LiuGong’s DR50CE made its UK debut at Hillhead 2026 as the show’s first fully battery-electric rigid haul truck, signalling OEMs’ push to extend electrification from loaders and excavators into 50 t-class quarry and small mine haulage. The DR50CE targets typical rigid applications currently dominated by diesel units in the 45–60 t range, offering zero tailpipe emissions and lower noise for face haul and short-cycle quarry runs. For mine planners and quarry operators, its appearance suggests battery haulage is moving beyond underground and ultra-class pilots into mainstream mid-size fleets.

Gold fell as much as 1.8% on Monday to just above $4,000/oz, extending a decline of more than 22% since the Middle East war began in late February amid surging energy prices and expectations of higher interest rates. The metal has erased its 2026 gains and now sits about 6% down for the year, reversing part of the 60% surge seen in 2025. Analysts at Goldman Sachs, UBS and Global X ETFs still see $4,000/oz as key technical support and project higher year-end prices on continued central bank buying.

Canada has committed C$7 million through Natural Resources Canada’s Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration programme to Greenland Resources’ open-pit Malmbjerg molybdenum project in east Greenland, the first G7 investment in Greenland mining. The funding supports metallurgical work to test flotation of primary molybdenum using both saline and fresh water and to assess recovery of magnesium and rare earth elements from the orebody and process water, with the programme running to March 2028. Malmbjerg, 20 km from Mestersvig airport, is designed to produce 32.8 million lb/y of molybdenum metal for 10 years within a 20-year mine life, backed by a long-term offtake with Outokumpu.