Construction has commenced on Fortescue’s 690 MW Turner River solar farm in the Pilbara and a 650 MWh BYD-based BESS at Cloudbreak, the final major assets in its Real Zero decarbonisation plan for iron ore operations. The utility-scale PV and storage will feed Fortescue’s integrated Pilbara Energy Connect network, designed to displace large diesel and gas loads across multiple mines. For mine planners and electrical engineers, the build-out signals rapid scaling of high-penetration renewables and grid-forming storage in remote, weak-grid conditions.

Meiteng Technology’s full-size intelligent coal dry separation plant in Mongolia has run stably since October 2025, using its proprietary DCP Full-Size Coal Dry Separation Dream Plant system under harsh continental climate conditions. The installation applies fully dry, sensor-based coal separation without process water, reducing reliance on traditional dense medium circuits and associated tailings dams. For mine operators in arid or freezing regions, the project signals growing viability of large-scale dry beneficiation where water supply, freezing pipelines and slurry management constrain conventional plants.

Fortescue has started building a 690‑megawatt solar farm at Turner River in the Pilbara and a 650‑megawatt‑hour battery energy storage system at its Cloudbreak iron ore operations, advancing its Real Zero decarbonisation strategy. The assets form part of the Pilbara Green Grid, an integrated renewables and transmission network intended to displace gas and diesel generation across multiple mine sites. For engineers, the scale of the PV and BESS installations signals future demand for high‑capacity grid connections, foundation design in cyclonic conditions, and mine‑site load management integration.

Fortescue has installed its first production-series Fortescue Zero battery-electric power system into a Liebherr T 264, a 240 t class haul truck, at Liebherr’s mining equipment proving grounds near Newport News, Virginia. The integration of the full battery system into the diesel-designed T 264 chassis marks a key step towards OEM-agnostic retrofits of large mining trucks, enabling mine operators to trial high-capacity battery haulage on existing fleets. Engineers will now focus on duty-cycle validation, thermal management and charging interface performance under proving-ground conditions.

Canadian steel exports to the US have fallen to roughly one-third of pre-tariff values, with PwC Canada’s Gemma Stanton-Hagan estimating monthly steel revenues are about C$500 million lower than before the duties, leaving the sector under deeper and longer pressure than aluminium. Ottawa’s response centres on a C$1‑billion loan facility to address liquidity and a C$500‑million regional tariff response initiative to push diversification, which she characterises as a short-term stopgap. With 85–90% of Canadian steel exports historically bound for the US and global oversupply limiting alternative markets, producers are reassessing investment while policymakers weigh risks to domestic supply for housing, transport, energy and defence projects.

Testing of XCMG’s two super large battery electric prototypes for Fortescue – the XC9260BEWL wheel loader and XC9260BEWD wheel dozer – is continuing at the OEM’s Xuzhou proving grounds in China following their official unveiling in February 2026. The ultra-class units are undergoing performance and durability trials under load and duty cycles representative of Pilbara iron ore operations before being shipped to Western Australia. Results will inform battery pack configuration, thermal management and charging strategies for deployment in high-temperature, high-dust mine environments.

National Highways has lodged a High Court breach of contract claim against WSP over the consultancy’s role as lead advisor on its roadmap to net zero for the strategic road network. The dispute centres on advisory work underpinning National Highways’ decarbonisation strategy, which covers construction materials, maintenance regimes and operational emissions across England’s motorways and major A-roads. Any adverse ruling or settlement could reshape how UK infrastructure clients scope, procure and manage consultancy input on carbon baselining, lifecycle assessments and compliance with government net zero targets.

Potential “symbiotic” energy resilience relationships between data centres and airports are being explored, as both require N+1 or higher redundancy, dual grid feeds and on-site backup generation to keep 24/7 operations running. An airports strategy expert suggests co-locating hyperscale data halls with major hubs could justify shared high-voltage substations, large-scale battery storage and potentially hydrogen-ready CHP plant sized for peak aviation and IT loads. However, the expert warns that current demand projections for data centres may be a bubble, risking stranded electrical and civil infrastructure if growth stalls.

Regulation giving Parliament, rather than the courts, final authority to approve large low‑carbon energy schemes has been unveiled by chancellor Rachel Reeves, sharply narrowing the grounds for judicial review. The change is expected to accelerate nationally significant infrastructure projects such as offshore wind farms, grid reinforcement corridors and carbon capture clusters, where planning and consent can currently add years to programme schedules. Developers and designers will need to front‑load environmental impact assessments, land rights strategies and stakeholder engagement, as legal challenge windows and procedural arguments are curtailed.

