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Moment Energy has commissioned Megafactory 1 in Surrey, British Columbia, billed as the world’s largest EV battery repurposing plant and targeting 1 GWh of second-life battery energy storage system output by 2030. The facility converts retired EV packs into modular systems for data centres, factories and microgrids, with more than 100 direct jobs on site and over 1,000 indirect roles projected across the province. PacifiCan has backed the project with C$4.9 million, with CEO Edward Chiang stressing the six‑week build from announcement to operation as proof of rapid re‑shoring potential.

RCT – Powered by Epiroc has supported the restart of a historic Canadian nickel mine as it transitions from underground to open-pit operations, partnering with the mining services contractor leading site operations. The project centres on deploying RCT automation and remote-control solutions on surface production fleets to separate operators from active faces and highwall hazards. For geotechnical and mine planners, the move to surface mining with tele-remote equipment changes pit design constraints, traffic patterns and berm requirements, enabling more aggressive pushback sequences while maintaining operator exclusion zones.

BHP is replacing the radiators across its light vehicle fleet at the Olympic Dam operation in South Australia with Terrain Tamer Heavy Duty pressed aluminium units after an almost 12‑month in‑field trial. The heavy-duty radiators are designed for higher vibration and thermal loads typical of underground and surface mine roads, offering improved cooling performance and resistance to core and tank fatigue compared with standard OEM units. For maintenance teams, the change points to reduced unplanned LV downtime and lower cooling‑system failure risk in high‑dust, high‑ambient conditions.

Metso has signed two multi-year filtration Life Cycle Services agreements: a 5‑year contract with a major copper producer in South America and a 4‑year deal with a major lead/zinc producer in Asia Pacific. The LCS packages cover parts supply, planned maintenance and digital services for an extensive installed base of Larox® pressure filters used in concentrate dewatering. For plant operators, the deals signal continued OEM support for filter availability, cake moisture control and throughput stability over full asset life, rather than ad‑hoc component replacement.

SME MINEXCHANGE organisers have opened the call for 2027 conference speakers, inviting 100-word technical abstracts from mining operators, academics and technology providers worldwide. The annual event’s programme typically spans underground and open-pit operations, tailings and waste management, automation and digitalisation, ventilation, rock mechanics and ESG-focused mine planning. Early abstract submission gives practitioners a route to present detailed case studies, new equipment performance data and novel geotechnical or processing methods directly to a global audience of engineers and mine managers.

SAMI Bitumen Technologies’ SAMIGreen binder has been deployed across Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Program, one of the state’s largest rail and road grade-separation schemes. The modified binder, designed to incorporate higher recycled content and lower-temperature production than conventional C170/C320 asphalts, was used on key LXRP works to cut embodied carbon and energy demand while maintaining rut resistance and fatigue performance. For pavement designers, the trial-scale use on multi-lane arterial approaches and rail interface zones provides field data to support broader specification of low‑emission binders on heavy-duty urban corridors.

Barton Gold Holdings has started a pre-feasibility study for its Tunkillia gold project in South Australia, appointing GR Engineering Services as lead engineer for what it targets as a large-scale, high-margin open-pit operation. The PFS follows an updated mineral resource estimate at the 223 Deposit and new drilling that has extended mineralisation along strike and at depth, indicating potential for a larger production footprint. Outcomes will shape process plant design, pit optimisation and infrastructure sizing, directly affecting capital intensity and cut-off grade assumptions.

Queensland’s 2026–27 State Budget channels new funding into critical minerals projects while coal royalties continue to deliver billions in revenue to state finances. Measures include fresh support for the 1,100km CopperString transmission project linking the North West Minerals Province to the grid, alongside targeted critical minerals funding intended to accelerate copper, rare earths and battery metals developments. A review of the Financial Provisioning Scheme is also flagged, signalling potential changes to how mine rehabilitation securities and long‑term environmental liabilities are structured.

