Thiess has mobilised a fourth Liebherr R 9800 hydraulic excavator to Jellinbah Group’s Lake Vermont coal mine in Queensland, expanding a fleet already built around ultra-class loading units. The R 9800, typically paired with 220–300 t class haul trucks and capable of 40–80 m³ bucket capacities depending on configuration, is being deployed to meet rising production requirements and tighten truck–shovel match. The move signals continued capital commitment to high‑productivity primary loading assets and supports longer-term planning for efficient strip mining and overburden removal.

Finning UK & Ireland has supplied its 10,000th Cat® industrial engine to McCloskey International, extending a supply partnership that began in 2006 when McCloskey established manufacturing in Northern Ireland. The engines power McCloskey’s mobile crushing, screening and material handling equipment, which is seeing rising global demand in aggregates and mining applications. For plant operators, the milestone signals long-term parts and service continuity for Cat-powered McCloskey units, an important factor in lifecycle planning and fleet standardisation.

Ioneer has signed non-binding letters of intent with Korea’s state-backed KIND and Hyundai Engineering to advance the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada, a key US source of battery-grade lithium carbonate and boric acid. KIND, mandated by South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to support overseas infrastructure, is expected to focus on project financing and risk mitigation, while Hyundai Engineering is positioned for EPC and process plant roles. The pacts signal potential Korean capital and engineering input into mine, concentrator and downstream processing design.