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A proposal to install photovoltaic arrays on greyfield sites rather than productive farmland has taken the top prize in the Institution of Civil Engineers’ CityZen Awards student competition. The winning concept targets underused urban land and car parks for solar deployment, aiming to preserve agricultural soils while increasing local renewable generation capacity. For civil and infrastructure engineers, the idea reinforces planning and site-selection strategies that prioritise brownfield and greyfield assets over greenfield loss.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has revised and modernised its Code of Professional Conduct to tighten expectations on ethical behaviour, competence and accountability for members and registrants. The refreshed code is expected to place greater emphasis on managing safety risks, transparent decision-making on major infrastructure projects, and responsible use of emerging tools such as digital twins and AI-based design optimisation. Firms will need to review internal procedures, training and project governance to ensure alignment with the updated professional and regulatory obligations.

More than 80% of built environment professionals surveyed rate collaboration as critical to successful project delivery, yet 70% of organisations still use traditional contract frameworks such as lump-sum and design–bid–build. The research points to limited adoption of NEC-style collaborative contracts, early contractor involvement and integrated project teams, despite widespread recognition of their value in managing programme risk and interfaces. For engineers, this gap suggests continued exposure to claims-heavy delivery models, fragmented design–construction feedback, and slower uptake of digital coordination tools like common data environments.

Midway through 2026, the Institution of Civil Engineers is moving to formalise its next phase of work after a first half-year focused on asset maintenance, ethics, intelligence and stewardship across the profession. Trustees are steering efforts towards more data‑driven asset management, with emphasis on whole‑life performance of critical infrastructure and clearer ethical frameworks for use of digital tools and automation. For practitioners, this signals tighter expectations on maintenance strategies, evidence‑based decision‑making and governance around intelligent infrastructure systems.

Long-term infrastructure planning is being reframed around sustained uncertainty driven by geopolitical tension, climate change and rapid digital and artificial intelligence disruption. For civil engineers, this means stress-testing assets and programmes against volatile energy prices, more frequent extreme-weather events and cyber-physical risks to critical systems such as smart grids and digitally controlled transport corridors. The piece points to the need for adaptive investment pipelines, scenario-based design and governance that can cope with non-linear shocks rather than relying on static 30–50 year masterplans.

National Grid’s Distribution System Operator has released a Strategic Roadmap detailing how it will meet RIIO-ED2 commitments while preparing distribution networks for a “smarter, more flexible energy system”. The plan focuses on integrating higher volumes of distributed generation and electric vehicle charging, using tools such as active network management, flexible connection agreements and enhanced data visibility at 11kV and LV levels. For civil and electrical engineers, this signals more connection-driven reinforcement, targeted substation upgrades and closer coordination between network design, streetworks and local energy projects through to 2028.

Exploration momentum is building across Australia as Auravelle Metals, Terrain Minerals and Amara Minerals push gold and antimony projects forward via reverse circulation (RC) drilling, technical studies and early-stage resource work. Terrain is advancing its Lightning gold project towards a maiden resource while also running new RC drilling campaigns at Nuckulla Hill to test extensions to known mineralisation. Amara is reporting growing confidence in a deepening antimony system at Lauriston, signalling potential for larger-scale, higher-grade underground targets.

Metso has secured orders worth over €10 million to supply two Premier horizontal grinding mills to Emerald Resources’ Dingo Range Gold Project in Western Australia and Memot Gold Project in Cambodia, booked in Metso’s Minerals segment Q2 2026. The package includes a 12 ft x 18 ft, 1.6 MW Premier ball mill for Dingo Range and a 15 ft x 22 ft, 3 MW Premier SAG mill for Memot, both with Metso’s gear-driven technology. The mills are designed for gold ore grinding circuits, with Metso providing engineering support and spare parts to optimise throughput and availability.

Marimaca Copper is insulating its $587 million Marimaca oxide heap-leach project in northern Chile from sulphuric acid price spikes by buying and planning to relocate the second-hand Dos Amigos acid plant from Mejillones, 25 km away, acquired for $2.5 million versus an estimated $50–70 million for a new installation. The 13-year SX-EW operation is designed to produce 50,000 t/y of copper cathode from 178.6 Mt at 0.42% Cu, with a post-tax NPV of $709 million and 31% IRR at $4.30/lb. Parallel drilling at the nearby Pampa Medina target is returning long sulphide intercepts such as 424 m at 0.58% Cu and 2.2 g/t Ag from 424 m, indicating stacked oxide–sulphide potential beyond the starter oxide phase.

