Tapojärvi has restarted as main mining contractor at Sotkamo Silver’s underground silver mine in Finland, resuming a role it previously held from 2018 to 2023 under a new agreement signed in June 2025. The contract covers full-scale production mining services, including drilling, blasting, loading and haulage in a familiar orebody and infrastructure, allowing rapid ramp-up using existing site knowledge and established operating procedures. For geotechnical and production engineers, continuity in contractor, ground control methods and equipment fleet should reduce interface risk and support stable output planning.

STRACON has secured an integrated engineering, construction, financing and long-term operations and maintenance contract for the Pérez Caldera Tailings Dam at Anglo American Sur’s Los Bronces copper operation in Chile’s Lo Barnechea district. The scope combines dam design and build with funding and multi-year O&M, signalling a bundled delivery model for critical tailings infrastructure rather than separate EPC and operator contracts. For geotechnical and tailings engineers, this points to growing demand for contractors capable of lifecycle stewardship under Chile’s stringent post-Brumadinho regulatory environment.

Metso has booked the third tranche of orders for JSC Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex’s copper smelter project in Uzbekistan, following equipment and project services contracts announced on 9 August 2024. The first two tranches, totalling €146 million, were booked in Q4 2024, with the latest booking covering additional core process equipment and associated services for the greenfield smelter complex. The staged order intake signals a multi-phase build-out where process design, commissioning support and long-lead items will be critical for throughput, energy performance and sulphur capture compliance.

Grangex AB has signed a strategic commercial agreement with Anglo American to support the restart of the Sydvaranger magnetite iron ore mine at Kirkenes in northern Norway. The plan is to produce about 3.5 Mt/y of 70% Fe direct reduction, ultra-high-grade magnetite concentrate, targeting DR pellet and green steel value chains. For process engineers and mine planners, the high-grade DR specification points to tight control of impurity levels and beneficiation performance, with logistics routed through the existing ice-free Barents Sea port infrastructure.

MMG’s board has approved the feasibility study and committed to construction of a major expansion at the Khoemacau Copper Mine in Botswana, targeting annual output of 130,000 t of copper in concentrate. The project will also lift associated silver production above current levels, positioning the operation as a large-scale polymetallic producer in the Kalahari Copper Belt. For mine planners and process engineers, the step-up in concentrate tonnage will drive requirements for upgraded underground development, hoisting, and concentrator throughput, as well as expanded tailings and water management infrastructure.

Nova Andino Litio SpA, the new joint venture between Codelco and SQM to develop lithium production in Chile’s Atacama Salt Flat, has held its first board meeting, signalling a shift from negotiation to implementation. The board comprises Codelco representatives Máximo Pacheco M, Josefina Montenegro A and Alfredo Moreno Ch, alongside SQM’s Ricardo Ramos. For project engineers, this formal governance structure clears the way for detailed planning of brine extraction, evaporation pond layouts and processing capacity expansions in one of the world’s highest-grade lithium salars.

HS2 Ltd reports steady 2025 build progress, with major earthworks, tunnelling and viaduct construction advancing on Britain’s largest live infrastructure scheme despite a leadership-led operational reset of the programme. Updated delivery plans are being phased in while maintaining work on key civil assets such as long-section bored tunnels and multi-span high-speed rail viaducts, rather than pausing site activity. For contractors and designers, the message is continuity of core geotechnical and structural work under revised governance and sequencing, not a wholesale slowdown.

B2Gold is closing 2025 with commercial production at the Goose mine in Nunavut, targeting 4,000 tonnes per day and about 300,000 oz. gold annually, while maintaining Fekola output in Mali at 515,000–550,000 oz. under a split open-pit/underground plan. CEO Clive Johnson is leveraging his Bema Gold experience in remote Russia to manage Goose’s long, seasonal ice-road supply chain and complex permitting under Mali’s 2023 mining code for trucking satellite ore to the Fekola mill. Additional growth options include the Antelope underground discovery at Otjikoto in Namibia (1.75 Mt at 6.91 g/t for ~390,000 oz.) and a 9.9% strategic stake in Snowline Gold’s Valley project in the Yukon.