Mining royalties in New South Wales are forecast in the 2026–27 State Budget to rise from $3.2 billion this year to $3.4 billion next year, reinforcing the sector’s fiscal weight for the state. Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive Warren Pearce frames the budget as confirmation that existing operations and new exploration projects remain central to NSW revenue planning. For operators, the outlook signals continued political reliance on coal and metals production, with associated scrutiny on project approvals, rehabilitation liabilities and long-term royalty stability.

Ballard Mining has extended gold mineralisation at the Baldock deposit, with recent extensional drilling at the Mt Ida project in Western Australia returning multiple high‑grade intersections outside the current Mineral Resource Estimate of more than one million ounces. The step‑out holes indicate continuity of the main lode system beyond existing modelled boundaries, suggesting scope to add significant ounces at relatively shallow depths. For mine planning and geotechnical design, the results point to a potentially larger, longer‑life underground operation centred on Baldock.

PNG Industrial and Mining Resources Exhibition and Conference (PNG Expo 2026) opens in Port Moresby within days, with organisers reporting a late surge in exhibitor bookings from mine operators, OEMs and service contractors across PNG and northern Australia. The event will focus on large-scale copper–gold operations such as Ok Tedi and Porgera, alongside emerging critical minerals prospects, with suppliers showcasing pit-to-port haulage systems, mine electrification, and remote operations technologies. For geotechnical and civil teams, sessions on tailings storage, slope stability in high-rainfall terrain and port infrastructure upgrades will be central draws.

Chartway Partnerships Group, with Packaged Living and Moat, has completed the Alkerden 5B neighbourhood at Ebbsfleet Garden Village, delivering 47 Octopus “Zero Bills” homes equipped with roof-mounted solar PV and Tesla Powerwall battery storage. The scheme integrates on-plot renewable generation and behind-the-metre storage to offset household electricity demand, targeting net-zero operational energy bills under Octopus’ tariff conditions. For engineers, the project provides a live UK case study of estate-scale, grid-tied residential microgeneration and storage embedded at unit level rather than via centralised energy centres.

Recovery scheme The Pallet Loop reports issuing over 3 million reusable pallets in two years and collecting 1.8 million post-use, returning £1.4m in rebates to construction supply-chain users. Major adopters include British Gypsum, Wienerberger, Barratt Redrow and CEMEX, signalling growing acceptance of pooled, standardised pallets in heavy materials logistics. For contractors and suppliers, the figures give an early benchmark for achievable recovery rates and potential cost offsets when designing site logistics and materials-handling strategies.

Morgan Sindall has begun construction of new Royal Engineers facilities at Catterick Garrison, enabling the relocation of units from their existing barracks. The vacated site will be redeveloped by Homes England for approximately 1,300 new homes, signalling a major brownfield conversion within the military estate. The scheme will require careful phasing of demolition, utilities diversion and groundworks to maintain garrison operations while preparing serviced plots for large-scale residential construction.

United Infrastructure and SoilDri have agreed a national innovation partnership for AMP8 utility works, centred on on-site treatment and reuse of excavated materials instead of landfill disposal and imported aggregates. The collaboration deploys SoilDri SEM, a utilities-focused soil improvement solution for reinstatement, and the TSM-5, a road-towable soil mixing unit that processes spoil directly at source. Reduced lorry movements, lower embodied carbon and less community disruption are key outcomes as the approach is rolled out across UK utility infrastructure projects.

Graham has been appointed by City of Lincoln Council to design and construct the next phase of the 240-hectare Charterholme development, which will deliver up to 3,200 homes plus a local centre, primary school and mixed commercial and recreational land. The phase includes a new link road tying the Phase 1a western access from Skellingthorpe Road to the Phase 1b eastern access from Tritton Road, with associated drainage, utilities, street lighting, landscaping and plot upfilling. Detailed design will run through 2026, with main construction targeted to start in 2027, subject to planning and budget approvals.