Jacobs has been appointed by Great British Energy – Nuclear to deliver environmental consultancy and baselining at the Oldbury site in Gloucestershire, earmarked as a potential location for a new nuclear power station. The work will characterise existing ground, groundwater, ecological and radiological conditions to support future nuclear site licensing, environmental permits and design optioneering. Early baselining data will be critical for later geotechnical investigations, foundation design, flood and coastal risk assessments, and long-term monitoring strategies if the project proceeds.

BHP must, under a revised 78‑page Olympic Dam indenture agreement tabled in the South Australian parliament, assess within two years whether rare earths and other critical or strategic minerals such as neodymium and praseodymium can be commercially recovered from current waste streams. If BHP deems extraction technically or economically unviable, third parties must be given an opportunity to commercialise these minerals, while the framework also enables consideration of a A$4 billion copper refinery expansion and up to A$12.7 billion in further mine and concentrator upgrades by 2032. The pact additionally requires BHP to submit by May 2031 a plan to cease Great Artesian Basin groundwater extraction by May 2036, with a Port Augusta seawater desalination scheme being advanced to support a potential lift in South Australian copper output towards 650,000 tonnes per year by the mid‑2030s.

RKX Rock Extraction is set to unveil an electric pulse rock-breaking system at Hillhead 2026, targeting operations where explosives are restricted or supply-constrained and hydraulic hammers are slow, noisy and maintenance-intensive. The Lisburn-based company’s technology uses high-voltage electrical pulses to fracture rock in situ, eliminating on-site explosive storage and reducing flyrock, vibration and dust. For mines and quarries facing tight vibration limits near infrastructure or communities, the method could open additional extraction zones and simplify permitting for selective breakage and scaling.

Rider Levett Bucknall has appointed Matt Buntine as head of London and Europe project and programme management, drawing on his previous role as managing director at Lendlease Consulting (now Bovis). Buntine has led programmes across alternative energy, rail, aviation, heritage, commercial and education, and previously ran Lendlease’s European sustainability function, driving its Mission Zero strategy. He has overseen transformation and open-market sale processes while retaining major clients such as TfL, Network Rail, the Houses of Parliament, Chelsea Football Club and leading London museums, and is a chartered engineer with the Institute of Engineers Australia.

Wates Group has begun a two-phase build of a two-storey Welcome Hub at Isle of Wight College under the Department for Education’s £7bn schools construction framework, creating a new main entrance and vocational teaching centre. The hub will include industry-standard training kitchens, a training restaurant open to external customers, and flexible hybrid learning spaces for performing arts, hospitality, and travel and tourism. Sustainability measures include green roofs, rooftop solar panels, rain gardens, SuDS features and reuse of on-site materials, with completion scheduled for 2028.

Utilities contractor Falco has secured renewal of its groundworks framework with UK Power Networks across all three licence areas—London, Eastern and Southern Power Networks—covering nearly 30,000 km² and 8.5 million customers, for six years from February 2026 with two optional one‑year extensions. Falco reports a zero accident frequency rate over the past five years, supported by nearly 1,500 site audits in the last year and more than 3,000 toolbox talks since June 2025. The contractor is targeting net‑zero operations by 2035, including award‑winning trials of zero‑emission electric diggers on UKPN sites.

Holcim UK subsidiary OCL Regeneration is dismantling the 250mm-thick concrete runway at Ford Airfield, West Sussex, and reprocessing it on-site for roads and foundations in Vistry’s 1,500-home Fordham development. A 6,000m² compound has already been stabilised in situ and surfaced using milled runway concrete mixed with cement and water to form Cement Bound Granular Material, supporting mobile plant and stockpiles. Subsequent phases will involve specialist treatment of hazardous asphalt base layers and production of Type 1 recycled aggregate and capping for the main spine road.

Port of Southampton is expanding its partnership with Vestas to handle larger volumes of offshore wind components, reinforcing its role as a key hub in the UK’s renewable energy logistics. The collaboration focuses on port-side storage, heavy-lift handling and transport of oversized turbine blades, nacelles and towers, requiring specialised quayside cranage and strengthened laydown areas. For civil and port engineers, this signals continued demand for upgraded pavements, marshalling yards and deep-water berths capable of supporting high axle loads and complex heavy-lift operations.

