Geomechanics.io

Planning approvals for UK renewable energy projects almost doubled in 2025, with Cornwall Insight attributing the jump mainly to a wave of battery energy storage systems and new offshore wind farms. Analysts link the increase to recent regulatory changes that have shortened consent timelines and clarified rules for grid-connection and environmental assessment. For civil and geotechnical teams, this signals a larger pipeline of large-footprint battery compounds and marine foundations, with more pressure on grid‑tie infrastructure, coastal works and consenting capacity.

The derailment of a freight train on a bridge in Audenshaw, Greater Manchester, on 6 September 2024 was caused by failure of screws securing the rails to a timber support system, according to the Rail Accident Investigation Branch. The incident occurred on a bridge structure where the track was fastened to timber rather than conventional concrete or steel bearers, and the screw fixings did not maintain adequate restraint. The findings point to the need for closer inspection regimes and design checks for timber-supported track, particularly at bridge locations with high dynamic loading.

Work has started on stabilisation works to protect the coastal railway through Folkestone Warren in Kent, with contractors delivering the first consignments of rock armour to strengthen sea defences directly beneath the track. The scheme targets a historically unstable chalk and gault clay landslip zone where wave attack and toe erosion threaten the formation and embankment supporting the line. Engineers will focus on reinforcing the coastal toe to reduce slope movement risk and maintain resilience of this constrained coastal rail corridor under increasing storm and tidal loading.

Ground preparation is under way to tackle sub‑optimal geology ahead of Lower Thames Crossing tunnelling, with drives under the river not due to start until late 2028. Tunnels director Alastair Lewis is sequencing works to deal with weak alluvium and variable chalk, aiming to stabilise the alignment before launching large‑diameter TBMs for the twin road tunnels. Early treatment of poor ground conditions is intended to reduce settlement risk for the approaches and portals and to de‑risk TBM performance beneath the Thames.

Lundin Gold has lifted gold recovery at its Fruta del Norte concentrator by installing Glencore Technology’s Jameson Cell units in the flotation circuit. The upgrade targets a throughput increase from 4,500 t/d to 5,000 t/d by recovering valuable material previously lost to tailings and relieving bottlenecks in the existing rougher-cleaner configuration. For plant and process engineers, the case points to high-intensity Jameson Cell retrofits as a compact option to debottleneck brownfield gold flotation circuits without major footprint expansion.

BIA Group has acquired BPM Construction (formerly SAMI TP), a French dealer for Komatsu earthmoving fleets and Metso crushing and screening plants serving construction, quarrying and mining clients. The deal expands BIA’s footprint in France and continental Europe, adding BPM’s established service network for heavy mobile equipment and fixed processing lines. For mine and quarry operators, the combined portfolio should streamline procurement and maintenance of Komatsu haul trucks and excavators alongside Metso crushers and screens under a single regional support structure.

Montage Gold has awarded Metso the contract to supply all apron, belt and vibrating feeders for the Koné gold project in Côte d’Ivoire, extending an existing scope that already covers the site’s grinding equipment. The feeder package is engineered to integrate directly with Metso’s previously ordered process line, reducing interface risk between primary crushing, stockpile reclaim and downstream milling. For project engineers, a single OEM for both feeders and grinding simplifies layout design, spares strategy and control system integration.

British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Office has approved an amendment to Centerra Gold’s Mt Milligan copper-gold mine certificate, allowing increased production and extending operations near Fort St James to 2035. The decision by the Chief Executive Assessment Officer follows a detailed review of the EAO’s assessment report and associated conditions. Longer mine life and higher throughput will drive updates to waste rock and tailings management plans, water balance and discharge controls, and closure design for the open-pit operation.

Bonfiglioli is targeting underground conveyor systems with integrated drive packages combining heavy-duty bevel-helical gearmotors, high-efficiency IE3/IE4 electric motors and condition monitoring for longwall and panel conveyors. The systems are engineered for confined headings and high-dust, high-moisture environments, with options for flameproof enclosures, IP66 protection and torque ratings suited to steep gradients and high starting loads. Remote diagnostics and vibration/temperature monitoring aim to cut unplanned stoppages and allow mines to optimise conveyor tensioning, drive placement and maintenance intervals.

