Surging global demand for lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and grid storage is pushing Australia to move beyond spodumene concentrate exports into domestic refining and cathode‑grade chemical production. Industry proposals centre on converting hard‑rock feed into battery‑grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate in Western Australia, leveraging existing Tier‑1 deposits and port infrastructure but facing high energy costs, skills shortages and permitting timelines. For miners and process engineers, the shift implies greater focus on impurity control, reagent optimisation and integration of hydrometallurgical circuits with upstream mine planning.

New Hope Group has lifted coal output across its Australian assets and is advancing growth plans at the Bengalla thermal coal mine in the Hunter Valley, where it holds an 80 per cent interest alongside Mitsui, Taipower and J-Power. The open-cut operation, which typically produces export-quality thermal coal for Asian power utilities via the Port of Newcastle, is the company’s key near-term expansion focus. For mine planners and geotechs, any Bengalla growth path will centre on additional strip mining, dragline and truck–shovel sequencing, and associated waste dump and haul road reconfiguration.

Liebherr’s R 9800 G6 backhoe excavator at Yancoal’s Mount Thorley Warkworth mine in New South Wales has set new performance benchmarks for ultra-class loading, working the main overburden fleet alongside 340-tonne haul trucks. The machine, in the 800-tonne class, is designed for high-volume overburden removal with a nominal bucket capacity around 40 m³ and electric-drive assistance for faster cycle times. For mine planners and maintenance teams, the deployment signals growing confidence in ultra-large excavators for sustained production in hard overburden conditions.