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Aggreko has signed a minimum 15‑year power purchase agreement with Harmony Gold to build and operate what is described as Australia’s largest off‑grid renewable hybrid power facility for the Eva copper project in northwest Queensland. The build‑own‑operate arrangement will combine on‑site renewables with thermal generation and battery storage to supply continuous power to the remote open‑pit operation. For mine planners and process engineers, the long‑term PPA locks in a dedicated low‑emission power source, influencing pit expansion options, processing throughput and future electrification of mobile fleets.

Metso has launched the Outotec Robotic Split Strip, a compact hydraulic‑robotic system for separating copper cathode sheets from mother plates in electrorefining circuits, designed for both greenfield and brownfield plants. The unit uses robotic handling and flexible tooling to improve stripping precision and reduce sheet damage and copper waste compared with conventional mechanical strippers. For plant engineers, the modular layout and automation focus allow retrofit into existing cells with minimal footprint, supporting tighter process control and more consistent cathode quality.

More than $107 million from the latest round of the Federal Government’s Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program (SLRIP) will fund 42 new road projects across Australia, targeting safety and productivity upgrades. Over $91 million of this is allocated to projects on nationally significant routes, supporting works such as intersection treatments, shoulder widening and pavement rehabilitation. Designers and contractors can expect a pipeline of small to medium packages focused on reducing crash risk and improving freight efficiency on existing corridors.

South Australia’s $15.4 billion River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) project has installed the first of three 300‑tonne tunnel boring machine cutterheads, a key step in delivering Adelaide’s non‑stop north–south transport corridor. The lift confirms TBM assembly is advancing on schedule for the twin‑tunnel section, which will carry high‑volume traffic beneath existing urban development. For civil and geotechnical teams, the milestone signals imminent full‑face tunnelling, with associated demands on segment lining logistics, spoil management and settlement monitoring in densely built areas.

Approval of a 60 per cent Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) concrete mix by VicRoads for road and transport projects across Victoria marks a major shift in allowable low-carbon binders for state infrastructure. The mix, developed and trialled with Geoquest Australia, replaces the majority of Portland cement with SCMs such as fly ash and slag, cutting embodied carbon while maintaining performance to VicRoads specifications. Designers and contractors can now specify substantially higher SCM contents on VicRoads projects without seeking project-by-project exemptions.

Victory Metals has reported “exceptional” metallurgical leaching results from its 100 per cent-owned North Stanmore heavy rare earth project in Western Australia, with a particular uplift in yttrium recoveries. The company is advancing column leach tests and optimisation of acid consumption after earlier bottle-roll work, targeting a clay-hosted rare earth system amenable to low-cost in-situ or heap leach-style processing. For geometallurgy and mine design, the results point to potential simplification of beneficiation flowsheets and greater emphasis on leach pad hydrology and solution management rather than complex concentrator circuits.

Aggreko has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Harmony Gold to build and operate what is billed as Australia’s largest hybrid power facility for the Eva copper mine project in northwest Queensland. The off-grid system is expected to combine high-penetration solar PV with thermal generation and battery energy storage, replacing conventional diesel-heavy supply for the planned open-pit copper operation. For mine planners and owners, the deal signals growing bankability of large-scale hybrid PPAs to cut power costs and emissions on remote greenfield sites.

Ausenco has secured an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract for the Hillside copper project, signalling progression towards full project execution after a prolonged permitting and feasibility phase. The mandate covers process plant design, materials handling and associated infrastructure, positioning Ausenco to define key specifications for concentrator throughput, tailings management and power supply. For geotechnical and civil teams, the EPCM scope will drive final decisions on pit geotechnics, foundation systems for heavy plant and haul road geometry ahead of construction mobilisation.

Northern Star Resources’ March quarter gold sales have surged, signalling a production ramp-up across its Western Australian assets including Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and the Super Pit. Management is positioning for record output in FY25–26 as processing throughput and mine development advance at key hubs such as Yandal and Pogo, supported by higher mill utilisation and improved grade control. For contractors and suppliers, the trajectory points to increased demand for underground development, open-pit fleet capacity, and plant optimisation services over the next 12–18 months.

