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Freeport-McMoRan beat second-quarter profit forecasts with adjusted earnings of $0.74 per share and net income of $984 million, helped by a realised copper price of $6.17/lb versus $4.54/lb a year earlier despite an 18.2% drop in copper production to 786 million lb. Grasberg, hit by about 800,000 t of wet material flooding in September, is running at roughly 50% of capacity, targeted to reach 65% later this year and near full capacity by end-2027, with full restart now delayed to early 2028. Freeport reaffirmed 2026 guidance of 3.1 billion lb copper and 650,000 oz gold sales, with $4.3 billion capex planned, including $3 billion for major mining projects.

Sunrise Energy Metals is fast-tracking expansion studies at its 100%-owned Syerston scandium project in New South Wales, evaluating an additional 120 tpa Sc2O3 production train to lift nameplate capacity from 60 tpa to 180 tpa. The project’s feasibility study confirmed a US$120 million capital cost and life-of-mine site operating costs of US$534/kg Sc2O3 over a 32-year life, targeting first commercial production in 2028. Work will deliver a mine plan to 180 tpa, Class 5 capex estimate, revised plant configuration and site layouts, leveraging the ongoing FEED for the initial 60 tpa development.

BHP, FCM, Mitsubishi Materials, NTT group companies and Japanese cable makers have begun a demonstration to trace the greenhouse gas emissions profile of copper cables produced from Escondida copper concentrate using a mass balance credit model. The trial will follow concentrate from BHP’s Escondida mine in Chile through smelting, refining and wire manufacturing in Japan, assigning GHG “credits” along each processing step. If successful, the approach could give OEMs and utilities verifiable, product-level emissions data for specific cable batches without segregating low‑carbon material in physical supply chains.

Atlas Copco E‑Air V1100 electric compressors are being deployed by Mexico-based manganese producer Autlán to supply the high‑speed air jets that drive its automated ore sorting line, where split‑second bursts separate high‑grade ore from waste rock. The V1100 units are engineered for rapid load response and tightly controlled discharge pressure, critical to maintaining consistent jet timing and throw distance across multiple nozzles. For process engineers, the move signals growing reliance on electrically driven, precision air systems to stabilise sensor‑based sorting performance in high‑throughput manganese operations.

Hofmann Engineering Chile has opened an expanded Antofagasta facility, adding over 2,000 sq.m and quadrupling its workshop footprint to handle a wider range of mining component overhauls and rebuilds. The upgraded workshop now includes 140-tonne crane capacity, giving sufficient lift for large mill components, crushers and heavy drivetrain assemblies common on Chilean copper operations. For maintenance planners and OEMs, the added space and lifting capability increase local options for major shutdown work and reduce reliance on longer-distance rebuild centres.

Redpath Mining has been named preferred underground contractor for Evolution Mining’s Bert project at the Ernest Henry copper-gold mine in north Queensland, and for the E22 project at the Northparkes copper-gold operation in New South Wales. The work packages, disclosed via a Redpath job posting, cover new underground development rather than open-pit activities, signalling additional decline, level access and ore drive development in both orebodies. For suppliers and labour, this points to near-term demand for underground development crews, ground support, and mobile fleet in two established Australian base metals hubs.

Savannah Resources has released the definitive feasibility study and maiden JORC Reserve for Phase 1 of the Barroso Lithium Project in northern Portugal, detailing a 14‑year open pit operation centred on 2.56 Mt of spodumene concentrate production. The DFS outlines conventional drill‑and‑blast mining with truck‑shovel haulage feeding a crush–grind–flotation plant, targeting battery‑grade spodumene for European converters. For geotechnical and mine planners, the phased pit development and long mine life provide a stable basis for slope design, waste scheduling and infrastructure staging.

MaxMine is moving into mining fleet management, adding business intelligence and AI-driven decision support on top of its existing operational data platform to target lower cost per tonne and reduced productivity variability. The new tools are aimed at mine operators wanting a single system that fuses high-frequency machine data with real-time analytics to guide shift-by-shift decisions on haulage, loading and equipment utilisation. For engineers, the shift means potential integration of fleet dispatch, production reporting and performance diagnostics within one data environment rather than multiple siloed systems.