Brian Uy, Sydney-based 105th President of the Institution of Structural Engineers, is centring his term on structural efficiency and embodied carbon, technical competency and research, and professional registration. His inaugural address, “Structural engineering: past, present and future”, stresses rigorous fundamentals alongside innovation in areas such as low‑carbon materials and advanced analysis. For practitioners, this signals stronger emphasis on quantified embodied carbon in design, tighter competence expectations, and closer linkage between research outputs and codified practice.

Sandvik’s battery-electric surface concept drill, which recently completed 17.5 km of drilling in 542 operating hours at Boliden’s Kevitsa open pit in Finland, is now heading for field trials at Lloyds Metals operations in India. The rig is designed for down-the-hole (DTH) production drilling with hole diameters up to 229 mm, targeting typical surface bench applications currently dominated by diesel units. For mine planners and maintenance teams, the trial will give real-world data on energy consumption, duty cycles and potential reductions in fuel logistics and local emissions.

Long-term infrastructure planning is being reframed around sustained uncertainty driven by geopolitical tension, climate change and rapid digital and artificial intelligence disruption. For civil engineers, this means stress-testing assets and programmes against volatile energy prices, more frequent extreme-weather events and cyber-physical risks to critical systems such as smart grids and digitally controlled transport corridors. The piece points to the need for adaptive investment pipelines, scenario-based design and governance that can cope with non-linear shocks rather than relying on static 30–50 year masterplans.

Midway through 2026, the Institution of Civil Engineers is moving to formalise its next phase of work after a first half-year focused on asset maintenance, ethics, intelligence and stewardship across the profession. Trustees are steering efforts towards more data‑driven asset management, with emphasis on whole‑life performance of critical infrastructure and clearer ethical frameworks for use of digital tools and automation. For practitioners, this signals tighter expectations on maintenance strategies, evidence‑based decision‑making and governance around intelligent infrastructure systems.

National Grid’s Distribution System Operator has released a Strategic Roadmap detailing how it will meet RIIO-ED2 commitments while preparing distribution networks for a “smarter, more flexible energy system”. The plan focuses on integrating higher volumes of distributed generation and electric vehicle charging, using tools such as active network management, flexible connection agreements and enhanced data visibility at 11kV and LV levels. For civil and electrical engineers, this signals more connection-driven reinforcement, targeted substation upgrades and closer coordination between network design, streetworks and local energy projects through to 2028.

A proposal to install photovoltaic arrays on greyfield sites rather than productive farmland has taken the top prize in the Institution of Civil Engineers’ CityZen Awards student competition. The winning concept targets underused urban land and car parks for solar deployment, aiming to preserve agricultural soils while increasing local renewable generation capacity. For civil and infrastructure engineers, the idea reinforces planning and site-selection strategies that prioritise brownfield and greyfield assets over greenfield loss.

Southern Copper will spend $318.6 million over 17 months to overhaul the Cuajone mine in Peru’s Moquegua region, adding a new filter press at the concentrator, a dedicated electrical substation and control room, and relocating part of the freshwater pipeline. The programme also prepares 25.3 hectares for additional leaching and upgrades the sewer network, aiming to sustain roughly 163,000 tonnes per year of fine copper output as ore grades decline. Parallel $79 million works at Toquepala include a desliming unit, new tailings thickeners and seepage controls, building on Copper Mark and GISTM-compliant tailings management.

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) is working with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) to coordinate industry-wide action on net zero, building safety and productivity across UK infrastructure and construction. Through joint task groups and themed workstreams, the ICE contributes technical input on areas such as carbon measurement, modern methods of construction and digital design, feeding practitioner experience into CLC policy and guidance. For engineers, this linkage means that site data, design practice and lessons from major projects can more directly shape government-backed standards, funding priorities and procurement models.

The Institution of Civil Engineers is launching a new policy programme to examine how to increase investment in adapting UK infrastructure to climate change, and is seeking detailed input from its membership. The initiative will focus on practical incentives for resilience upgrades across assets such as flood defences, transport corridors and energy networks, where design lives of 60–120 years clash with rapidly shifting rainfall, temperature and coastal erosion patterns. For practitioners, this signals potential changes to funding models, appraisal methods and performance standards for climate‑resilient geotechnical and civil works.

