Mill relining systems OEM RUSSELL MINERAL EQUIPMENT has completed the final milestone of its transitional sale agreement with Resource Capital Funds, bringing Singapore-based industrial and technology investor Novo Tellus onto the share register. The deal, signed on 16 November 2024, secures new growth capital for RME’s specialised mill relining machines and liner handling systems used on large SAG and ball mills worldwide. For mine operators, the move signals continued OEM backing for high-availability relining services and potential acceleration of automation and digital tooling across shutdown-critical mill maintenance.

Eldorado Gold has fed first ore through the crushing circuit at its Skouries copper-gold project in northern Greece, marking the transition from construction to commissioning. The company reports that Skouries is in the final stages of build-out and is targeting first production of copper-gold concentrate in the September quarter of 2026. For mine planners and process engineers, the milestone confirms that primary crushing infrastructure is mechanically complete and that downstream concentrator commissioning is imminent.

Heidelberg Materials UK has secured planning conditions from Somerset Council to reopen the 160m‑tonne Westdown limestone quarry near Frome, with site preparations starting autumn 2026 and production targeted for the second half of 2027. Operations will be confined to the former quarry boundary, with hedgerows and edge woodland retained, plus 44 acres of new habitat and native broadleaved planting on screening bunds to create species‑rich connected woodland and grassland. Combined aggregate output from Westdown and the nearby rail‑connected Whatley quarry will not exceed Whatley’s current permitted tonnage, with Whatley focusing on national rail markets to reduce HGV traffic through local villages.