SEW‑EURODRIVE is expanding its Australian industrial gear service capability with a national network of service centres backed by large local inventories of complete gear units and critical spares to cut shutdown durations. The company focuses on fast overhaul and replacement of helical, bevel-helical and planetary drives used on conveyors, mills and apron feeders, using OEM test rigs and factory-spec assembly to restore original torque ratings and thermal performance. For mine operators, the approach reduces the need for emergency imports and supports planned maintenance on high-power drives in remote locations.

Australia’s mining sector is being primed for a possible 2026 upswing as major iron ore, lithium and critical minerals projects in Western Australia’s Pilbara and Queensland’s north-west minerals province move through feasibility and early works. Analysts are watching Rio Tinto’s Pilbara expansion plans and several 5–10Mtpa-scale lithium and nickel projects whose final investment decisions hinge on mid-2025 commodity price signals and grid connection approvals. For geotechs and civil contractors, this points to a likely surge in bulk earthworks, tailings storage lifts and haul road construction demand within 12–24 months.

Intrepid Potash, working with Aquatech International and Adionics SAS, has produced battery-grade lithium carbonate from post-process brine at its Wendover, Utah potash facility using direct lithium extraction, achieving 92.9% lithium recovery and >99.5% lithium chloride purity. Aquatech’s downstream processing converted the lithium-rich brine to ≥99.5% lithium carbonate meeting battery manufacturing specifications, and the partners will continue evaluating a dedicated lithium plant under their existing Joint Development Agreement. Intrepid plans to leverage existing evaporation and brine-handling infrastructure while limiting new capital exposure, positioning lithium as a margin uplift alongside its core muriate of potash operations.

TBM Xihe, a 7.3m-diameter, 100m-long, 1,000-tonne Herrenknecht slurry machine, has completed the up-track drive to the future Tung Chung West Station and has begun boring the down-track tunnel towards Tung Chung Station for MTR’s Tung Chung Line Extension in Hong Kong. The Bouygues Travaux Publics–Dragages Hong Kong JV turned the TBM underground within the launch shaft using a push-pull method and self-propelled modular transporter, avoiding full disassembly and surface transport. About 1.3km of new twin-bore tunnels are being driven close to existing rail and urban structures, with commissioning targeted for 2029.

Caterpillar has launched Cat AI Assistant, a generative AI tool that lets mine operators query mixed fleets, parts catalogues and digital applications in natural language to support buying, maintenance and operations decisions. The assistant integrates with existing Cat digital platforms such as VisionLink and MineStar, drawing on telematics, condition monitoring and work order histories to propose actions like optimised maintenance windows or component replacements. For geotechnical and mining teams, this could speed fault diagnostics on critical assets such as haul trucks and loaders and tighten planning around equipment availability and downtime.

Austral Resources beat its 2025 Q4 copper production guidance at the Lady Annie heap leach–SXEW operation in northwest Queensland despite record rainfall and flooding that shut nearby mines and cut regional road access. Continuous irrigation of leach pads, maintaining solution management and access to the 30,000tpa SXEW plant, allowed copper cathode output to stay above budget while avoiding major geotechnical instability on stacked heaps. The performance signals robust wet-weather operating procedures and drainage design for future extreme rainfall events in the Mount Isa–Cloncurry district.

Dr Vanessa Torres has been appointed chair of the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), taking over leadership of the state-funded body that directs minerals R&D investment. MRIWA typically co-funds applied research in areas such as tailings management, orebody characterisation and decarbonisation of mining fleets across Western Australia’s iron ore, gold and battery minerals sectors. Torres’ appointment signals continuity for industry–research collaboration on high-impact geotechnical and processing projects, with funding decisions directly affecting mine design, waste storage strategies and technology trials in operating sites.

Western Australia has opened a new funding round under its Clean Energy Future Fund (CEFF), making $9 million available for clean energy projects that cut emissions or reduce energy costs. Mining, minerals processing and remote industrial operations are eligible, with typical projects including on-site solar and battery storage, high‑efficiency electrification of diesel loads, and demand‑side management technologies. The scheme targets projects that can be replicated across WA’s grid‑connected and off‑grid sites, signalling scope for miners to de‑risk low‑emission power trials at existing operations.

