and Thompson Falls smelter, the only antimony smelter in the US. The integrated route can currently produce about 15 million lb/year of antimony oxide or 5 million lb/year of antimony metal, with expansion underway and early test work suggesting the ore can be upgraded to meet military specifications. The 2026 programme adds on-site chipping for mulch-based concurrent reclamation and GPS base stations on adjacent peaks to improve vein mapping on strike and down dip.

Finalists for the 2026 NCE Awards have been confirmed, with winners to be announced at a London awards dinner and ceremony in July. Categories typically span major UK infrastructure, including bridges, tunnels, geotechnical works and digital design, with judging focused on buildability, whole-life performance and carbon reduction. Shortlisted teams can now benchmark schemes and methods against peers ahead of the final “big reveal”, influencing specifications, procurement choices and innovation priorities on upcoming projects.

DP World’s London Gateway container terminal has launched procurement for a £36M main works contract to build a high-bay automated storage system dedicated to empty containers. The project will require substantial foundations, pavements and services to support stacked steel racking, automated handling equipment and associated control infrastructure within the existing port layout. Contractors will need to manage construction in a live terminal environment, integrating the new automated facility with current yard operations, utilities and heavy vehicle access routes.

Atlas Lithium’s Neves project in Minas Gerais, Brazil, has been named in the US-Japan critical minerals cooperation joint fact sheet as the only Brazil-based lithium asset under consideration for government-backed funding, following last month’s US-Japan Critical Minerals Investment Ministerial in Tokyo. The pre-production project will process ore from the Neves deposit through a dense media separation plant to produce lithium concentrate, targeting 300,000 tonnes per year. A 2025 definitive feasibility study projects an after-tax IRR of 145%, NPV of $539 million and an 11‑month payback, supported by a $30 million Mitsui & Co. investment and offtake deal.

First Majestic Silver plans to restart the fully permitted Jerritt Canyon gold mine in Nevada by late 2027, backed by a 2026 spend of US$75 million on technical work, underground development, exploration and plant upgrades and a PFS due in Q4 2026. Updated resources stand at 54.3 million measured and indicated tonnes at 2.35 g/t Au (4.1 Moz) plus 46.6 million inferred tonnes at 2.44 g/t Au (3.66 Moz), following an 18,000-metre 2025 drill campaign and 42,000 metres planned for 2026. The revamped plan combines existing underground workings with new open‑pit potential around the SSX and Smith deposits, seeking to optimise long-term throughput through the roaster-based processing plant.

Network Rail is deploying engineers over the Easter weekend for £75.5M of renewals while keeping most of the UK network operational, concentrating disruptive works into the four-day shutdown. The programme typically bundles track renewals, S&C replacement and overhead line upgrades at key junctions and approaches to major stations to maximise access to constrained possessions. Contractors and in-house teams will need tight possession planning, high-output track plant and pre-assembled components to deliver within the limited blockade and avoid knock-on timetable and freight path impacts.

Cerrado Gold has filed an injunction against Portugal’s environmental regulator APA over the rejection of its Lagoa Salgada copper-zinc project in the Iberian pyrite belt, arguing procedural flaws including an eight-day instead of legally required 10-day consultation and a late-stage objection over a deep, sulphide-contaminated third aquifer earmarked for mine water use. Municipal authorities near Grândola cite conflicts with land-use plans and water risks, despite the project’s Project of National Interest status and extensive hydrological studies. CEO Mark Brennan still targets first production in 2028, with cash flow from the 50,238 oz Au-eq/y Minera Don Nicolás mine and potential offtake/streaming expected to fund development.

Redevelopment of Peckham Rye Station Square in south London has started, with Bam delivering the long-awaited public realm and station forecourt upgrade for Southwark Council. Works are expected to focus on reconfiguring the station approaches, improving pedestrian circulation and step-free access, and rationalising bus, taxi and cycle movements around the interchange. For geotechnical and civil teams, key issues will include working adjacent to live rail infrastructure, managing utilities in a dense urban streetscape, and sequencing construction to maintain passenger flows.

Vale Base Metals plans to deploy coarse particle flotation at the Salobo III copper operation in Brazil, with COO Alfredo Santana flagging the project during VBM Day on 31 March 2026 as a key example of its operational “excellence” drive. Coarse particle flotation typically targets significantly larger grind sizes than conventional cells, cutting energy use in comminution and improving water recovery, which is critical for large-scale copper concentrators. For Salobo, this points to potential debottlenecking of milling circuits and higher overall copper recovery without major new grinding capacity.

