Deputy Premier and Minister responsible for Resources Paul Toole was in the State’s Far West over the weekend to announce 19 organisations would share in more than $8.6 million under Stream 1 of the $130 million Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Activation Fund.

“Critical minerals and high-tech metals are going to be crucial to future technologies like advanced manufacturing, aerospace, ag-tech and renewables, and this fund will progress projects and support feasibility studies right across the State,” Mr Toole said.

“Our $8.6 million investment is being backed in by industry co-contributions and together will drive $30 million of investment into growing the critical minerals sector in NSW.

“We’ve already made it easier for exploration companies to search for critical minerals and produce high-tech metals projects by removing the Mineral Allocation Areas as a key part of the NSW Government’s Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy.

“Now, we’re turbocharging the industry by driving investment to deliver feasibility studies, field trials, and environmental studies to get more projects off the ground.

“Our vision is to make NSW the number one investment destination for mining, exploration and advanced manufacturing, and we will continue to drive initiatives to achieve that.”

For further information on the Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Activation Fund, visit regional.nsw.gov.au/activation-fund

The post CRITICAL MINERALS AND HIGH-TECH METALS BOOST appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

To further strengthen this approach the company has agreed to form a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BluVein, a joint venture between Australian mining innovator Olitek and Swedish electric highways developer Evias.

The purpose of the MOU is to fast-track development of the BluVein dynamic charging solution towards an industrialized and robust solution which is ready for deployment across the global mining industry.

The MOU is focused on the BluVein Underground solution (BluVein1).

“The collaboration with BluVein gives us the opportunity to extend the focus beyond our own fleet and produce a dynamic charging solution which suits the needs of mixed fleet customers. I also believe this has potential to be vital for the electrical infrastructure required to fully electrify mine operations,” says Jess Kindler, Divisional President of the Parts & Services division in Epiroc.

A unique solution

Epiroc will collaborate with BluVein in developing and testing the viability of their patented slotted (electric) rail system. This system uses an enclosed electrified e-rail system mounted above or beside the mining vehicle together with the BluVein hammer that connects the electric vehicle to the rail.

The system provides power for driving the vehicle, typically a mine truck, and charging the truck’s batteries whilst the truck is hauling load up the ramp and out of an underground mine.

Epiroc will as part of its contribution to the collaboration provide the first ever diesel to battery converted Minetruck MT42 underground truck for pilot testing on the slotted electric rail system from BluVein.

“Having Epiroc collaborating in BluVein product development and testing shifts us to having an industry-ready solution sooner. Epiroc brings not just a globally respected reputation for mining equipment but also a long-established aftermarket support network which is essential to the successful transformation of the industry towards electrification”, says James Oliver, Managing Director of BluVein.

The post Epiroc And BluVein Enter Into MoU On Accelerating EV Use In Mining appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

The proponents said the project has the potential to create over 550 jobs during construction, over 140 ongoing local operational jobs and approximately 1,900 indirect jobs. and attract a $4.7 billion investment during its phased construction.

The project is aimed at supporting t a steady transition to renewable energy in Central Queensland and provide the region with the opportunity to capitalise on the developing global green ammonia industry, which is forecast to exceed $50 billion by 20301.

Signing a Memorandum of Understanding on a master plan study, both parties will explore opportunities for an exclusive domestic green ammonia offtake and supply agreement.

The potential agreement would see green ammonia supplied directly to Orica’s Yarwun manufacturing plant from H2U’s proposed Yarwun green ammonia production plant.

Orica and H2U will also collaborate on the exploration of a potential green ammonia export terminal at the Port of Gladstone, leveraging the existing Orica ammonia storage capacity at the Fisherman’s Landing Wharf and the associated connecting infrastructure in the Gladstone State Development Area to facilitate large scale exports.

The H2-Hub Gladstone, a multi-billion industrial-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production facility, has a planned capacity of up to three gigawatts of electrolysis and up to 5,000 tonnes per day of green ammonia production. It is expected that the proposed facility will use 100% renewable energy from new-build solar and wind resources in the Queensland region of the National Electricity Market.

The proposed facility could also contribute to improving the reliability of renewable electricity supply, with the integration of new renewable generation assets in Central Queensland.

Strategically located in the Gladstone region, the project would leverage pre-existing industrial and port ecosystems to produce and supply green ammonia directly to domestic customers, and support export capabilities of green ammonia to key North Asian and European economies.