Iamgold COO Bruno Lemelin, named Northern Miner Group’s EY Operator of the Year, has led the Côté open-pit mine in Ontario to commercial production at its 36,000 t/d plant, drawing on 233 Mt at 0.96 g/t for 7.17 Moz over an 18-year life and targeting average output of 365,000 oz/y. Third-quarter production reached 106,000 oz from Côté, Essakane (92,000 oz) and Westwood (23,000 oz), generating US$707 million revenue at an average realised gold price of US$3,492/oz and AISC of US$1,956/oz. Expansion work includes 55 km of drilling at the adjacent Gosselin deposit (4.4 Moz indicated, 3 Moz inferred) to test a “super-pit” concept lifting throughput from 13 Mt/y to up to 20 Mt/y, while Essakane life extension drilling proceeds under Burkina Faso’s tougher 2024 mining code and Côté ramps autonomous haulage and AI-enabled control-room operations.

Western Gold Resources has approved a formal decision to mine at its 100%-owned Gold Duke Project in Western Australia, moving from pure exploration to near-term production. The project already holds mining approvals over the Eagle, Emu, Golden Monarch and Gold King deposits, allowing WGR to advance directly into detailed mine planning and contractor engagement rather than waiting on permitting. For geotechnical and mine planning teams, the pre-approved multi-deposit layout signals a likely staged open-pit schedule and shared infrastructure strategy across the four pits.

PYBAR Mining Services has mobilised to Larvotto Resources’ 100%-owned Hillgrove antimony-gold project in New South Wales, with underground development now underway. The contractor is preparing access and development drives to reopen historic workings at Hillgrove, a high-grade antimony-gold system previously mined via narrow-vein underground methods. Early development performance, ground conditions and water management in these initial headings will strongly influence the mine’s restart schedule, stope design and the sequencing of future drilling and production levels.

Super Copper’s Cordillera Cobre project in Chile’s Atacama copper belt has secured approval for 26 exploitation concessions from Sernageomin, covering about 6,858 hectares and granting full, permanent mining rights once registration in the Copiapó Mining Registry is complete. The company reports 25 concessions already have formal court resolutions and 15 have legal extracts published in the Official Mining Gazette, with title registration now in progress. CEO Zachary Dolesky says this clears the way to submit a drill programme as soon as results from the latest exploration work are finalised.

First Quantum Minerals has agreed to sell the past‑producing Cobre Las Cruces copper mine in southern Spain to Global Panduro, controlled by Resource Capital Funds, for up to $190 million, with $45 million cash on closing, a $65 million loan note and about $80 million in milestone‑linked deferred payments. The asset includes a high‑grade open‑pit mine and hydrometallurgical plant near Seville that produced copper cathode from 2009–2021 and reprocessed tailings until 2023. Resource Capital plans a polymetallic primary sulphide project targeting copper, zinc, lead and silver, while First Quantum redirects liquidity after Cobre Panama’s shift to preservation and safe maintenance.

First Quantum Minerals is divesting its Las Cruces copper operation in Spain, with subsidiary Cobre Las Cruces S.A.U. signing a binding agreement to sell the mine to Global Panduro, S.L.U., controlled by Resource Capital Funds, for up to US$190 million plus a profitability-linked earn-out. The deal transfers ownership of the existing open-pit and hydrometallurgical SX-EW plant near Seville, which has produced high-grade copper cathode from secondary sulphides. For engineers, the transaction signals potential changes to mine-life planning, processing flowsheet optimisation and permitting strategy under a new private-equity-backed owner.

Network Rail is delivering £160M of works over Christmas and New Year across England, Wales and Scotland, combining large-scale renewals of ageing track, structures and overhead line equipment with installation of modern digital signalling. Possessions will concentrate on key main line bottlenecks and junctions, with multi-day blockades used to replace life-expired assets and reconfigure layouts for higher line speeds and more reliable timetabling. Contractors will need to manage intensive access windows, complex isolations and winter working risks while handing back routes for the post-holiday peak.

Fortescue has signed a technology development agreement with Taiyuan Iron and Steel (TISCO), a subsidiary of China Baowu, to jointly explore green iron production routes using Fortescue’s ore and TISCO’s low‑carbon steelmaking capability. The partnership centres on piloting and scaling technologies such as hydrogen‑based direct reduction and renewable‑powered electric furnaces within Baowu’s existing integrated steel complexes. For miners and steel producers, the move signals growing demand for ore specifications, beneficiation strategies and process control tailored to low‑carbon ironmaking flowsheets in China.