ProTX has launched the Arresta 100, claimed as the world’s first vehicle arrestor purpose-built for temporary static works, targeting the “missing middle” between cones/signs and full concrete barriers on short-duration sites. Designed for rapid deployment and removal around low-speed lane closures and shoulder works, the modular system is intended to physically stop errant vehicles rather than merely deflect them, addressing around 800 annual roadwork site crashes in Australia, including 18 fatalities and 245 serious injuries.

Procurement has begun for the main construction contract on Queensland’s Tiaro Bypass, an 8.5‑kilometre, four‑lane highway realignment east of Tiaro on the Bruce Highway north of Brisbane. The project will create a new divided carriageway section, removing through‑traffic from the existing town main street and improving continuity on this nationally significant freight and cyclone evacuation route. Geotechnical and civil design will need to address greenfield earthworks, floodplain behaviour and tie‑ins to existing Bruce Highway geometry and pavement structures.

A second tranche of 24 projects has secured funding under Western Australia’s Regional Road Safety Program after its scope was expanded to include local government roads. Works will target run-off and head-on crash risks through measures such as shoulder sealing, audio-tactile line marking and roadside hazard removal on regional routes managed by councils. For designers and asset managers, the funding signals continued priority for low-cost, network-wide safety treatments over isolated major upgrades, with implications for pavement widening, drainage adjustments and clear zone management.

The Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority has awarded BMD the early works contract for the new Brisbane Stadium, a key package ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Scope includes bulk earthworks, erosion and sediment controls, and semi-permanent site infrastructure, setting geotechnical parameters and drainage behaviour before main construction. Contractors will need to manage sediment basins, staged cut-and-fill and temporary stormwater controls carefully, as these early levels and ground treatments will lock in foundation options and future stadium access geometry.

SurveyX (UK), a Yorkshire-based start up led by project manager Joe Walshaw with over 30 years’ survey and ground engineering experience, is launching a suite of underground investigation services for tunnels, utilities and drainage networks. The firm will combine topographical surveys, ground penetrating radar, utility tracing, CCTV inspections and 3D building scanning to capture precise spatial data, structural details and defect locations for repair or future use. SurveyX has already secured contracts in Kent and is targeting UK-wide coverage within two years, leveraging AI- and internet-enabled workflows to accelerate ground exploration and design planning.

Finning has completed a certified rebuild of a 2011 Cat D6T dozer for waste operator Enovert, stripping the 9,511‑hour machine to chassis and renewing the powertrain and hydraulics at its Cannock rebuild, repair and response centre. The work combined new and remanufactured components, including engine, transmission, torque converter, final drives, hydraulic pumps and motors, cylinders, hoses, main control valve, hydraulic tank, undercarriage, cab and wiring harness, plus full repaint. The dozer returns to landfill duty with a five‑year/8,000‑hour powertrain and hydraulics warranty, extending asset life at lower capex than a new unit.

Barhale has delivered Anglian Water’s first tertiary treatment plant targeting the pesticide Cypermethrin at Raunds Water Recycling Centre near Wellingborough, as part of a £7.8M integrated upgrade. The process uses a purpose-designed cloth filter with ferric dosing, including a 30m³ storage tank and downstream dosing pumps, to strip Cypermethrin to very low concentrations. To meet the new 1.5mg/l ammonia consent, Barhale installed 12 modular nitrifying SAF units with dedicated blowers, a new MCC, an interstage pumping station, and new structural bases, pipework and maintenance access routes.

Graham has completed a 90m-long, 150t steel active travel bridge over the A10, linking Waterbeach New Town to Cambridge Science Park for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians, commissioned by developer Urban&Civic. Appointed principal contractor in early 2025, Graham fabricated the structure off-site and installed it in modular sections to minimise closures on one of the region’s busiest roads. The bridge, opened by MP Charlotte Cane, ties into upgraded Mere Way, enabling a largely off-road 25-minute cycle to Cambridge city centre and forming part of a wider sustainable transport package.