Global tungsten producer EQ Resources has appointed former Newcrest chief development officer Michael Nossal as independent non-executive chair, replacing Oliver Kleinhempel from March as it advances its tungsten growth strategy. The board reshuffle comes as EQ Resources continues to position its Mt Carbine operation in Queensland and other assets in a tight global tungsten market dominated by Chinese supply. Governance stability and Nossal’s project development background will be closely watched by offtakers and financiers assessing long-term tungsten supply security.

Graham has secured places on six lots of the Procure Partnerships North West Contractor Framework, covering construction Lots 4–6 and infrastructure Lots 10–12 for public sector projects valued from £5m to over £30m. Managed by Wirral Council, the framework comprises 13 value- and category-based lots, with 53 contractors appointed following assessment against detailed technical and commercial criteria. Graham ranked first on infrastructure Lots 11 (£15m–£30m) and 12 (£30m+), positioning it strongly for medium- to large-scale regional infrastructure commissions.

Half of small and medium builders report job starts being delayed, with 49% affected, as 72% struggle to recruit skilled trades such as bricklayers, carpenters and site managers, according to the joint FMB and CIOB state of trade survey for H2 2025. Respondents cite extended lead times for critical path activities, difficulty assembling full site teams, and pressure on labour rates as key constraints on programme delivery. For infrastructure and housing projects, this signals higher risk of schedule overrun and tighter competition for experienced site-based personnel.

Proposals to finally ban cash retentions in UK construction contracts are dissected in Re:Construction podcast Episode 199, with Bishop and Taylor weighing impacts on supply-chain cashflow, SME contractors and existing JCT/NEC payment mechanisms. The hosts also question a Whitehall plan to cut statutory consultation requirements on infrastructure and planning decisions, examining risks for project challenge and programme certainty. A lighter segment looks at plug‑in solar panels and the oddly named fuel component Fatty Acid Methyl Ester, touching on practical implications for site power and plant emissions.

Two major roundabouts have opened on the A12 in East Suffolk to serve the Sizewell C nuclear power station construction site, which is expected to host almost 8,000 workers at peak. The junctions are designed to handle high volumes of HGV and workforce traffic accessing the coastal site, reducing reliance on smaller local roads. For civil and geotechnical teams, the works signal substantial highway interface, pavement design and traffic management demands over the multi-year construction period.

Major coastal defence works have started on the Sussex coast as the Environment Agency launches its annual spring programme to protect thousands of homes and businesses from tidal and storm-surge flooding. The campaign typically includes beach recharge using imported shingle, repair and raising of timber and rock groynes, and maintenance of concrete seawalls along key frontages such as Pevensey and Shoreham. Contractors will be working within tight tidal windows, with designs based on recent extreme water levels and wave conditions to maintain crest levels and reduce overtopping risk.

GeoPura has signed a 10‑year agreement with Forth Ports to install a commercial‑scale green hydrogen production plant at the Port of Tilbury in Essex, supporting construction of National Highways’ Lower Thames Crossing. The facility will use renewable electricity to produce hydrogen for GeoPura’s hydrogen power units, which are being deployed as an alternative to diesel generators on the scheme’s major temporary works. For contractors and plant suppliers, the deal signals growing demand for hydrogen‑ready equipment, on‑site storage, and revised logistics for fuel supply to large infrastructure projects.

Network Rail has completed replacement of thousands of glazing panels on the historic trainshed roof at London Liverpool Street, Britain’s busiest station by passenger numbers. The works form part of a wider roof refurbishment programme targeting ageing glass and steel elements to improve weatherproofing, daylighting and thermal performance over the concourse and platforms. For asset managers and structural engineers, the project signals ongoing investment in life-extension of Victorian station roofs rather than wholesale reconstruction, with implications for inspection regimes, access systems and future maintenance planning.