Budimex has been selected as preferred contractor for deep foundation works on the passenger terminal of Poland’s planned Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), part of the £27bn Port Polska hub between Warsaw and Łódź. The package will focus on large-scale piling and ground improvement for the main terminal superstructure, a critical early works phase on the greenfield site’s challenging alluvial and glacial deposits. Geotechnical contractors and designers will be watching for CPK’s chosen pile types, installation methods and monitoring regimes, which are likely to set benchmarks for subsequent airside and rail interfaces.

Government ambitions for Ireland’s coast target up to ~37GW of offshore renewable energy capacity by 2050, implying large-scale deployment of fixed and floating wind farms in the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and Atlantic. Delivering this capacity will require rapid consenting, grid reinforcement and new 220–400kV subsea interconnectors, alongside major port upgrades for turbine marshalling and heavy-lift installation vessels. For civil and geotechnical engineers, the scale signals sustained demand for seabed investigations, foundation design for deep-water sites, and coastal infrastructure capable of handling XXL monopiles and floating platforms.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has warned that the UK government’s new Better Connected integrated transport strategy lacks the clear, long-term objectives and investment pathways needed to steer major rail, road and mass transit schemes. ICE argues the document omits essential components such as defined modal priorities, a sequenced project pipeline and stable funding signals that asset owners and contractors require for planning multi‑decade programmes. The critique signals continued uncertainty for large schemes needing early geotechnical investigation, corridor safeguarding and staged capacity upgrades.

A subsea electricity interconnector between the UK and the Netherlands has completed 15 years of continuous operation, as the two countries’ transmission system operators sign a new agreement to develop the proposed LionLink project. The existing high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable has been a key cross-Channel asset for power flows and grid balancing, informing design, reliability and maintenance strategies for future links. LionLink is expected to use next‑generation HVDC technology and multi‑terminal configurations, with implications for offshore grid integration, seabed cable routing and long-term marine asset durability.

A specially designed immersion vessel for the Fehmarnbelt fixed link has passed final safety checks and received Danish Maritime Authority approval, allowing immersed tunnel construction between Denmark and Germany to proceed after significant delay. The vessel will place the first concrete elements off Lolland this spring, a critical step for the 18km immersed tunnel that will carry both road and rail beneath the Baltic Sea. Marine operations teams can now lock in weather windows, dredging interfaces and immersion sequencing for the initial production elements.

Wheaton Precious Metals has agreed a US$4.3‑billion silver stream with BHP, securing 33% of silver output from the Antamina copper‑zinc mine in Peru, dropping to 22.5% after 100 million oz, with ongoing transfer payments fixed at 20% of spot and settlement via metal credits. In parallel, Wheaton will invest US$275 million in KGL Resources’ fully permitted Jervois copper project in Australia, taking staged gold and silver streams starting at 75% of payable production and tapering to 25% over mine life. The deals extend Wheaton’s exposure to large, long‑life base‑metal operations while diversifying into Australia.

Electrification of mining fleets is advancing beyond early pilots, with battery-electric haul trucks, loaders and light vehicles moving from trial phases into multi-year deployment contracts despite recent pull-backs in some OEM roadmaps. Dan Gleeson details how mines are pairing 6–8 MWh battery trucks with on-site fast-charging bays and trolley-assist lines, and integrating underground BEVs with upgraded 11 kV substations and ventilation recalculations. Operators are reassessing mine plans, ramp gradients and power quality to manage peak loads, charger placement and heat rejection from high-capacity battery systems.

US rare earth strategy is shifting from securing ore to controlling processing, with Aclara Resources’ Virginia Tech pilot and planned Louisiana separation plant illustrating a policy pivot towards domestic heavy rare earth separation for dysprosium and terbium used in EVs, wind and defence. Patricio Faúndez, economics leader at GEM Mining Consulting, notes Washington is now deploying price floors, equity stakes and long-term offtakes—tools long associated with China—to de-risk capital-intensive plants. The emerging model favours allied feedstock plus US-based processing, redistributing supply risk across jurisdictions rather than eliminating it.