Amey has begun installing a new Hill & Smith VRS barrier system across its National Highways maintenance and response portfolio, using advanced pre‑galvanised steel to improve durability and corrosion resistance compared with conventional safety barriers. The phased rollout integrates barrier replacement into existing maintenance windows, aiming to cut unplanned lane closures, repair frequency and associated traffic management costs. Lower embodied carbon and reduced site interventions over the barrier’s life are intended to support National Highways’ net zero targets while maintaining more reliable journey times.

Portakabin will deliver a three-storey headquarters building for the Workdry Group in Hampshire using 66 bespoke modular units as a showcase for modern methods of construction. The office will be assembled from factory-finished modules, reducing on-site construction time and programme risk compared with a conventional steel frame. For civil and structural teams, the scheme points to increased use of volumetric modules for multi-storey commercial buildings, with tighter tolerances and repeatable connection details driving faster fit-out and earlier occupation.

Surging deployment of AI workloads is driving a rapid build-out of UK data centres, but grid connection queues and constrained water resources are limiting new capacity. Developers are being pushed towards on-site generation such as gas peakers and battery storage, higher rack power densities, and liquid or hybrid cooling systems to cut reliance on potable mains supplies. For civil and M&E engineers, early coordination with DNOs, water companies and local planners is becoming critical to secure electrical import/export capacity and non-potable water sources.

Dublin Airport’s new 3,100m North Runway, delivered for about £270M, is being held up by project leaders as a template for building major aviation infrastructure within tight budget and live‑operations constraints. Construction required phasing works around existing runway movements, strict night‑time possession windows and complex airside logistics for heavy plant and materials. For civil and geotechnical teams, the project shows how long‑runway pavements, drainage and lighting systems can be built to international standards while minimising disruption to high‑intensity flight schedules.

Pressure is mounting to upgrade Birmingham–Manchester rail capacity and journey times without waiting for the cancelled HS2 Phase 2, with engineers examining options such as four-tracking key bottlenecks and targeted junction remodelling on the West Coast Main Line. Discussion centres on whether incremental works—longer platforms for 10–12 car sets, higher line speeds on existing alignments and digital signalling—can deliver sub‑70‑minute inter‑city timings. For practitioners, the debate raises immediate questions on staging major possessions, managing ground risk around legacy structures and integrating upgrades with Northern Powerhouse Rail plans.

Delivering the UK’s energy transition hinges less on 2030–2050 net zero targets and more on unblocking grid connections, planning consents and supply-chain capacity for gigawatt-scale offshore wind, nuclear new build and grid-scale storage. Engineers face long lead times for 400kV transmission reinforcements, substation upgrades and new interconnectors, with consenting and land access often exceeding construction durations. The piece points to the need for standardised designs, earlier geotechnical investigations and coordinated upgrades of ageing 132kV and 275kV assets to avoid delivery bottlenecks.

Rail resilience concerns are intensifying as the Met Office issues a rare red weather warning for extreme heat, prompting multiple UK train operators to advise passengers to avoid non‑essential travel. Prolonged high rail temperatures raise risks of track buckling on continuously welded rail, overhead line sag on 25kV electrified routes, and speed restrictions that can cut line capacity by more than half. The situation is pressuring infrastructure managers to accelerate rail stress management, ballast condition monitoring, and heat‑resilient renewal strategies across key main lines.

Jindalee Lithium’s US subsidiary HiTech Minerals has signed an MoU with nonprofit RESOLVE to explore a voluntary Stewardship Area across the Oregon–Nevada McDermitt Caldera, where it is advancing the McDermitt sediment-hosted lithium project on the same formation as Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass. The framework targets identification of specific land parcels for protection, restoration or other stewardship measures, with HiTech considering partial funding tied to McDermitt project milestones. Any measures will sit on top of existing US permitting and environmental compliance, with early-stage engagement planned with Tribal Nations and regional stakeholders.