Northern Ireland manufacturer Screencore has appointed RME Solutions as exclusive distributor for its full range of mobile screens and crushers, plus spare parts, across France. RME, led by managing director Benoît Roglet, will provide nationwide after-sales coverage, including service, maintenance and customer support for quarrying, recycling platforms, demolition sites and public works. The Screencore line will be integrated with RME’s existing sorting, grinding, sieving and cleaning equipment portfolio, giving French operators a single supplier for complete materials preparation circuits.

Atlas Copco has updated its ECO Controller energy management system to improve the efficiency of job site battery energy storage systems when operating in hybrid setups. The controller now integrates with third-party generator controllers from DSE, CAT, Cummins, and ComAp, allowing coordinated load sharing and automated start/stop strategies. For temporary power on construction and infrastructure sites, this enables smaller generator sizing, reduced idling, and better utilisation of battery capacity without locking contractors into a single OEM.

National Pile Croppers has launched the PC 400, a hydraulic cropper designed specifically for 300–400 mm pre-cast piles with four or more reinforcing bars, extending its range beyond traditional cast-in-place applications. The unit has already been deployed by Careys on a Holcim project, giving early site validation of its performance on heavily reinforced pre-cast sections. For contractors, the tool targets faster, more controlled pile head trimming on standard pre-cast sizes, reducing manual breaking and potential damage to reinforcement.

Smulders will fit Palfinger PF 160-5m marine davit cranes to 64 turbines under construction for ScottishPower Renewables’ 960 MW East Anglia Two offshore wind farm off the Suffolk coast, to handle materials and support maintenance on turbine platforms. The fabricator has already ordered 96 identical units for the adjacent East Anglia Three project, with the two farms together expected to power about 2.25 million homes. For offshore contractors, standardising crane types across both sites should simplify lifting procedures, spares, and lifecycle service planning.

Kilmac has standardised its survey operations on Trimble, buying six SPS720 total stations, six R780 GNSS rovers and six TSC710 data collectors with Siteworks from Sitech to complement its existing on-machine systems. The fully connected Trimble Civil Construction Technology ecosystem, managed through Trimble Business Centre and Works Manager, links office, field and plant for precision earthmoving and reduced rework on multi-phase civils and groundworks. The setup is already deployed on the £76m Clackmannanshire Wellbeing Hub and Lochies school project in Scotland, due to complete in late 2027.

Morgan Sindall reported a 21% rise in adjusted pre-tax profit to £116.1m on first-half 2026 revenues up 8% to £2.562bn, driven primarily by its construction and fit-out divisions. Partnership housing revenue fell 14%, signalling softer demand or delayed schemes in that segment despite stronger commercial and public sector project pipelines. For contractors and consultants, the figures point to resilient UK building and interiors workloads, with more cautious conditions in mixed-tenure and affordable housing delivery.

BHP has joined seven partners, including copper producers, wire rod mills and cable manufacturers, in a demonstration project to trace greenhouse gas emissions from copper ore at the mine through to finished power cable. The pilot will test a mass balance credit model to transfer and verify emissions attributes along complex, multi-source supply chains rather than relying on simple physical segregation. For geotechnical and mining teams, this signals growing pressure to quantify Scope 1 and 2 emissions per tonne of copper concentrate with auditable, chain-of-custody data.

Dowdens Group is using QME 2026 in Mackay to showcase integrated fluid handling and water treatment systems for mining, spanning high-duty pumping packages, modular treatment plants and pneumatic equipment tailored to remote Queensland sites. The AxFlow-owned business is emphasising site-specific engineering through Dowdens Pumping & Water and associated service units, targeting dewatering, process water, dust suppression and wastewater reuse. For mine operators, the offer centres on packaged, maintainable systems with local fabrication, on-site commissioning and lifecycle support rather than standalone pump supply.