A House of Commons committee warns that accelerating coastal erosion is putting UK transport corridors, utilities and other critical national infrastructure at growing risk, with some assets already within metres of receding cliff lines and undefended shorelines. MPs found current planning rules and fragmented funding streams delay or block schemes such as realignment of coastal roads, relocation of wastewater treatment works and reinforcement of rail embankments. The inquiry calls for a national coastal adaptation strategy, clearer responsibilities between the Environment Agency and local authorities, and long-term funding to prioritise defence, managed retreat or asset abandonment.

National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (Nista) CEO Becky Wood marks the body’s first year by stressing its role in setting long-term, cross-sector infrastructure priorities and giving earlier, clearer signals to project promoters. She points to Nista’s statutory remit to advise on nationally significant schemes and its work to align major rail, road and energy investments with a single pipeline. For consultants and contractors, this signals more emphasis on whole-life value, standardised business cases and earlier engagement on scheme scope and risk.

National Grid has launched an £80M framework tender for installing high voltage cable circuits across its UK transmission network, seeking contractors to deliver multi-year works. The framework will cover new and replacement circuits on existing 275kV and 400kV routes, including jointing, testing and commissioning, as well as associated civil works such as ducting, trenching and cable trough construction. Bidders will need proven capability in live-network interfaces, outage-constrained programmes and compliance with National Grid’s technical specifications for high voltage cable systems.

Ivanhoe Mines has cut 2026 Kamoa-Kakula copper anode guidance to 290,000–330,000 tonnes (from 380,000–420,000 tonnes) and 2027 output to 380,000–420,000 tonnes (from 500,000–540,000 tonnes), after a new reserve model reduced contained copper by 24.7% and reserve grade by 28%. The mine plan now caps underground extraction at about 60% versus previous 70–80% assumptions, widens pillars, excludes inaccessible zones and prioritises 2026–27 development, rehabilitation and faster backfill sequencing, lifting cash costs. Ivanhoe still targets >500,000 tonnes per year from 2028, but its shares have fallen about 35% year-to-date, with BMO cutting its price target from $23 to $16.

OceanaGold’s latest drilling at the Wharekirauponga low-sulphidation epithermal system, 10 km north of Waihi on New Zealand’s North Island, has defined a new high-grade zone on the southern extent of the East Graben vein, with hole WKP144A returning 5.4 m at 25.8 g/t Au from 483 m and WKP144B cutting 14.9 m at 16.3 g/t Au from about 467 m. The emerging zone spans roughly 150 m of strike and remains open, complementing December 2025 resources of 2.63 Mt at 17.3 g/t Au (1.46 Moz) measured and indicated plus 2.9 Mt at 8.5 g/t Au inferred (800,000 oz). OceanaGold is running three drill rigs, with two more due in Q2, and is studying an underground mine that would tie into existing Waihi infrastructure, subject to permitting and further definition drilling.

BHP, Atalaya Mining and Xtra Energy Corp. led MINING.COM’s March Global Mining Power Rankings as investors favoured operational delivery and exposure to copper, potash, lithium and antimony amid conflict-driven spikes in oil and shipping costs. BHP secured 10.7% of large-cap votes on the back of its July CEO transition to Brandon Craig, roughly $20 billion committed to copper and potash growth, and the Jansen potash build, while Atalaya topped small caps with 8.2% after delivering about 51,000 tonnes of 2025 copper and raising roughly £127–130 million for expansion. Micro-cap Xtra Energy drew 17.1% of votes after test work produced ~63% antimony concentrate at ~97% recovery, signalling potential near-term US supply of this critical mineral.

Allied Gold shareholders have approved Zijin Gold International’s C$5.5 billion all-cash takeover at C$44 per share, giving Zijin control of the 80%-owned Sadiola mine in Mali plus the Bonikro–Agbaou complex in Côte d’Ivoire and the Kurmuk development in Ethiopia. Sadiola’s Phase 1 expansion, centred on a new comminution circuit treating higher-grade transitional and oxide ore, lifted 2025 output to 193,880 oz within group production of 379,000 oz, slightly above guidance. Allied is keeping 2026 guidance at 385,000–425,000 oz from existing mines plus 100,000–150,000 oz from Kurmuk, targeted to start up mid-2026.