This partnership brings together Orica and H2U, two leading organisations who are each committed to leveraging existing and future portfolios and assets, accessible land, infrastructure and storage distribution facilities and teams with extensive operational and commercial capabilities to create a more sustainable future for the Gladstone region and strengthen Australia’s domestic manufacturing capability.

Acting Premier of Queensland Steven Miles said commitments like this help to propel the State towards becoming a clean energy powerhouse and highlight the benefits of investing into Queensland’s regions, creating employment opportunities in the future.

“The Queensland Government has facilitated H2U’s Yarwun land purchase in the State Development Area, which has the eco-system to deliver a project of this scale.”

The master plan study will run for approximately six months with front-end engineering and development approval activities scheduled to commence at the back end of 2022.

The financial investment decision for the Activation phase of development is scheduled by 30 June 2023. With the H2-Hub Gladstone scheduled for operational activity to begin in 2025, with the latter Expansion phase to take place between 2027-2030

The post Orica and H2U Group Sign MoU On Potential $4.7 Billion Gladstone Green Hub Development appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Over eight decades, Eriez has worked diligently to advance the mining, processing, packaging, food, recycling, aggregate and metalworking industries it serves. Company process engineers and scientists have developed countless product breakthroughs in the areas of rare earth magnets, superconducting technology, flotation, vibratory feeders, metal detection, auto scrap recycling equipment, suspended electromagnets, eddy current separation, and proprietary manufacturing techniques.

Eriez is proud to be a family-run company. O.F. Merwin’s grandson Richard Merwin currently serves as Chairman. Richard’s late father, Bob Merwin, had a global vision for Eriez and took the company into international markets in the 1950s.

Richard Merwin says, “Our Board of Directors, past and present, has embraced and supported deliberate and bold ongoing initiatives for global strategic growth. Their consistent, sound and ethical guidance is a major factor in Eriez’ continuing success.”

“We are lucky to have ownership and a Board of Directors who value long-term investments and profitable growth over short-term profits. We have worked hard at building and maintaining loyal customers that value the quality and trust the reliability of our products and services,” President and CEO, Lukas Guenthardt, said.

“With a focus on continuous product advancement and market expansion, both domestically and overseas, Eriez is poised to thrive for years to come.

“While product innovation has been paramount to achieving and growing Eriez’ position as a global leader, management asserts that it is the team of people who really make the difference. “The integrity, commitment, responsiveness and unmatched customer service provided by our outstanding staff is what truly keeps us on the leading-edge.”

Eriez employees give generously of their financial resources, time and talents to philanthropic causes. “As a corporation and as individuals, we are dedicated to making a lasting, positive impact on the well-being of the communities where we live and work. We believe this approach produces an atmosphere where businesses and communities can collaborate and prosper,” says Guenthardt.

The Eriez team is made up of more than just its direct employees. The company’s network of longtime sales representatives has played a significant role in the company’s history and success, according to Eriez leadership.

Another contributing factor which helps Eriez flourish is its heavy focus on marketing communications.

“We put a strong emphasis on sustaining maximum customer engagement,” says Eriez Senior Director of Global Marketing and Brand Management John Blicha.  “We believe in making significant investments, both in terms of time and finances, to advertising, branding, public relations, trade shows, digital marketing and customer education.”

Mr Blicha says the company has some special events planned throughout the course of 2022 to commemorate this milestone anniversary and recognize customers and employees for their loyalty and partnership.

Established in 1942, Eriez is a global leader in separation technologies. Our commitment to innovation has positioned us as a driving market force in several key technology areas, including magnetic separation, flotation, metal detection and material handling equipment.

The company’s 900+ employees are dedicated to providing trusted technical solutions to the mining, food, recycling, packaging, aggregate and other processing industries. Headquartered in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, Eriez designs, manufactures, and markets on six continents through 12 wholly owned international subsidiaries and an extensive sales representative network

The post Eriez Celebrates 80 Years In Business appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Construction and Commissioning Key construction progress for March included:

• Commissioning of the crushing circuit has been completed;
• Commissioning of the gas pipeline has been completed;
• Commissioning of the power station has been completed to the stage where it is ready to power the process plant;
• Installation of the solar panels has been completed and wiring is being finalised; and
• Commissioning of the SAG mill has commenced, with the current critical path to first gold being the commissioning of the Variable Speed Drive.

Mining Red 5’s mining business partner, Macmahon Contractors, recommenced underground mining at King of the Hills on March 31, 2022, in line with the project execution schedule.

The start-up underground mine fleet comprises one jumbo, two boggers and a supporting fleet.

