H-Power plc has completed phase one of its Joint Development Agreement with Komatsu to assess an ammonia-fuelled engine platform and is moving into phase two to design and integrate its proprietary ammonia cracking technology into Komatsu machinery. The programme focuses on on-board conversion of ammonia to hydrogen-rich fuel gas, aiming to cut diesel use and CO₂ emissions in large mining equipment without major changes to existing engine architecture. For mine operators, this signals potential future options for low-carbon haul trucks and excavators where grid power or full battery electrification is impractical.

Resolution Copper has let about $110 million in contracts to Major Drilling America and Redpath USA to accelerate exploration drilling and underground development at its proposed deep copper mine in Arizona. The work forms a major early tranche of an approximately $500 million post-FEIS investment programme, signalling a shift from study to execution-phase activities. For geotechnical and mining teams, this points to imminent ramp-up in underground access, drilling density, and ground characterisation data ahead of any full-scale shaft sinking or block-cave development decisions.

Normet has launched the HX-Bolt hybrid rock reinforcement system for underground mines, combining mechanical, frictional and bonded anchorage in a single bolt to handle variable and evolving ground conditions. The design targets rapid dynamic support immediately after installation while also providing long-term load capacity, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional mechanical anchors and fully grouted bolts in seismically active headings and development drives. For geotechnical engineers, the key change is a single bolt type that can be tuned to different ground behaviours without wholesale redesign of support patterns.