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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a C$10 billion plan to expand the Churchill Falls hydroelectric station in Labrador, nearly tripling its output and adding the Gull Island project plus over 600 km of new transmission to Quebec. Ottawa says the transmission build-out is intended to power mining in the Labrador Trough, with Natural Resources Canada’s First and Last Mile Fund providing C$2.3 million for a study on lines and substations to Labrador West. The work targets supply to the Kami iron ore project, the Lac Knife graphite deposit and other regional developments.

Wheaton Precious Metals’ new CEO Haytham Hodaly plans to make multi‑billion‑dollar streams, like this year’s US$4.3‑billion silver deal on BHP’s Antamina copper‑zinc mine in Peru, a roughly annual feature as the company deploys about US$4.7 billion in 2026 while keeping over US$2.5 billion in undrawn credit. Wheaton forecasts production rising from 803,000 to 1.2 million gold‑equivalent oz. between 2025 and 2030 from 22 producing assets and more than 20 development projects, with about 80% of its portfolio in the lower half of the cost curve. Newer contracts link ongoing payments to a percentage of spot prices rather than fixed escalators, modestly raising Wheaton’s unit costs but easing long‑term pressure on operators’ cash flow and balance sheets.

The US Department of Energy has earmarked up to $162 million for nine projects to recover scandium, copper, antimony and rare earth elements from mine tailings, abandoned copper mines, industrial byproducts and existing aluminium facilities, moving technologies from bench and pilot scale towards commercial demonstration. Selected recipients include Felix Gold’s Treasure Creek project near Fairbanks, targeting high-grade, near-surface antimony using existing mining infrastructure, and MIT spinout SiTration, which is developing copper and critical mineral recovery from diluted waste streams at operating sites. For operators, the programme signals growing technical and regulatory support for reprocessing legacy tailings and industrial residues as strategic feedstocks.

Captura and ElectraLith are integrating Captura’s bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) stacks with ElectraLith’s direct lithium extraction and refining (DLE-R) system in two commercial-scale pilot plants targeting US lithium supply. The DLE-R process is designed to treat multiple brine resources and produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide or carbonate at purities above 99.5%, while BMED aims to cut energy use and capital cost in electrochemical separation. Captura will supply BMED stacks to ElectraLith for at least five years, with pilot commissioning planned for early 2027 to test combined performance at near-commercial scale.

Petrobras has confirmed an oil discovery at the Morpho exploration well in ultra-deep water block FZA-M-59, about 175 km off Amapá in Brazil’s Foz do Amazonas basin, after drilling that began in October 2025 at roughly $1 million per day. The company has already spent $300 million on the well, about half on environmental protection measures, and plans a wider Equatorial Margin campaign with three further wells in this block and six elsewhere, pending IBAMA licences. Environmental and Indigenous groups have launched legal challenges over spill risk, climate impacts and lack of community consultation, creating significant permitting and ESG uncertainty for future offshore development.

Niron Magnetics has secured a $150 million loan from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and a conditional $150 million, 20‑year direct loan commitment from the US Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital to build its first full‑scale iron nitride magnet plant in Sartell, Minnesota. The facility, targeting start-up in 2027, will manufacture rare-earth-free iron nitride permanent magnets, aiming to establish a domestic supply for defence and other critical industries. For materials and mining suppliers, the project signals growing demand for iron-based magnet feedstocks and equipment for end-to-end magnet manufacturing lines.

Hertha Metals has produced 99.95% purity (3N5) magnet-grade iron at its demonstration-scale FLEXHERS (flexible fuel hydrogen electric reduction smelting) plant in Conroe, Texas, using fully domestic iron ore and natural gas. The Houston startup says it is the first US producer to meet top rare earth magnet makers’ iron specifications with entirely domestic inputs, addressing a material that currently is almost wholly imported. With US defence manufacturers facing a 1 January 2027 deadline to cut Chinese-origin magnet content, Hertha plans its next Chalyx facility to supply high-purity iron for NdFeB magnet producers.