Capricorn Metals will acquire the Yalgoo gold project in Western Australia from Tempest Minerals, expanding its footprint beyond the 2.1Moz Karlawinda operation near Newman. The Yalgoo package lies in the Murchison region, close to existing processing and haulage infrastructure used by multiple mid-tier gold producers. For geotechnical and mine planners, the deal signals further open-pit and potentially underground resource drilling in an established Archean greenstone belt, with scope for satellite ore trucking strategies similar to Karlawinda.

RoadAid is expanding from Victorian road maintenance into large-scale critical infrastructure and interstate projects, leveraging a combined maintenance and labour hire model for civil crews. The company focuses on proactive road asset upkeep, supplying traffic management, asphalt and spray seal teams, and flexible night-shift labour to Tier 1 and Tier 2 contractors on major corridors. Its emphasis on stable, trained site teams and on-site culture is aimed at reducing rework, improving programme certainty and supporting long-duration pavement and rehabilitation contracts.

BUMA Australia has secured a multi-year contract extension worth about A$740 million with Blackwater Operations Pty Ltd, a Whitehaven Coal Mining subsidiary, to continue overburden removal and coal mining services at the Blackwater Mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. The deal runs to 2031 and covers pre-strip, dragline and truck–shovel operations, drill and blast, and coal processing support across multiple pits. For contractors and OEMs, the extension signals sustained demand for large-scale fleet deployment, maintenance, and high-availability support in one of Australia’s largest open-cut coal complexes.

Champion Iron has agreed to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Norwegian high‑grade iron ore producer Rana Gruber ASA in a transaction valued at about NOK 2.93 billion (US$289 million). The deal will be funded through a mix of new equity, additional debt and existing cash, signalling an expansion of Champion’s pellet feed and concentrate portfolio beyond its Quebec operations. For mine planners and process engineers, the move points to potential integration of Scandinavian high‑grade ore supply into existing blast furnace and DR‑grade feed strategies.

Metso has secured an order from Leone Rock Metal Group to supply minerals processing equipment for the Phase III 30 Mt/y magnetite concentrator at the Tonkolili iron ore project in Sierra Leone. The package covers engineering, manufacturing, supply, installation and commissioning support for the new concentrator line, booked in Metso’s Minerals segment 2025 Q4 orders. The scale of the 30 Mt/y phase signals substantial additional crushing, grinding and magnetic separation capacity, with implications for tailings handling, water balance and power demand on an already large West African iron ore operation.

Sandvik will invest about C$51 million to build a 51,000-square-foot mechanical cutting, parts and services hub in Saskatoon’s North Marquis Industrial Area, on a 155-acre site east of Highway 11 and north of Marquis Drive. The facility will consolidate workflow-optimised workshop bays, wash bays, staging areas and clearance for next-generation mechanical cutting equipment with an integrated warehouse for regional parts inventory. Ground-breaking is planned for February 2026, with operations in Q4 2026 to support potash, uranium, gold and copper mines across Central and Western Canada.

Outline proposals for the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) network are now expected from the UK government in early 2026, resetting the timetable for defining new high-speed and upgraded rail corridors across key northern city pairs such as Liverpool–Manchester–Leeds. The plan is likely to clarify preferred route alignments, junction interfaces with existing main lines, and station options, which will drive subsequent GRIP/Project SPEED design stages and geotechnical investigation programmes. Contractors and consultants will be watching for commitments on phased delivery, electrification standards and target line speeds to shape bidding and resource planning.

Metso has secured approximately €70 million in remaining major contracts under its August 2024 frame agreement to supply Metso Plus beneficiation and dewatering equipment to Barrick Mining’s 50%-owned Reko Diq copper-gold project in Pakistan. The package covers advanced flotation and dewatering systems sized for large-scale porphyry copper-gold throughput, aimed at improving concentrate recovery and water management in an arid environment. For process engineers and project teams, the deal confirms Metso’s technology as the baseline flowsheet for Reko Diq’s concentrator and tailings dewatering design.

Byrnecut is marking 15 years at the Jabal Sayid underground copper mine near Medina, where it has managed ramp and decline development, longhole stoping and paste backfill under a life-of-mine contract with Ma’aden Barrick Copper Company. The contractor’s scope has expanded from initial access and infrastructure development to full production mining, fleet maintenance and training of a largely Saudi workforce, supporting output from multiple ore lenses down to more than 1,000 m depth. Its long-term presence signals continued reliance on international underground specialists as Saudi Arabia courts new greenfield projects ahead of the 2026 Future Minerals Forum.