USA Rare Earth has been selected by the US Department of Energy for up to $19.3 million in funding under the Critical Materials Innovation, Efficiency and Alternatives programme to build a pilot-scale rare earth separations facility, within a $50.5 million project backed by $31.2 million in non-DOE capital. The company is pursuing a fully integrated rare earths and magnet supply chain, adding UK-based Less Common Metals in 2025 and a 12.5% stake in French processor Carester SAS in April, alongside a proposed $1.6 billion US Department of Commerce package. A separate $2.8 billion acquisition of Brazil’s Serra Verde and its Pela Ema mine, which could supply about half of ex-China heavy rare earth output by 2027, is under antitrust review in Brazil and includes a 15-year US offtake for Nd, Pr, Dy and Tb.

Southern Copper will spend $318.6 million over 17 months to overhaul the Cuajone mine in Peru’s Moquegua region, adding a new filter press at the concentrator, a dedicated electrical substation and control room, and relocating part of the freshwater pipeline. The programme also prepares 25.3 hectares for additional leaching and upgrades the sewer network, aiming to sustain roughly 163,000 tonnes per year of fine copper output as ore grades decline. Parallel $79 million works at Toquepala include a desliming unit, new tailings thickeners and seepage controls, building on Copper Mark and GISTM-compliant tailings management.

Codelco has dismissed one executive and sanctioned seven others after an internal audit found about 26,875 tonnes of copper from Chuquicamata and Ministro Hales were misclassified as 2025 finished output rather than work‑in‑process, implying production fell to its lowest level since 1998. The overstated tonnage, roughly 2% of Codelco’s 1.33 Mt of fine copper output, allowed the miner to hit an exceptional December target well above the January–November average of 105,600 t/month and inflated incentive payments. Findings on misuse of exception rules and weak operational validation have been referred to prosecutors, just as incoming chairman Bernardo Fontaine prepares a four‑year plan including a $2 billion integration of Chuquicamata, Radomiro Tomic and Ministro Hales.

Critical Metals has signed a 15-year offtake agreement with US magnet producer REalloys covering up to 15% of rare earth concentrate output from the Tanbreez project in southern Greenland, with priority on heavy rare earths dysprosium and terbium and rights of first refusal on extra volumes. Tanbreez hosts about 45 million tonnes at 0.4% total rare earth oxides with an estimated 27% heavy REE content, and is planned to ramp from roughly 85,000 t REO by 2028–29 to about 425,000 t/y. With this deal and an existing Ucore Rare Metals commitment, around 75% of expected concentrate production is now under offtake, giving REalloys long-term feedstock ahead of US 2027 defence procurement restrictions.

Greenland Mines is acquiring Neo Performance Materials’ Sarfartoq rare earth project in southwest Greenland for $35 million (US$20 million cash, US$15 million in shares), with Neo retaining offtake rights over up to 60% of future ore or concentrate. The carbonatite-hosted deposit, about 60 km from Kangerlussuaq, has a historic resource of 5.88 Mt indicated at 1.77% TREO and 2.46 Mt inferred at 1.59% TREO, with Nd-Pr comprising 25–40% of TREO and drill intercepts up to 8 m at 6.5% TREO. Existing 23,000 m of drilling, metallurgical test work and environmental baseline studies will feed into an updated PEA targeting a path to commercial production.

US Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jim Risch have introduced the bipartisan System Integrity through Licensed Vault Expansion and Resilience (SILVER) Act to amend the Commodity Exchange Act and mandate at least two licensed precious metal depositories in each US time zone, breaking the current concentration around New York City. The bill aims to cut systemic and national security risk, improve market liquidity and reduce storage and transport costs for miners and traders in Western states such as Nevada. Backers include Money Metals Depository, The Silver Institute, A‑Mark Precious Metals/Gold.com and Texas Precious Metals Depository, with a companion bill already filed in the House.

