A temporary injunction from British Columbia’s Court of Appeal is holding up West High Yield Resources’ Record Ridge open-pit magnesium project near the US border until a 5 May judicial review of its environmental permitting, including whether the US-based Sinixt Confederacy must be formally consulted. The 43-million-tonne measured and indicated resource grading 24.6% Mg, with a proposed 172-year mine life and C$250 million capex, had been slated for construction this quarter and first production in Q1 2027. Local and Indigenous opponents are challenging the decision that the sub-threshold project did not require a full provincial environmental assessment, citing asbestos-bearing rock, Columbia River-linked waterways and sensitive ecosystems.

ARENA will provide up to A$38.1 million to PLS Group to build a lower‑emission lithium processing demonstration plant at the Pilgangoora operation in Western Australia, trialling Calix Limited’s electric‑kiln calcination technology. The electrically heated kiln aims to replace conventional fossil‑fuel‑fired calcination in spodumene processing, directly targeting one of the most energy‑ and carbon‑intensive steps in lithium concentrate upgrading. If successful at demonstration scale, the process could materially cut Scope 1 emissions from hard‑rock lithium refineries and influence future plant designs across the Pilbara.

Tru-Trac and UK distributor BREC Ltd will make their first joint Hillhead appearance showcasing belt-tracking and conveyor protection hardware aimed at extending belt life, improving uptime and cutting operating costs on high-duty quarry and mining conveyors. Appointed as Tru-Trac’s UK distributor in late 2024, BREC reports rapidly growing demand from operators seeking to retrofit existing conveyors rather than undertake full system replacements. For maintenance teams, the partnership signals wider local availability of engineered tracking idlers and related components, plus UK-based technical support for installation and optimisation.