Premier Forest Products has acquired Arnold Laver’s Manchester and Reading branches from the administrators of National Timber Group England, immediately safeguarding 36 jobs and planning to expand headcount at the two sites to more than 100. Both locations will now trade under the Premier Forest brand, with operations to be rebuilt and re-staffed to maintain continuity of structural timber and panel product supply into key regional construction markets. The deal follows National Timber Group’s collapse into administration in November after sustained financial pressure across UK timber and construction supply chains.

Global Lithium Resources (GL1) is targeting the Port of Esperance as an export outlet for spodumene concentrate from its Manna lithium project east of Kalgoorlie, signing an agreement to progress port access and logistics planning. The move focuses on securing ship-loading capacity and integrating road haulage from the mine to Esperance, rather than railing via existing iron ore corridors. For geotechnical and civil contractors, the strategy points to future demand for heavy-haul road upgrades, stockpile pads and bulk-handling infrastructure along the Kalgoorlie–Esperance corridor.

Eldorado Gold has lifted its stake in Amex Exploration to 27.3% on a non-diluted basis by acquiring 14.87 million shares at C$4 each in a C$59.5 million private transaction that appears to replace Eric Sprott’s position. Amex’s Perron project in Quebec now hosts 8.2 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources at 6.1 g/t gold (1.6 Moz), plus 5 million inferred tonnes at 4.31 g/t (698,000 oz), including the high-grade Champagne zone at 16.2 g/t. Bulk sampling at Perron is in permitting, with toll-milling discussions under way and Eldorado’s Lamaque/Sigma mill an obvious processing candidate.

US Export-Import Bank has lifted potential financing for Graphite One’s Alaska-to-Ohio graphite supply chain to about $2.1 billion, including $670 million for the Graphite Creek mine near Nome and $1.4 billion for a 100,000 t/y anode materials plant in Niles, Ohio, repayable over 15 years. EXIM signals willingness to fund roughly 70% of capex to first production, with Graphite One targeting initial 25,000 t/y anode output by mid-2027 and mine start-up in 2030 under a 20-year life. The project is post-feasibility, advancing under FAST-41 permitting, and already has $37.5 million US Department of Defense support.

Lundin Mining is selling its Eagle nickel-copper underground mine and Humboldt Mill in Michigan to Talon Metals in an all-share deal worth about $84 million, giving Lundin roughly 275 million Talon shares and a 20% non-diluted stake. Eagle, the only primary nickel mine currently operating in the US, has produced over 194,000 tonnes of nickel and 185,000 tonnes of copper, generating more than $3.2 billion in revenue to Q3 2025. Talon plans to use Humboldt Mill as a centralised processing hub while advancing the Tamarack project in Minnesota and a Beulah processing facility in North Dakota.

Northumberland County Council has submitted a funding bid to extend the reopened Northumberland Line after it carried nearly 1M passengers in its first year of operation, far above initial demand forecasts. The council is seeking backing to push services beyond the current corridor between Ashington and Newcastle, building on the recently delivered double-track sections, new stations and upgraded signalling. For civil and rail engineers, the move signals potential further works on earthworks, structures and level crossings along the former freight alignment if the extension is approved.

Government backing has been reaffirmed for the £2.5bn West Yorkshire Mass Transit network, but the delivery programme has been stretched so first services are now not expected until the late 2030s. The revised timetable is intended to reduce delivery and cost risk on the multi-line, multi-centre system linking Leeds, Bradford and surrounding towns, rather than compressing design, utilities and land acquisition phases. For civil and geotechnical teams, this signals a longer pipeline for corridor safeguarding, ground investigation and major structures planning, but slower conversion of outline concepts into detailed design work.

Associated British Ports has issued a planned procurement notice for an Early Contractor Involvement and Works Contractor package worth up to £500M for its Solent Gateway 2 expansion near the Port of Southampton. The contract will cover major marine and landside works to extend port capacity, with bidders expected to support design development, constructability reviews and phasing to maintain operations during construction. Geotechnical and marine civil specialists should anticipate complex quay wall, dredging and ground improvement requirements on a heavily constrained, tide‑influenced site.

