Eldorado Gold has fed first ore through the crushing circuit at its Skouries copper-gold project in northern Greece, marking the transition from construction to commissioning. The company reports that Skouries is in the final stages of build-out and is targeting first production of copper-gold concentrate in the September quarter of 2026. For mine planners and process engineers, the milestone confirms that primary crushing infrastructure is mechanically complete and that downstream concentrator commissioning is imminent.

Heidelberg Materials UK has secured planning conditions from Somerset Council to reopen the 160m‑tonne Westdown limestone quarry near Frome, with site preparations starting autumn 2026 and production targeted for the second half of 2027. Operations will be confined to the former quarry boundary, with hedgerows and edge woodland retained, plus 44 acres of new habitat and native broadleaved planting on screening bunds to create species‑rich connected woodland and grassland. Combined aggregate output from Westdown and the nearby rail‑connected Whatley quarry will not exceed Whatley’s current permitted tonnage, with Whatley focusing on national rail markets to reduce HGV traffic through local villages.

A new strategic partnership between the Resources Centre of Excellence (RCOE), The University of Queensland and Mining3, launched at the Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition in Mackay, will focus on accelerating commercialisation of critical minerals technologies. The collaboration is designed to link laboratory-scale research with field deployment, using RCOE’s Mackay facilities as a testbed for mining equipment, processing flowsheets and digital tools. For engineers, this signals more opportunities to trial critical-mineral extraction and processing innovations in operating Queensland coal and metalliferous mines.