Metso has launched the Outotec Robotic Split Strip, a compact hydraulic‑robotic system for separating copper cathode sheets from mother plates in electrorefining circuits, designed for both greenfield and brownfield plants. The unit uses robotic handling and flexible tooling to improve stripping precision and reduce sheet damage and copper waste compared with conventional mechanical strippers. For plant engineers, the modular layout and automation focus allow retrofit into existing cells with minimal footprint, supporting tighter process control and more consistent cathode quality.

Nixon Hire has launched Pulse, a browser-based portal for its site cabins and solar assets that tracks real-time energy use, carbon impact and operating cost for off-grid renewable deployments. Developed over 18 months with a reported seven-figure investment in data infrastructure, Pulse provides asset-level performance diagnostics, flags energy generation issues and quantifies fuel and CO₂ savings. Users can benchmark efficiency across multiple sites and periods, export portfolio-wide reports in PDF or Excel, and access depot-level ESG and sustainability metrics for corporate reporting.

Aggreko has signed a minimum 15‑year power purchase agreement with Harmony Gold to build and operate what is described as Australia’s largest off‑grid renewable hybrid power facility for the Eva copper project in northwest Queensland. The build‑own‑operate arrangement will combine on‑site renewables with thermal generation and battery storage to supply continuous power to the remote open‑pit operation. For mine planners and process engineers, the long‑term PPA locks in a dedicated low‑emission power source, influencing pit expansion options, processing throughput and future electrification of mobile fleets.

Difficulties implementing mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) are slowing housing projects, with a Home Builders Federation survey of 80 firms finding 84% still struggle with BNG and 80% reporting planning delays while local authorities review biodiversity assessments. Sixty per cent said BNG has deterred them from pursuing sites that would previously have been viable, citing policy uncertainty, inconsistent application of requirements and cumulative regulatory cost. Some capacity issues are easing, with reported shortages of in-house expertise down from 79% to 66% and adequate off-site biodiversity unit supply up from 31% to 47%.

NG Bailey has acquired Sutton-in-Ashfield-based Engineering Solutions Group (ESG), a £30m-turnover business specialising in mechanical and electrical engineering, steel and composite fabrication, civil works and advanced water control products supplied through exclusive European partnerships. The deal targets the AMP8 water sector programme, which is set to double UK water infrastructure investment to £104bn over five years, and gives NG Bailey deeper access to clients including the Environment Agency, Severn Trent, Anglian, Welsh and Yorkshire Water. ESG’s management, brands and workforce will remain in place within NG Bailey’s Built Environment division.

Barratt Redrow has appointed GTC to deliver a site-wide smart energy system for the 576-home Cosmeston Farm scheme in Wales, targeting operational net zero carbon and outperforming the Future Homes Standard. The integrated package links networked ground source heat pumps, solar PV, home battery storage, smart controls and optimisation, grid flexibility services, and GTC-owned electricity and water networks, while still allowing residents to choose their electricity supplier. GTC will monitor whole-home energy use and local network performance, with Cardiff University independently reviewing data to verify net zero operation at scale.

Tega Industries’ DynaPrime mill liner system targets large Australian SAG, AG and primary ball mills, where unplanned downtime can cost operators millions in lost production. The design combines customised composite lifter profiles with high-wear rubber or hybrid liners, engineered to suit specific mill diameters and charge trajectories rather than relying on standard liner geometries. For plant metallurgists and maintenance teams, the key promise is longer wear life and faster relines, directly affecting mill availability and throughput on constrained grinding circuits.

Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads has issued a detailed design tender for two new south-facing ramps connecting to the Sunshine Motorway at Mount Coolum, tied to an upgrade of the Sunshine Motorway–West Coolum Road interchange. The scheme must integrate with Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s planned link between Suncoast Beach Drive, South Coolum Road and West Coolum Road, creating a new local–motorway interface. Designers will need to resolve ramp geometry, weaving lengths and tie-ins to existing pavement while accommodating future council road connections.

Western Australia is moving to tighten transparency across its diesel and fuel supply chain to protect mine productivity, with new reporting obligations on wholesalers and critical infrastructure operators after recent shipping disruptions and refinery closures. The measures focus on real‑time visibility of stock levels, import routes and storage at key hubs such as Kwinana and Port Hedland, aiming to reduce unplanned shutdown risk for large open‑pit iron ore and gold operations that rely on continuous haul‑truck and power‑generation fuel. For mine planners and operators, the changes signal closer scrutiny of fuel contingency planning, on‑site storage capacity and contract diversification.