Northern Star Resources has reported a difficult December quarter but says it is on track for a stronger second half of the 2025–26 financial year, with production and cost guidance unchanged across its Australian gold operations. Management is banking on improved performance at key assets such as Kalgoorlie and Yandal, supported by ongoing capital spend on underground development and processing upgrades. For mine planners and geotechs, the message is to expect tighter operating discipline rather than major cutbacks, with current mine schedules and longer-term reserve development largely intact.

Manuka Resources is preparing to restart unhedged gold and silver production in the Cobar Basin in the June quarter of 2026, targeting its Mt Boppy and Wonawinta operations in New South Wales. The restart centres on existing open-pit and heap leach infrastructure, with processing focused on silver-rich oxide stockpiles and remnant gold ore rather than new large-scale development. Operating without price hedging exposes project economics directly to bullion price volatility, which will be critical for mine planning, cutoff grade strategy and sequencing of remaining reserves.

Lucara Diamond is proceeding with the Karowe underground expansion in Botswana after an updated feasibility study projected recovery of 4.5 million carats over a 10‑year mine life and an after‑tax NPV of $432 million, despite a sharp downturn in natural diamond demand and competition from lab‑grown stones. Open‑pit mining will cease before June 2026, with stockpiles sustaining the 2.85‑million‑tonne‑per‑year plant while underground production ramps to commercial output in H1 2028. The $779 million project, already $436 million spent, targets the high‑value South Lobe of the AK6 kimberlite and is expected to generate over $1.3 billion in net income through 2038.

Copper prices set a new record on Tuesday, with LME three‑month copper up 1.8% in open outcry to $13,225/t after touching an all‑time high of $13,387.50/t, extending a 6.6% gain so far in 2026 after a 42% surge last year. Supply risks centre on a strike at Capstone Copper’s Mantoverde copper‑gold mine in northern Chile and delays to Tongling Nonferrous’ Mirador phase‑two project in Ecuador, while US tariff rhetoric is pulling material into the country and distorting trade flows. Traders are increasingly split on whether speculative inflows are now outrunning physical fundamentals.

Gold’s best annual performance since 1979, with a 65% gain and a Boxing Day peak of $4,549.71/oz, has prompted Morgan Stanley to project a rise to $4,800/oz by Q4 2026, driven by falling rates, possible Fed leadership change and sustained central bank and fund buying. Bank of America, led by metals head Michael Widmer, expects 2026 gold to average $4,538/oz, with North American mine output from 13 majors slipping 2% to 19.2 Moz and all‑in sustaining costs rising 3% to about $1,600/oz. Widmer also sees silver between $135–$309/oz based on a gold‑silver ratio now around 59, while Morgan Stanley flags upside for silver, aluminium and copper amid Chinese export licence constraints, industrial demand and ongoing copper supply disruptions.

Centerra Gold has secured British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office approval to run the Mount Milligan open-pit copper-gold mine to 2035, authorising an 11% throughput increase to 66,500 tonnes of ore per day, an 80-hectare expansion of the disturbance area and a 26-metre raise of the tailings storage dam to 1,121 metres above sea level. The amendment also permits a revised haulage route, new site infrastructure 155 km north of Prince George, and updated reclamation and closure plans. A recent pre-feasibility study envisages potential operation to 2045, with annual output of 150,000 oz gold and 69 million lb copper from reserves of 483.2 million tonnes at 0.28 g/t Au and 0.16% Cu.

Agnico Eagle, Aya Gold & Silver and Gunnison Copper led MINING.COM’s December Global Mining Power Rankings, with Agnico securing 11.9% of large-cap votes on the back of a reaffirmed 2025 output of 3.3–3.5 Moz, about $3.1 billion free cash flow in nine months and full debt elimination targeted by Q4 2025. Aya’s Zgounder mine in Morocco reached commercial production post-expansion and a PEA for its 85%-owned Boumadine project outlines an 11-year, multi-pit and underground polymetallic operation, supported by a roughly 160% silver price surge. Micro-cap winner Gunnison Copper produced first copper cathode at Johnson Camp in Arizona in 2025, began sales in September and secured about $13.9 million in US DOE Section 48C tax credits, signalling momentum for US in-situ copper supply.