Euro Mine Expo 2026 opens next week at Skellefteå Kraft Arena in northern Sweden, with a fully booked exhibitor floor and delegates expected from more than 40 countries. Organisers are positioning the exhibition area as a “leading arena for the green transition”, with suppliers showcasing low‑carbon mining equipment, electrified fleets and process optimisation technologies tailored to Nordic underground and open‑pit operations. For engineers, the event offers concentrated access to OEMs and technology developers working on decarbonised haulage, energy‑efficient comminution and digital monitoring of mine infrastructure.

Marimaca Copper is insulating its $587 million Marimaca oxide heap-leach project in northern Chile from sulphuric acid price spikes by buying and planning to relocate the second-hand Dos Amigos acid plant from Mejillones, 25 km away, acquired for $2.5 million versus an estimated $50–70 million for a new installation. The 13-year SX-EW operation is designed to produce 50,000 t/y of copper cathode from 178.6 Mt at 0.42% Cu, with a post-tax NPV of $709 million and 31% IRR at $4.30/lb. Parallel drilling at the nearby Pampa Medina target is returning long sulphide intercepts such as 424 m at 0.58% Cu and 2.2 g/t Ag from 424 m, indicating stacked oxide–sulphide potential beyond the starter oxide phase.

Glencar has completed the 56,000 sq ft, three-storey Sidney Sussex Building at Chesterford Research Park, a reinforced-concrete framed life sciences facility engineered for vibration control to support precision laboratory equipment. The multi-occupancy block delivers ten fully fitted wet-lab R&D suites (c.2,200–8,300 sq ft) with fume hoods, specialist flooring, Cat A write-up space, high-performance HVAC, new HV substation and EV charging, plus modular façades, lightweight steel framing and demountable partitions for future reconfiguration. The scheme achieves BREEAM Excellent, EPC A, 659kgCO₂e/m² upfront embodied carbon using 50% GGBS concrete, and a 24% biodiversity net gain.

Dalkia UK’s Engineering team has secured the Barrow Green Hydrogen project contract in Cumbria for Green Hydrogen Energy Company, supplying low-carbon fuel directly into Kimberly-Clark’s manufacturing operations. The green hydrogen will power production of Kleenex and Andrex paper products, displacing conventional fossil-based energy in tissue and hygiene lines. For industrial energy and infrastructure engineers, the project signals growing demand for hydrogen-ready process heat systems and associated balance-of-plant integration at existing paper mills.

Escalating extreme rainfall and glacial melt are driving more frequent floods and landslides in Nepal’s Himalayan districts, with Karnali Province’s steep, highly fractured slopes and narrow river valleys particularly exposed. Recent events include debris flows cutting off road access to remote settlements and riverbank erosion undermining gabion walls and informal river training works along the Karnali and Bheri rivers. Engineers are being pushed towards slope stabilisation with bioengineering, improved drainage, and relocation or elevation of critical infrastructure away from active channels and unstable colluvium.

GeoRedox Corporation and Canada Nickel have signed an MOU to develop the world’s first stimulated geologic hydrogen well at the Crawford nickel sulphide project near Timmins, Ontario, using GeoRedox’s proprietary process to generate zero‑carbon hydrogen from ultramafic rock. GeoRedox will fully fund the demonstration, while Canada Nickel provides site access, core samples and technical data across the Timmins Nickel District, where it holds over 20 ultramafic‑hosted projects. If successful, the pilot could supply large‑scale carbon‑free hydrogen and exploit in situ carbon storage capacity to support a zero‑carbon industrial cluster producing nickel, chromium and cobalt.

Nth Cycle has signed a joint development and licensing deal with Ionic Rare Earths (ASX: IXR) to integrate its modular electro-extraction technology into IonicRE’s rare earth recycling and refining operations, starting at the Belfast facility in Q4 2026. The partners aim to replace the conventional oxalic-acid-based precipitation step with Nth Cycle’s closed-loop, electricity-driven process to produce high-purity rare earth oxides from recycled swarf, creating a refining pathway that bypasses Chinese chemical supply. Nth Cycle’s platform, already applicable to nickel, cobalt and copper, follows a separate 10-year, $1.1 billion offtake agreement with Trafigura signed in March.

Boston Metal has raised $75 million, taking total funding above $500 million, to accelerate deployment of its Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MOE) platform for emissions-free production of steel and critical metals. The capital will be used to scale MOE cells and associated high-temperature power electronics for commercial plants in the US and other regions, moving from pilot-scale units towards industrial modules. For mining and metallurgical projects, this signals growing investor backing for alternative smelting routes that can bypass coke-based blast furnaces and potentially alter future project flowsheets.

