Sandvik used its Future of Mining 2026 event in Turku to set a new underground electrification strategy built around a “Toro standard” for its battery-electric load and haul fleet. Head of BEV Strategy Tommi Valkonen outlined plans to unify battery systems and controls across Toro-branded loaders and trucks, targeting faster battery swaps and simplified maintenance compared with today’s mixed platforms. The strategy signals tighter integration of BEV hardware, software and charging, with implications for mine power design, fleet standardisation and lifecycle cost modelling.

Omniflex is installing a new wireless telemetry system across the Nkomati nickel plant in South Africa to restore mine-wide monitoring of water and pumping infrastructure as the operation restarts after a R753 million ($46 million) investment. The system replaces legacy Omniflex equipment supplied under previous ownerships and is expected to give centralised visibility of dam levels, boreholes and pump stations over the entire site. For engineers, the upgrade signals renewed focus on remote supervision of dewatering and process water balance ahead of ramp-up.

Mineral Mining Services (MMS) has secured a new underground mining services contract from Tennant Mines, a subsidiary of ASX-listed Pan African Resources, at the newly established White Devil project about 50 km from Tennant Creek in Australia’s Northern Territory. The award rapidly extends MMS’s operating footprint in the Tennant Creek mineral field, positioning the contractor for further work as White Devil ramps up from initial development to full ore production. For geotechnical and mine planning teams, the contract signals imminent demand for detailed ground control, ventilation design and short-interval scheduling support on a new high-grade underground front.