The initial focus is on mine development, with the first stopes planned to be fired later in the quarter. In the open pit, two fleets are now operating on both day and night shifts as Macmahon ramps up its on-site teams, with a third and final fleet planned to be operational in May 2022.

“With first gold production expected in the current quarter at King of the Hills, our open pit mining teams are operating 24/7 and underground mining is now ramping up on schedule,: Red 5 Managing Director, Mark Williams, said.

“Commissioning of the crushing circuit is complete, commissioning of the SAG mill is underway, and ore is being stockpiled for when processing begins.

“We’re also completing the site power supply, with the gas pipeline fully operational, the installation of the solar panels complete, and the power station now ready to power the process plant.

“The sheer scale of the mine development is impressive, and I encourage shareholders to watch the latest flyover video to get a sense of the team’s achievement over the past 18 months.

“It really has been an incredible effort, and I would again like to commend all members of the team for their outstanding work.”

The post Underground Mining Recommences At Red 5’s KOTH Project appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Managing Director, Vincent Algar, said the Project, supported by the grant, enables new critical mineral production through the establishment of an integrated onshore Australian vanadium supply chain for steel and battery markets.

“AVL is delighted to have been awarded this grant from the Australian Government. Our project will create hundreds of jobs in Australia and help to build the critical vanadium industry both locally and internationally,” Mr Algar said.

“We have developed an innovative and collaborative approach to building a fully integrated project, from mine through to processing and end use in the steel and battery markets.

“Our collaborations are allowing us to build a project with unique social and environmental benefits. We look forward to working with our partners to bring the Australian Vanadium Project into production and further develop downstream opportunities for green steel and the vanadium redox flow battery market.”

Mr Algar said collaborating to create an Australian green fuelled vanadium industry will enable AVL to develop the high-grade Australian Vanadium Project in Western Australia. The Project consists of an open cut mine and a crushing, milling and beneficiation plant (CMB) south of Meekatharra and a vanadium pentoxide processing plant located near Geraldton.

Vanadium is on the critical metal list in many countries, including Australia, the United States, Japan and many European countries. It is used in critical aerospace and chemical applications, is a key component in high strength and specialty steel products and has an important and growing use in long duration, safe energy storage applications.

Collaboration

Working with ATCO to incorporate green hydrogen into the Project will fuel the processing of vanadium to a >99.9% pure V₂O₅ product, suitable for the critical mineral and battery markets. The V₂O₅ will subsequently be processed into vanadium electrolyte to fill vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) at the AVL vanadium electrolyte manufacturing plant.

AVL’s vanadium electrolyte manufacturing plant is currently being built in Kwinana, Western Australia. The plant is partly funded through the Australian Government’s Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing National Manufacturing Priority Roadmap.

Through AVL’s 100% owned battery subsidiary VSUN Energy, VRFBs will be installed in industries from agriculture and mining, through to residential energy storage and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. By establishing manufacturing capabilities across both critical minerals and recycling as well as clean energy within Australia, AVL’s collaborative project will create hundreds of jobs, whilst enabling technologically driven solutions towards a low carbon economy.

Working with Bryah Resources, AVL intends to explore the opportunity to process an economic critical battery mineral resource from what was previously a waste stream at the Project. A tailings stream from AVL’s CMB circuit contains sulphides and the base metals cobalt, nickel, copper and gold. This collaboration will provide further downstream critical and battery mineral processing capabilities.

AVL’s business to research collaborations as part of the grant include Curtin University, Queensland University of Technology and Australian Nuclear Science and Technology (ANSTO), enabling AVL to further improve the manufacturing process for high purity vanadium and vanadium electrolytes. AVL is an associate participant in the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC) and is contributing to their activities.

Critical Mineral Strategy

AVL’s Project is directly aligned with Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy (2019). There are no currently operating vanadium mines in Australia, despite having the third largest economic vanadium reserves globally. AVL is well positioned for partnerships and offtake agreements with countries that are seeking a secure ultra-high purity vanadium supply required for VRFBs, specialty chemicals, aerospace and defence.

The company will now work with the Australian Government to finalise the legal agreement for the grant, with associated terms and conditions to be agreed upon.

For further information please visit: https://www.australianvanadium.com.au/

The post AVL Awarded A$49 Million In Australian Critical Minerals Collaboration appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

The A$1.3 billion  MMI forms part of the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing Roadmap that aims to develop Australia as a regional resources technology and critical minerals processing hub within 10 years. The MMI continues to build on broad Australian, Territory and export partner government support for Nolans.