China will impose new mining controls and security reviews on foreign investment from 15 June and require strategic mineral reserves to be stored at source for at least five years, with extensions decided by State Council reviews. The measures, announced via Xinhua, aim to accelerate construction of strategic reserve sites and tighten state control over unspecified “key” minerals. Coming days after the Trump–Xi summit, the move reinforces China’s dominance over rare earths such as yttrium, where it already controls over 60% of mined supply and almost all processing.

Storm Dave’s 150km/h winds in Wales, more than 100 UK flood warnings over New Year 2024–25, and the July 2022 heatwave exceeding 40°C expose how current appraisal methods undervalue climate‑resilient infrastructure. The piece argues for embedding avoided‑disruption metrics such as reduced power‑outage hours, protected rail‑possession windows and safeguarded freight tonnage into business cases, rather than relying solely on upfront capex and narrow benefit–cost ratios. For geotechnical and civil designers, this means quantifying resilience benefits for assets like flood embankments, culverts and track drainage in monetary terms to secure funding.

The European Union is moving to create its first coordinated stockpile of critical minerals, initially targeting tungsten, rare earths, gallium and likely magnesium, germanium and graphite, with storage talks under way with the Port of Rotterdam as a central logistics hub. Ten member states, led by planning groups in Italy, France and Germany, are designing the scheme amid concerns over China’s export controls on gallium, germanium and graphite and its dominance in rare earth magnet supply, which covers about 93% of EU wind turbine permanent magnets. For miners and processors, the plan signals stronger EU-backed offtake certainty but also sharper scrutiny of permitting bottlenecks, as shown by delays at the Chvaletice manganese project despite its Strategic Project status.

The Climate Change Committee warns that the “British way of life” faces escalating risk from heat, flooding and drought, with the Institution of Civil Engineers backing calls for rapid, large‑scale adaptation of UK infrastructure. Priority actions flagged include upgrading urban drainage and flood defences for more intense cloudbursts, retrofitting buildings for sustained 40°C heat, and securing water supply resilience against multi‑year droughts. For civil and geotechnical engineers, this signals imminent pressure to redesign assets for higher hydraulic loads, thermal stresses and soil moisture variability within the next planning cycle.

Advanced Magnet Lab has secured a US$2 million, two-year Defense Logistics Agency contract to qualify domestically produced high‑grade sintered NdFeB PM‑Wire magnets, including defence‑grade compositions such as N48SH and N35EH. The Florida firm will develop alloying, supply chain management and advanced manufacturing routes to scale permanent magnet production using its PM‑Wire process, which is designed to fit existing magnet‑making lines. AML is also progressing SmFeN, MnBi, anisotropic NdFeB and (Mischmetal‑Nd)FeB magnets, working with Phoenix Tailings, Ionic Rare Earths and Momentum to reduce critical rare earth content and improve material traceability.

Construction has begun on Nouveau Monde Graphite’s C$2 billion Matawinie mine in Québec, fast-tracked through Canada’s Major Projects Office and designed to produce up to 106,000 tonnes of graphite per year, which would make it the largest graphite mine in the G7. Ottawa has backed the project with financing from Export Development Canada, the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the Canada Growth Fund, plus a seven-year offtake for 30,000 tonnes of concentrate annually. The mine, 120 km north of Montreal, is expected to create over 1,000 jobs and anchor an integrated graphite-to-battery materials chain with NMG’s planned Bécancour plant.

Heathrow Airport has named the winner of its early careers innovation competition, run in collaboration with New Civil Engineer to surface practical ideas from graduates and apprentices for future airport infrastructure. The initiative targets concepts that could be integrated into major airside and landside projects, such as terminal refurbishments, pavement upgrades and baggage system overhauls, where constructability, carbon reduction and passenger flow are critical. For consultants and contractors, the scheme signals Heathrow’s interest in trialling low‑carbon materials, modular construction and digital design workflows proposed by early-career engineers.

Belfast Harbour has announced a £1.3bn capital programme to upgrade port infrastructure so it remains resilient, efficient and competitive over coming decades. The plan is aimed at supporting long-term economic growth across Northern Ireland and the wider island, signalling substantial future works on quays, storage areas and marine access. Contractors and designers can expect major marine civils, ground engineering and heavy pavement packages as the authority moves to accommodate larger vessels and higher cargo throughputs.