Perpetua Resources has secured unanimous approval for a US Export-Import Bank $2.9 billion loan under the Make More in America Initiative to build the $1.3 billion Stibnite Gold project in Idaho, which hosts the only identified domestic antimony reserve. The financing, combined with existing cash, is expected to fully fund direct construction, supporting the US Army’s “ground-to-round” antimony trisulphide supply chain for ammunition and wider defence uses. The project, designated a FAST-41 Transparency Project, has completed extensive scientific and public review, while Perpetua’s market capitalisation sits at $3.34 billion.

Copper’s record run to $6.667/lb ($14,700/t) now gives 75 operating copper mines nominal annual copper revenues above $1 billion based on 2025 mine-level production, up from 52 on the previous MINING.COM “unicorn” list. The analysis excludes byproduct credits, meaning several large Cu-Au or Cu-Mo operations would exceed $1 billion at effectively negative net copper cost once gold, molybdenum or cobalt are accounted for. With copper making up nearly 6% of initial capex for hyperscale data centres, the sector is positioned to capture a larger share of AI-driven infrastructure spending.

Canada’s Supreme Court will hear British Columbia’s appeal of the Gitxaala v. British Columbia (Chief Gold Commissioner) ruling, which found the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) incorporates UNDRIP and creates immediate, legally enforceable obligations. The case follows a 2023 BC Supreme Court decision that the province’s automatic online mineral claim staking system breached the constitutional duty to consult Indigenous nations. Mining executives say the evolving interpretation of DRIPA is injecting significant uncertainty into BC mineral tenure and project approval processes, with no hearing date yet set.

Exploration-focused AI platform MinersAI is expanding into the Asia-Pacific region with a new headquarters in Perth, Western Australia, targeting one of the world’s most active mining innovation hubs. The company, which positions itself as a computational discovery partner for the global resources sector, has appointed Leon Morgan as Global Chief Revenue Officer to drive commercial growth from the Perth base. For exploration teams, the move signals increased local access to AI-driven target generation and data-integration services across Australian and broader APAC projects.

Sandvik has secured a further mining equipment order from Aris Mining to support the 100%-owned Segovia underground gold operations in Antioquia, Colombia, one of the highest-grade gold mines globally with a reserve grade of about 10.7 g/t Au. The additional Sandvik fleet is expected to be deployed into the narrow-vein, high-grade stopes typical of the historic Segovia district, where mechanisation levels and equipment reliability directly constrain production rates. For mine planners and maintenance teams, the deal signals continued investment in modern mobile equipment to sustain high-grade underground output.

Metso has secured orders worth over €10 million to supply two horizontal grinding mills to Emerald Resources NL for the Dingo Range gold project in Western Australia and the Memot gold project in Cambodia, with booking recorded in the Minerals segment’s June 2026 quarter. The twin-mill package signals parallel process plant build-outs across two jurisdictions, giving Emerald commonality in comminution equipment, spares and control philosophy. For project engineers, early mill selection fixes key design envelopes for foundations, power demand and downstream throughput at both greenfield sites.

GR Engineering Services has signed an EPC contract with Genesis Minerals’ subsidiary Genesis Minerals (Leonora) Pty Ltd for the Tower Hill gold project near Leonora in Western Australia, after previously being named preferred contractor. The scope covers detailed engineering, procurement and construction of the processing plant and associated non-process infrastructure for the brownfields expansion. Project engineers will be watching for plant throughput design, integration with existing Leonora operations and any geotechnical requirements for foundations and tailings or waste storage once detailed specifications are released.

MaxMine has rolled out a production-grade machine learning system for load and dump classification across Australian mine fleets operated by Glencore, NRW Holdings and Macmahon, with the platform now running continuously for six months. The edge-deployed models automatically tag truck payload events in near real time, sharply cutting missed or misclassified loads and reducing manual data cleaning by site engineers. Early results point to tighter haulage cycle control and more reliable production reporting, giving dispatch and planning teams higher-confidence payload and cycle-time data.

Euro Mine Expo 2026 opens next week at Skellefteå Kraft Arena in northern Sweden, with a fully booked exhibitor floor and delegates expected from more than 40 countries. Organisers are positioning the exhibition area as a “leading arena for the green transition”, with suppliers showcasing low‑carbon mining equipment, electrified fleets and process optimisation technologies tailored to Nordic underground and open‑pit operations. For engineers, the event offers concentrated access to OEMs and technology developers working on decarbonised haulage, energy‑efficient comminution and digital monitoring of mine infrastructure.