Arcadis has secured two National Highways contracts to provide programme and project management for asset management, roadside technology and major scheme delivery across multiple English regions. The work covers strategic road network assets and ITS/communications systems, supporting planning and delivery of upgrades on high‑traffic corridors where lane availability, pavement condition and real‑time traffic management are critical. For contractors and designers, this signals continued emphasis on integrated asset data, technology‑heavy schemes and coordinated delivery frameworks on England’s motorways and trunk roads.

Develop Global has secured a A$200 million, five-year underground development contract to establish access tunnels for OceanaGold’s Waihi North Project on New Zealand’s North Island, with mobilisation scheduled for the first half of 2026. The scope centres on creating new underground access to support future gold mining adjacent to the existing Waihi operations, implying significant lateral development and ground support in complex epithermal geology. The long lead time allows detailed mine design, equipment selection and geotechnical modelling before full-scale development starts.

Decmil has secured an A$81 million contract from Rio Tinto to deliver a Mobile Equipment Maintenance (MEM) Workshop Expansion at the Brockman 4 iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara. The scope includes a new MEM workshop, office and associated infrastructure to service large haul trucks and ancillary fleet, supporting higher availability of mobile plant in a remote, high-dust environment. Civil and structural works will need to accommodate heavy vehicle loads, large-span workshop bays and integration with existing mine services and traffic flows.

North American Construction Group has agreed to acquire Western Australia–based Iron Mine Contracting for about C$115 million, positioning NACG as a Tier 1 mining services contractor in the Australian iron ore and bulk commodities market. IMC brings established contracts across mine development, drill-and-blast and load-and-haul services, complementing NACG’s large earthworks and overburden removal fleet. NACG is pairing the deal with infrastructure and fleet optimisation initiatives, signalling further redeployment of ultra-class trucks and support equipment into higher-margin Australian projects.

Homes England has appointed five executive regional directors – Danielle Gillespie (northwest), Tom Bridges (northeast, Yorkshire and Humber), Jo Nugent (Midlands), Vicky Savage (London and east) and Kate McBride (south) – ahead of a new regional operating model starting in April 2026. The directors, expected to take up post from March 2026, will own regional development pipelines and sub‑regional programmes, spanning large-scale placemaking, growth partnerships and affordable housing schemes. Delivery teams will be backed by a nationally managed technical office and access to the National Housing Bank to align land and investment with local priorities.

Scottish Water has named Stantec and Aecom as primary designers and five asset delivery partners – M Group Water, Mott MacDonald Bentley, Farrans, WGM Engineering and Ross-Shire Engineering – for a six-year enterprise-style programme covering water and waste water upgrades from 2027 to 2033, with an option to extend a further six years. The framework, described as delivering around one-third of the SR27 capital investment programme, is Scottish Water’s largest procurement to date. Primary designers will hold end-to-end design accountability, while delivery partners will execute capital works once contracts are finalised by March 2026.

John Graham Construction has secured a £59m contract to build five student accommodation blocks of up to six storeys at Loughborough University’s Central Park, close to the Edward Herbert Building. The scheme will deliver 552 en-suite, self-catered bedspaces arranged around a landscaped square, plus amenity areas, sub-warden units, a plant block, utilities and associated external works. Construction is scheduled to start in early 2026 and complete by late summer 2027, fixing a tight 18–20 month delivery window for structural, M&E and external works integration.

Network Rail has appointed VolkerRail, Laing O’Rourke, AtkinsRéalis and Siemens Mobility to the Midlands Rail Hub Alliance to design and develop a £1.75bn programme of upgrades across the region’s rail network. Core works include two new chords at Bordesley to link the Chiltern main line into Birmingham Moor Street with the Camp Hill lines towards the South West and East Midlands, plus reopening platform 4 at Snow Hill to add direct Chiltern Railways services to London Marylebone. The alliance will also redesign Kings Norton station and its approaches to accommodate extra Cross City services and future Midlands Rail Hub-enabled stopping patterns.

SSEN Transmission has secured a £1bn bank facility backed by an £800M guarantee from the UK government’s National Wealth Fund to accelerate four major electricity transmission projects in the north of Scotland. The facility is expected to support high‑voltage onshore infrastructure connecting new offshore wind and grid reinforcement schemes in remote areas with challenging ground conditions and long linear wayleaves. For contractors and designers, the funding signals a firm pipeline of large-diameter cable routes, new substations and associated civil works over the next few years.

