Natural Resources Canada is directing C$73 million into 12 mining projects, with a significant share earmarked for battery-electric vehicle (BEV) trials and early deployments in underground operations. Announced on 26 June by Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, the funding targets mine fleets and supporting infrastructure, including charging systems and power management, to cut diesel use and ventilation loads. For engineers, the programme signals federal backing for BEV-ready mine designs, electrical reticulation upgrades and revised ventilation and heat-load calculations.

RCT – Powered by Epiroc has deployed its Pedestrian Alert System (PAS) across a northwest Queensland mining and smelting complex to reduce collision risk between heavy mobile equipment and on-foot workers. The PAS uses personnel tags and machine-mounted detection units to identify people within configurable exclusion zones around loaders, trucks and other plant, triggering in-cab alarms and external visual warnings. Integration with existing fleet and radio infrastructure allows site-specific zoning in high-traffic areas such as crusher feed pads and smelter transfer bays, targeting known near-miss hotspots.

Weir has secured an order to supply the primary crushing circuit for Brightstar Resources’ Laverton Processing Plant, designed for 1.5 Mt/y throughput at the Goldfields gold project in Western Australia. The package includes Weir’s recently upgraded ENDURON® ET series jaw crusher, forming the core of the new circuit. Delivery in the March quarter of 2026 will be critical for front-end comminution performance, influencing downstream milling energy demand and gold recovery.