Testing of XCMG’s two super large battery electric prototypes for Fortescue – the XC9260BEWL wheel loader and XC9260BEWD wheel dozer – is continuing at the OEM’s Xuzhou proving grounds in China following their official unveiling in February 2026. The ultra-class units are undergoing performance and durability trials under load and duty cycles representative of Pilbara iron ore operations before being shipped to Western Australia. Results will inform battery pack configuration, thermal management and charging strategies for deployment in high-temperature, high-dust mine environments.

A Chilean environmental court has annulled the permit for Collahuasi’s $3.2 billion desalination plant, forcing a reassessment of the seawater system that pumps desalinated water nearly 200 km from the Pacific coast to the 4,600‑metre‑elevation mine, which produced over 404,000 tonnes of copper in 2025. The decision affects an expansion intended to add 20 years of mine life and cut reliance on continental water, even though contractor Techint completed the pumping system in April. Industry leaders, including Chilean Mining Chamber president Manuel Viera, cite the case as evidence of a “cursed” regime where a single project can need 500+ permits, raising schedule and cost risk for large‑scale desalination and water‑supply infrastructure.

McEwen has already received US$58.2 million in dividends from the San José gold-silver mine in Argentina, above its full-year US$40–50 million target, after a further US$49.4 million payment from 51% operator Hochschild Mining. The stronger balance sheet – including US$56.5 million cash, US$13.5 million in marketable securities and US$457 million invested in McEwen Copper – is expected to let the company fund growth with limited equity issuance. Management is targeting 250,000–300,000 gold-equivalent ounces per year by 2030, with San José contributing 59,000–64,000 GEOs in 2026 and new output from the Stock mine (H2 2026) and El Gallo (mid-2027).