Terrafame has started a prefeasibility study to recover scandium from process streams at its bioheap-leach nickel mine in Sotkamo, Finland, using the existing hydrometallurgical circuit as a base. If viable, the project would make Terrafame the only scandium producer in Europe, adding a critical rare earth element to its current battery-grade nickel output. For process engineers, the key questions will be scandium grades in intermediate liquors, additional solvent extraction or ion-exchange stages required, and integration without disrupting nickel and cobalt recovery.

Colombia is pressing Glencore to start detailed closure and transition planning for the Cerrejón complex, a 16.8‑million‑tonne‑per‑year open‑pit coal mine with a 150 km dedicated railway and Caribbean export port whose concession runs to 2034. A GEM consultancy report warns that abrupt, politically driven curtailment could destabilise La Guajira’s coal‑dependent economy, which currently relies on more than 12,000 mine‑related jobs, about $166 million a year in royalties and roughly $86 million in local procurement. GEM proposes a “managed transition compact” with ring‑fenced closure and retraining funds, supplier‑conversion schemes, environmental assurance financing and long‑term reuse plans for rail and port infrastructure.

Recovering more metal from existing heap leach pads, rather than building new mines, is presented as mining’s fastest production gain amid IEA-forecast supply gaps of 30% for copper and 40% for lithium by 2035. Tom Claridge, sales manager for Mining North at Netafim North America, argues that uneven solution distribution caused by slope, rock size, line spacing and pressure inconsistencies creates persistent wet–dry zones and permanent metal loss. He points to precision irrigation systems with controlled pressure and flow, plus automated monitoring, as key to improving percolation, water use and predictability on large pads.

Komatsu UK has begun producing its new PC220 crawler excavator in Newcastle, with a 200-strong workforce including 21 apprentices, to supply European markets from a local manufacturing base. The PC220 is described as Komatsu’s most technologically advanced model, with production supported by precision scanning equipment in fabrication, laser-based systems in assembly, and new digital tools reflecting the machine’s increasingly software-driven control systems. Local build is intended to cut supply lead times and product mileage, reducing associated CO₂ emissions while anchouring skilled manufacturing jobs in the North East.

Galliford Try is powering a National Highways construction compound in Bootle entirely with a green hydrogen fuel cell generator, a first for the agency and used instead of grid power or diesel sets on the £7m A5036 Dunnings Bridge Road/Park Lane pedestrian crossing scheme. The system has supplied three site offices, welfare facilities (toilets, kitchen, drying room) and two EV charging points continuously since works began in November, with completion due by Friday 12 June. For contractors, the pilot shows a practical off‑grid option for temporary compounds where grid connections are constrained.

Wales is being positioned as a future energy powerhouse, leveraging its high tidal ranges in the Severn Estuary and extensive offshore wind resource in the Celtic Sea for large-scale low‑carbon generation. Proposals include multi‑GW floating offshore wind arrays in waters deeper than 60m, tidal lagoon concepts using rock‑armoured breakwaters, and repurposing former coal and slate sites for onshore wind, solar and grid‑scale battery storage. For civil and geotechnical engineers, this signals major demand for marine foundations, coastal structures, grid reinforcement and port upgrades to handle heavy turbine components.

The University of Queensland’s Collaborative Consortium for Coarse Particle Processing Research is entering a second five‑year phase to scale up coarse particle flotation technologies that allow recovery of particles up to several millimetres, reducing grinding energy and water use. Phase I delivered the JKHFmini laboratory rig and plant trials with Eriez HydroFloat and FLSmidth REFLUX Flotation Cell units on copper and gold ores, targeting coarser grind sizes than conventional circuits. The renewed program will expand pilot‑scale testing and integrated circuit modelling, with direct implications for comminution circuit design, tailings management and brownfield plant retrofits.

Larvotto Resources is progressing a tailings reprocessing and site rehabilitation strategy at the historic Hillgrove antimony–gold project in New South Wales, targeting metal recovery from legacy tailings rather than fresh underground ore. The plan centres on re-treating existing tailings storage facilities using modern processing to extract residual antimony and gold while reshaping and capping the deposits to contemporary geotechnical and environmental standards. For engineers, the project signals further demand for tailings characterisation, stability assessment and water management design on brownfield Australian sites.