BHP will trial both static and dynamic charging for battery-electric haul trucks at its Jimblebar iron ore mine in Western Australia as part of fleet viability assessments detailed in its latest annual results. The programme, run with multiple OEMs and technology partners, targets diesel displacement in large mining trucks, now identified as BHP’s biggest remaining lever for cutting operational Scope 1 GHG emissions after substantial decarbonisation of its electricity supply. Outcomes will influence future truck procurement, pit design, and high‑power charging infrastructure across BHP’s global operations.

Paus has acquired a stake in Austrian firm VirtuRail, adding battery-electric drive systems, intelligent vehicle control and automation to its underground and construction logistics portfolio. The deal positions Paus as a development and manufacturing partner for VirtuRail’s rail-based logistics platforms, integrating electric traction packages with digitally controlled haulage. For mine operators, this signals more OEM-backed options for battery-electric materials handling and automated logistics trains in constrained headings and construction sites.

Ideon Technologies will supply its compact borehole muon detectors to an international consortium attempting the world’s first high‑resolution muon imaging experiment powered solely by a laser‑plasma accelerator. The project aims to generate a high‑flux, tunable muon beam from a laser‑driven plasma source rather than a conventional synchrotron, enabling finer‑scale density imaging of ore bodies and underground voids. If beam stability and detector synchronisation targets are met, the approach could translate into faster, higher‑resolution subsurface imaging for mineral exploration, critical infrastructure assessment and nuclear security.

Thiess has signed a partnership and distribution agreement with FLANDERS to roll out FLANDERS’ hybrid retrofit drive train technology on existing mechanical‑drive haul trucks, rather than waiting for new battery‑electric fleets. The deal leverages Thiess’ global asset maintenance capability, engineering teams, rebuild workshops and field delivery experience to integrate the hybrid systems across its operating regions. For mine operators, the programme offers a pathway to cut diesel use and emissions on current truck fleets without major pit reconfiguration or new OEM platforms.

LGMG has unveiled an ultra-fast charging battery mining truck solution aimed at China’s ‘Dual Carbon’ strategy, targeting haul fleets where low charging efficiency and costly fixed infrastructure have stalled pure-electric adoption. The system is designed for high-power, short-duration charging cycles compatible with large rigid and articulated trucks, reducing idle time compared with conventional overnight or multi-hour charging. For mine operators, the approach enables higher utilisation of existing pits and haul roads without extensive substation upgrades, while cutting diesel-related ventilation and emissions constraints in deep or enclosed operations.

Mining companies awarding multi-year shaft sinking and underground development contracts are now prioritising contractors’ balance sheet strength and governance frameworks alongside technical capability, says Cementation Group CFO Sibulele Songca. For deep-level projects with high upfront capital exposure, owners are scrutinising contractors’ ability to absorb schedule risk, manage cash flow over extended mobilisation periods, and comply with stringent ESG and audit requirements. This shift favours larger, well-capitalised underground specialists like Cementation Africa for long-duration, high-risk contract mining commitments.

South Australia’s $15.4 billion River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) motorway project will have all three large-scale tunnel boring machines (TBMs) operational this week, with TBMs Catherine and Elizabeth about to start excavating alongside the already-boring TBM. The machines will drive parallel road tunnels beneath Adelaide’s inner south-west, forming the final missing link of the 78-kilometre North-South Corridor. Concurrent TBM operation will compress the tunnelling schedule and intensify demands on spoil handling, segment supply logistics and ground monitoring.

Downer EDI has secured more than $900 million in renewals and extensions for water, electrical and broader utility infrastructure contracts across Australia and New Zealand, covering long-term delivery and maintenance services. The portfolio spans power distribution and water network assets, signalling continued outsourcing of essential network operations to a single tier-one provider. Contractors and consultants can expect sustained demand for civil, electrical and pipeline works, condition assessment, and long-horizon asset management across multiple jurisdictions under Downer’s existing frameworks.

Three consortia led by major contractors have been shortlisted by the High Speed Rail Authority for the first works packages on the proposed Newcastle–Sydney High Speed Rail corridor, designed to cut rail journey times between the two cities to about one hour. The packages will cover early corridor, geotechnical and enabling works for a dedicated high-speed alignment, separate from the existing Main North line. Shortlisting signals the move into detailed design and constructability planning for Australia’s first true high-speed rail system.

