Kamoa-Kakula, Africa’s largest copper mine, has been running on solar baseload since 12 August, with the new plant displacing about 4 million litres of diesel in its first month, equivalent to roughly US$11 million in fuel savings. DHYBRID Power Systems GmbH engineered the battery energy storage system (BESS) and supplies its Universal control platform to stabilise the hybrid power system and manage dispatch. For mine operators, the project shows large-scale solar plus BESS can reliably offset high-cost diesel generation in remote, grid-constrained operations.

Volvo Construction Equipment has appointed Laothani Tractor as its new national distributor in Laos, launching the partnership with a dealer inauguration and customer roadshow. The events showcased Volvo CE’s latest generation excavators and compaction machines, targeting mining, construction and infrastructure fleets that typically operate in remote, high-rainfall terrain. The move signals expanded in-country support for heavy equipment selection, maintenance and parts availability, which is critical for uptime on Lao mine haul roads and earthworks projects.

Lubrication Engineers, Inc has acquired BioBlend Renewable Resources, LLC, adding a comprehensive portfolio of bio-based and hybrid lubricants to its existing high-performance industrial lubrication and asset reliability offering. BioBlend supplies biodegradable and low-toxicity lubricants to mining, marine, drilling and industrial customers seeking to cut environmental impact while maintaining equipment performance. The deal signals growing commercial availability of drop-in, environmentally acceptable lubricants for mobile and fixed mining plant, potentially easing compliance with stricter discharge and spill regulations around pits, workshops and marine-linked export facilities.