XCMG is deploying battery-electric heavy mobile equipment in Australian mines, including large-capacity haul trucks and loaders designed for zero on-site emissions and high-duty cycles. The Chinese OEM is pairing these units with fast-charging infrastructure and modular battery packs to minimise downtime in continuous operations typical of Pilbara-scale iron ore and hard-rock sites. For mine planners and maintenance teams, the shift to electric fleets changes pit ventilation requirements, power reticulation design, and lifecycle cost models compared with conventional diesel equipment.

New South Wales is prioritising diesel and petrol deliveries to mining operations alongside other critical sectors as it manages constrained fuel supplies across the state. The policy aims to keep large open-cut and underground fleets, fixed plant and rail haulage operating, with fuel allocation coordinated through major distributors rather than ad hoc site-by-site deals. Mine operators are being asked to refine contingency plans, including reduced non-essential equipment use and tighter fuel inventory monitoring, to avoid production stoppages if supply tightens further.

Sunrise Energy Metals has partnered with US-based pulsed-power specialist I-Pulse to trial advanced drilling technology over the Millungera Basin in north-west Queensland, targeting what the companies describe as “massive” geothermal potential. The collaboration will apply I-Pulse’s high-voltage pulsed power systems, originally developed for rock fracturing and deep resource access, to improve penetration rates and reduce drilling energy in hard basement rocks beneath the basin. For geotechnical and mining engineers, the work could de-risk deep geothermal appraisal by lowering cost per metre and enabling denser temperature-gradient and structural data.