Exploration activity across Australia’s gold and critical minerals sector is intensifying, with Kali Metals and Kairos Minerals (soon to be renamed) among juniors reporting new results. Kali has intersected shallow, high-grade gold, signalling potential for low-strip, open-pit development and relatively simple geotechnical access compared with deeper lode systems. For mine planners and drill contractors, the focus now shifts to tighter step-out drilling, resource definition, and early metallurgical testwork to confirm recoveries and guide pit shell optimisation.

Northern Star Resources’ March quarter gold sales have surged, signalling a production ramp-up across its Western Australian assets including Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and the Super Pit. Management is positioning for record output in FY25–26 as processing throughput and mine development advance at key hubs such as Yandal and Pogo, supported by higher mill utilisation and improved grade control. For contractors and suppliers, the trajectory points to increased demand for underground development, open-pit fleet capacity, and plant optimisation services over the next 12–18 months.

Ausenco has secured an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract for the Hillside copper project, signalling progression towards full project execution after a prolonged permitting and feasibility phase. The mandate covers process plant design, materials handling and associated infrastructure, positioning Ausenco to define key specifications for concentrator throughput, tailings management and power supply. For geotechnical and civil teams, the EPCM scope will drive final decisions on pit geotechnics, foundation systems for heavy plant and haul road geometry ahead of construction mobilisation.

South Australia’s $15.4 billion River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) project has installed the first of three 300‑tonne tunnel boring machine cutterheads, a key step in delivering Adelaide’s non‑stop north–south transport corridor. The lift confirms TBM assembly is advancing on schedule for the twin‑tunnel section, which will carry high‑volume traffic beneath existing urban development. For civil and geotechnical teams, the milestone signals imminent full‑face tunnelling, with associated demands on segment lining logistics, spoil management and settlement monitoring in densely built areas.

ION Minerals has expanded its lithium brine portfolio to just over 280,000 mineral acres across the Smackover Formation in East Texas/Arkansas, the Texas Panhandle and Saskatchewan’s Duperow Formation, with adjacent Smackover projects reporting 47–60 tonnes LCE per acre. The company now controls nearly 50,000 acres between Tetra Technologies’ Evergreen Brine Unit and Standard Lithium’s Reynolds and Franklin units, plus 65,000 acres in the Texas Panhandle where internal work suggests up to 2.4 million tonnes LCE in place. A further 165,000 acres in southeast Saskatchewan could host up to 2.5 million tonnes LCE, with multi-bench Duperow drilling and testing scheduled for summer 2026.

Global tungsten producer EQ Resources has appointed former Newcrest chief development officer Michael Nossal as independent non-executive chair, replacing Oliver Kleinhempel from March as it advances its tungsten growth strategy. The board reshuffle comes as EQ Resources continues to position its Mt Carbine operation in Queensland and other assets in a tight global tungsten market dominated by Chinese supply. Governance stability and Nossal’s project development background will be closely watched by offtakers and financiers assessing long-term tungsten supply security.

Victory Metals has reported “exceptional” metallurgical leaching results from its 100 per cent-owned North Stanmore heavy rare earth project in Western Australia, with a particular uplift in yttrium recoveries. The company is advancing column leach tests and optimisation of acid consumption after earlier bottle-roll work, targeting a clay-hosted rare earth system amenable to low-cost in-situ or heap leach-style processing. For geometallurgy and mine design, the results point to potential simplification of beneficiation flowsheets and greater emphasis on leach pad hydrology and solution management rather than complex concentrator circuits.

Aggreko has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Harmony Gold to build and operate what is billed as Australia’s largest hybrid power facility for the Eva copper mine project in northwest Queensland. The off-grid system is expected to combine high-penetration solar PV with thermal generation and battery energy storage, replacing conventional diesel-heavy supply for the planned open-pit copper operation. For mine planners and owners, the deal signals growing bankability of large-scale hybrid PPAs to cut power costs and emissions on remote greenfield sites.

Approval of a 60 per cent Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) concrete mix by VicRoads for road and transport projects across Victoria marks a major shift in allowable low-carbon binders for state infrastructure. The mix, developed and trialled with Geoquest Australia, replaces the majority of Portland cement with SCMs such as fly ash and slag, cutting embodied carbon while maintaining performance to VicRoads specifications. Designers and contractors can now specify substantially higher SCM contents on VicRoads projects without seeking project-by-project exemptions.