United Utilities is preparing for AMP8 (2025-2030) with a capital works programme several times larger than previous five-year cycles, forcing a shift in how it delivers major water and wastewater infrastructure. Directors are signalling earlier contractor involvement, more alliancing-style frameworks and greater use of offsite manufacture to manage programme risk across multiple large treatment upgrades and network resilience schemes. For geotechnical and civil teams, this points to higher volumes of parallel design-and-build work, tighter standardisation of earthworks and structures, and stronger pressure on delivery productivity.

ASX-listed critical minerals developers are lining up a 2026 supply surge, with projects such as Richmond Vanadium Technology’s Richmond–Julia Creek vanadium deposit and multiple lithium and rare earths plays moving towards final investment decisions. Developers are targeting battery-grade vanadium pentoxide, spodumene concentrate and mixed rare earth carbonate from Queensland and Western Australian orebodies, leveraging existing rail and port corridors to cut capex and time-to-market. For geotechnical and mine planners, the pipeline signals imminent demand for large-scale pit designs, tailings storage and processing infrastructure sized for multi-decade production.

Antipa Minerals has issued an updated JORC 2012 mineral resource estimate for its 100 per cent-owned Minyari gold–copper project in Western Australia’s Paterson Province, confirming a standalone open-pit and underground development scenario. The MRE now covers the Minyari, WACA, Sundown and Minyari South deposits, with resources reported above a 0.5g/t gold cut-off for open pit and 1.5g/t for underground, and includes both sulphide and oxide material. Antipa is progressing pit optimisation, underground trade-off studies and metallurgical testwork to support a potential prefeasibility study.

The Linewide Alliance of KBR, WSP, Alstom, RATP Dev and John Holland has secured the $6.7 billion Linewide package for Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East, covering systems and infrastructure for a fully tunnelled 26‑kilometre twin‑bore metro corridor. Works include rail systems, power, signalling, communications and high‑capacity rolling stock integration for the orbital line linking Cheltenham to Box Hill. Geotechnical and civil interfaces will be critical, with continuous underground alignment, multiple underground stations and complex M&E fit‑out in constrained urban environments.

Trilogy Metals and South32’s 50/50 Ambler Metals JV has approved a $35 million 2026 work programme at Alaska’s Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects, targeting mine-permit submissions for the high-grade Arctic copper deposit under federal FAST-41. Drilling will focus on geotechnical and condemnation holes for mine design and infrastructure siting, while the Bornite camp is upgraded for multi-year geotechnical and exploration campaigns and an independent UKMP management team is re-established. Arctic’s 2023 feasibility study outlines a 13-year operation producing 149 Mlb/y copper plus zinc, lead, gold and silver, with an after-tax NPV8 of $1.1 billion and 22.8% IRR.

Sierra Madre Gold & Silver is acquiring First Majestic’s 100%-owned Del Toro silver mine in Zacatecas for up to $60 million, with $30 million due at closing (US$20 million cash, US$10 million in shares) and two further US$10 million milestone payments tied to a >100 million oz AgEq resource and achieving commercial production within five years. Del Toro comprises three fully permitted underground mines, a 3,000 t/d flotation plant and 62.5 km of existing development over 21.6 sq. km of concessions, with historic resources of 7.57 million oz AgEq (M&I) and 11.18 million oz (inferred). Sierra Madre plans ~50,000 m of drilling, an updated resource by early 2028, and a staged restart from mid-2027, while keeping open an accelerated restart within 12 months if silver prices stay strong.

Brazil has indefinitely postponed a planned March 2026 auction of mineral exploration areas rich in critical minerals after the National Mining Agency (ANM) said it lacks funds to cover embedded auction costs. The tender was to be the first mining round run jointly with B3, the São Paulo stock exchange operator, using a bidding model already applied in power and oil and gas, and would have addressed a backlog of roughly 100,000 areas awaiting auction. The delay jars with Brazil’s push to market its 94% share of global niobium reserves and significant graphite, nickel, lithium and rare earth potential.

BQE Water has secured its largest-ever contract to operate and maintain the Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant, 50 km north of Vancouver on the Sea-to-Sky Highway, following a competitive procurement led by Infrastructure BC for the provincial government. The plant treats acid rock drainage from the historic Britannia copper mine, which once discharged some of the most metal-laden effluents on the British Columbia coast. Long-term O&M by a specialist water treatment contractor signals continued regulatory pressure on legacy mine water liabilities and stable demand for high-reliability treatment performance.