The grant awarded to Arafura falls under the MMI’s Collaboration Stream, which provides funding to a small number of transformational projects that will create and facilitate collaborative ecosystems.

Nolans, 135 kilometres north of Alice Springs, is Australia’s only shovel-ready Neodymium- Praseodymium (NdPr) project. It is a globally significant development with potential to supply around 5 per cent of world NdPr oxide demand, with an ore to oxide business model that will see downstream processing established locally and enable Australia to play a leading role in the diversification of critical raw materials.

The Nolans separation plant will be the first of its kind in Australia and the second outside China, producing separated rare earth oxides and enabling the development of diversified rare earth supply chains. Rare earth separation technology does not currently exist in Australia, and Nolans presents an opportunity to develop a higher value product that leverages Australian mineral processing expertise.

Following construction of the separation plant, there is the potential for hub processing opportunities to be developed for the processing of other rare earth-rich feedstock, enabling the benefits of infrastructure investment and local jobs to be further dispersed.

“This grant is an exciting milestone for Arafura, recognising the strategic significance of the Nolans Project and its place in the future of critical minerals processing in Australia,” Arafura Managing Director Gavin Lockyer said.

“Rare earths are critical to the manufacture of electric vehicles and wind turbines, with demand growth forecast to be exponential in coming decades. Australia has a window of opportunity to invest in strategically important rare earths projects such as Nolans and maximise the local jobs and investment benefits of the clean energy revolution”.

The MMI continues to build on broad Australian, Territory and export partner government support for the Nolans, including:

• The receipt of Major Project status from the Northern Territory Government in 2020
• Non-binding letters of support from Export Finance Australia (EFA) and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) for A$200m and A$100m in debt facilities
• Written support from Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan MP, and Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt MP, expressing the alignment of Nolans with the Government’s Critical Minerals Policy

• Signing of a Joint Statement of Cooperation with Korean Government agency KOMIR to facilitate Korean market access to Nolans product

Arafura is targeting a Final Investment Decision for Nolans in the second half 2022, with detailed front-end engineering and design (FEED), offtake and project funding activities underway.

The post Arafura Resources Awarded A$30M In MMI Funding appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

The Chamber says the combination of a global pandemic and a massive pipeline of infrastructure projects in Western Australian and the eastern States has resulted in economy-wide labour shortages.

SACOME Chief Executive, Rebecca Knol, said this comes at a time where the South Australian resources sector is on the cusp of a cyclical upswing with a suite of projects and buoyant exploration activity fuelling demand for workers.

In response to member concerns about labour supply, the South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy (SACOME) commissioned reporting in late 2021 to quantify workforce requirements for the South Australian resources sector.

Based on a combination of projects currently under construction, new projects reaching final investment decision and a consistent demand for shutdown and maintenance workers, the headline figures from this work revealed:

• Requirement for an additional 8,000 workers between Q3 2021 and Q3 2023.
• A peak shortage of 5,100 resources sector workers in Q3 2023.

“We are already experiencing a workforce and skills shortage and mitigating its impacts is the immediate challenge,” Ms Knol said.

“Low unemployment rates are a strong indicator that the South Australian labour market is effectively ‘tapped out’. While the resources sector can offer high wages and attractive sign on bonuses to attract workers, this will impact other parts of the economy and drive inflationary pressure.”

“While it is unlikely the current shortfall can be met, we can work to triage the worst of the skills shortage impacts and develop long term strategy to address underlying issues.”

One of SACOME’s key Pre-Election calls is for development of a ‘South Australian Future Workforce and Skills Framework’ that maps workforce requirement across key industry sectors.

“Longer-term strategic planning is essential if we are to build labour market resilience across the South Australian economy.”

“Strategic mapping of industry sector requirements can help to understand cross-sector workforce needs and better align training and education measures to meet them.”

“Such planning will also assist in coordinating worker transition across industry cycles and facilitate worker movement to new sectors in periods of downturn while ensuring they are equipped with the skills and training necessary for that transition”.

“A suitably skilled workforce is critical to growth of the resources sector and the broader South Australian economy.”

“While the pandemic has catalysed the skills shortage problem, it has also highlighted the urgent need for strategic planning if we are to avoid similar problems in the future.”

The post SA Chamber Raises Major Concerns About Resources Skills Shortages appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Australia’s Minister for Resources and Water, Keith Pitt, has announced $5.8 million in funding to support a three-year Australia-India Critical Minerals Investment Partnership.