Meeka Metals has acquired the Blue Vein, Bushpig and Razorback gold deposits near Mt Holland in Western Australia, securing a 71km² tenement package in the Forrestania greenstone belt. The ground includes surrounding mining tenements with roughly 24km of north–south striking mineralised trend, much of it described as underexplored. For geologists and mine planners, the scale and continuity of this strike length suggest scope for multi-deposit resource definition drilling and potential satellite feed to existing or future central processing infrastructure in the district.

Westgold Resources has declared a maiden ore reserve of 1.1 million ounces at the Fletcher deposit within the Beta Hunt operation in Western Australia, based on 13.5Mt at 2.6g/t gold. The reserve follows a 400 per cent increase in the Fletcher mineral resource, signalling a step change in mine planning options for the broader Beta Hunt underground complex. For engineers, the scale and grade support longer-life stope sequencing, potential ventilation and haulage upgrades, and re-optimisation of ground support and backfill strategies.

Ausgold will be acquired by Canadian miner OceanaGold in a court-approved scheme valuing Ausgold at about A$776 million, or A$1.36 per share, bringing the Katanning gold project in Western Australia into OceanaGold’s portfolio. Ausgold shareholders will receive 0.03365 OceanaGold shares per Ausgold share, with a cash alternative also offered. For project engineers and contractors, Katanning’s shift to a larger owner signals potential acceleration of feasibility, infrastructure and processing plant decisions under OceanaGold’s capital and technical standards.

A new Asia-Pacific Mining Investment Summit (APMI Summit) will launch in Adelaide on 29–30 September 2027, running at the Adelaide Showgrounds alongside AIMEX 2027 to connect mining companies with investors and capital providers from across the region. Co-locating the summit with a major equipment and technology expo concentrates project developers, OEMs and financiers in one venue, streamlining due diligence on new mines, expansions and decarbonisation projects. For engineers, this signals a focused platform to secure funding for large-scale processing plants, tailings upgrades and critical minerals developments.

Improving workshop waste management on Australian mine sites, Russel Stewart of Waste Initiatives argues, can cut waste handling costs by optimising how consumables like oil filters, oily rags, aerosol cans and scrap metal are segregated and compacted at source. Central to the approach are purpose-designed compactors, balers and filter crushers sized for typical mine workshops handling high volumes from haul truck and loader maintenance. Better on-bench segregation reduces contaminated general waste, lowers off-site disposal and transport charges, and can convert metal and cardboard streams into saleable recyclables.

Steel erection is under way on Caddick Construction’s second phase at Farington Park, Leyland, delivering four detached industrial units totalling 96,000 sq ft, with individual footprints from 14,750 sq ft to 33,000 sq ft and targeting BREEAM Excellent and EPC A. The scheme follows a 544,000 sq ft first phase completed in 2023 that now houses Victorian Plumbing’s north west logistics hub. Around £1m has been invested in a seven-acre park, de-culverting a nearby river, Leyland Loop cycleway works, upgraded rights of way, outdoor gym kit, cycle storage and EV charging.

Wates Construction has appointed former Willmott Dixon COO (interiors) and ex-southern region MD Roger Forsdyke as UK operations director, effective 1 September 2026. He will lead operational teams across all regions and be accountable for operational performance across the UK business, including delivery of complex, high-value public and private sector projects. Forsdyke will also champion the next phase of Wates’ business optimisation programme, signalling continued investment in process, leadership and delivery capability for large-scale infrastructure and building schemes.

Energy infrastructure specialist Global has launched Global Commissioning as a dedicated service unit, led by newly appointed director Ben Rushton. Rushton is pushing for commissioning plans, test procedures and resourcing to be defined at tender stage rather than left to the final phase of grid, generation and substation projects. The move signals tighter integration of commissioning into EPC workflows, with potential impacts on programme risk, interface management and performance verification for complex high-voltage and energy transition assets.