Thiess has extended its joint operating agreement with explosives supplier AECI to December 2030, covering blasting services and product supply at the Lake Vermont, Olive Downs Complex and Mount Pleasant coal operations in Australia. The deal secures continuity of bulk explosives, initiation systems and on-bench blasting support across multiple large-scale open-cut pits in Queensland and New South Wales. For mine planners and drill-and-blast engineers, the extension reduces supply risk for explosives and maintains consistent blast performance parameters over the medium term.

GR Engineering Services has been named preferred EPC contractor by Venturex Sulphur Springs, a Develop Global subsidiary, for the 1.5 Mt/y Sulphur Springs copper-silver-zinc processing plant 144 km south-east of Port Hedland in Western Australia. The appointment follows Develop’s final investment decision on the project, clearing the way for detailed engineering, procurement and construction planning. Plant design and construction choices will be critical for handling polymetallic sulphide ore and managing remote-site logistics in the Pilbara environment.

Danfoss Scotland has validated its Dextreme Max digital hydraulic architecture on a 30 t battery-electric excavator, cutting power consumption by 35% under test conditions using a £4.29 million UK Government grant. The system replaces conventional valve-controlled hydraulics with digitally controlled flow and pressure management, reducing throttling losses and improving overall drivetrain efficiency. For mine operators, the results point to smaller or fewer battery packs for the same duty cycle, longer run time per charge, and lower heat rejection demands on cooling systems.