“Australia and India are natural partners sharing mutual strategic and economic priorities and this Partnership will support further Indian investment in Australian critical minerals projects,” Minister Pitt said.

“It is the first of its kind and represents a step-change in how countries can work together to support key industries and pursue growth opportunities.

“Our combined capabilities will take on the challenge of resourcing the emerging technologies used in sectors such as defence, aerospace, automotive, renewable energy, telecommunications and agritech.

“India is forecast to become the world’s most populous country within two years. Its fast-growing economy will create more trade and investment opportunities, so it is important Australia continues to build close ties with India,” Minister Pitt said.

Minister Pitt said Australia will work closely with India to identify potential critical minerals investment opportunities, including technical and due diligence exercises which can assist development of a business case for prospective Indian investment in Australia.

“With our vast quantities of development-ready critical minerals projects and reputation as a reliable trading partner, Australia is a logical choice as India looks to secure its supply chains,” Minister Pitt said.

“The partnership will encourage strong, strategic supply chain partnerships, including through technical studies that will support investment in Australian critical minerals projects.”

Australia’s resources of critical minerals like antimony, cobalt, lithium, manganese ore, niobium, tungsten and vanadium, rank in the top 5 globally.

Australia is also the world’s top producer of lithium, rutile and the second largest producer of zircon and rare earth elements.

The global race to further introduce Electric Vehicles into the market has led to a surge in interest in Australia’s rich battery metal supplies of lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese.

The post Federal Government Supports Indian Investment In Australian Critical Minerals Sector appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Polymathian has been applying ground-breaking technology through a METS Ignited Industry Growth Centre Collaborative Project. The $2 million industry-led collaborative project leveraging government funding was awarded to Polymathian to deploy ORB, its mine optimisation software, at OZ Minerals’ underground Carrapateena mine.

Representing industry’s continued investment in innovation, ORB is the world’s first and most advanced Short Interval Control system for near real-time optimisation of mine planning and scheduling activities.

ORB is currently being used for block cave mining in Australia and around the world, where it has demonstrated an improvement to mining productivity. Industry investment has enabled Polymathian to expand ORB’s capabilities to include other underground mining methods and accelerate its growth domestically and internationally. As a result, Polymathian and its project partners have created additional jobs and new career pathways for industry to meet the project’s demands.

“Project investment has allowed us to add additional software developers and business development staff, increasing our headcount by approximately 10% in our Brisbane and Perth offices. It has also enabled us to gain additional traction with existing clients and attract new interest globally,” said Polymathian co-founder and ORB product leader Steven Donaldson.

The first phase of the project is to plan the dispatch of equipment at the start of a shift using ORB optimisation software. In partnership with OZ Minerals, Polymathian has been able to harness practical knowledge of operational staff to produce better solutions, have more automated inputs and be more user friendly.

The step-change ORB represents in mining innovation lies in producing underground mine development and production plans autonomously that are consistently optimised using industrial mathematics. Removing the iterative and complex process of manual mine planning provides many benefits, including smarter decision making and more agile mine operations capable of responding to real-time conditions.

“One of the great value propositions for the ORB software is to free the Shift Supervisor from the arduous task of equipment scheduling and dispatch and allow them to truly focus on leading their team of underground miners”, said Project Manager and OZ Minerals Mining Superintendent Daniel Bruce.

Ensuring safety is a key responsibility for mining supervisors. With the introduction of automation, mine planning can be made more efficient. Instead of spending hours a day working on a complex spreadsheet to plan the shift, shift supervisors can spend that valuable time with their team, and to focus more on making strategic decisions.

This collaborative project is enhancing ORB to produce optimised strategic mine plans that interface with the short interval control system to influence key priorities. ORB then autonomously dispatches tasks to equipment operators in near real-time to ensure alignment with strategic objectives.

As mining gets deeper and more complex, efficiency gains introduced by using tools such as ORB can help overcome cumbersome manual decision-making processes found in more conventional mining practices.

Incorporating numerous advances in digital twin technologies with real-time data feeds, automated and optimised mine planning, and just-in-time dispatch to equipment operators, these advances improve mine productivity and maximise profitability by prioritising the right work at the right locations.

Upon completion of this project, OZ Minerals’ Carrapateena Mine will be the world’s first sub-level cave mine to utilise highly automated Short Interval Control backed by Industrial Mathematics to manage operations.

The post Polymathian Pushing Innovation Boundaries At Carrapateena appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.