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  • Satellite illustration showing affected area.

    Starlink boosts mine productivity, safety

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 13, 2024

    Low Earth orbit satellites connect modern remote mining operations, especially in the northern hemisphere. A revolutionary connectivity solution by SpaceX is gaining popularity with remote mining and exploration operations from North America to the UK and beyond. The Starlink satellite constellation is a highly anticipated update to today's modern mine connectivity, offering an effective alternative to fiberoptic or satellite broadband when you're out in the middle of...

  • Aerial view of an enormous open pit mine in a high-desert setting.

    Electrifying world's largest copper mine

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 13, 2024

    BHP applies for $250 million trolley system to lower greenhouse gas emissions, increase haul truck efficiency at Escondida. Toward its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, mining giant BHP has applied for the permits needed to install a $250 million electric trolley to help pull ore-laden haul trucks out of the open pit at Escondida, the largest copper-producing mine on Earth. Operated under a joint venture with Rio Tinto (30%) and Japan-based JECO Corp....

  • Aerial view of a college campus near South Dakota’s Black Hills and Badlands.

    South Dakota Mines adds critical minors

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 23, 2024

    Mining school adds a two-part program to prepare students to tackle domestic critical mineral challenges and help fill the nation's massive mining workforce shortage. Looking to help bolster the domestic production of minerals and metals essential to clean energy, high-tech, and everyday living, South Dakota Mines is offering two new minors that will prepare students to tackle critical mineral challenges. "We have a need in the United States for these materials. If it can't...

  • Ten new mining safety solutions and their innovative companies.

    10 new mining safety technologies emerge

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 16, 2024

    Discover how small, innovative companies are transforming mining safety with cutting-edge technologies. In the ever-evolving mining industry, advanced technologies are revolutionizing safety and operational efficiency. Discover 10 new mining safety innovations and the companies behind them as they lead the way in setting new standards for worker protection. Advanced technologies are transforming mining safety and operational efficiency in remarkable ways. These key...

  • Scania tipper truck in white on black background.

    Scania autonomous trucks are coming

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Australia gets first crack at a 40-metric-ton autonomous heavy tipper haul truck, with a 50-metric-ton model to follow. Over the past decade, Scania has been developing self-driving heavy vehicles and their support systems, including applications for hub-to-hub transport on highways as well as autonomous trucks for confined areas such as mines. Mines and large closed construction sites are ideal environments for self-driving vehicles to contribute to safer working conditions...

  • A brand new two-story tall Komatsu mining haul truck at a test site.

    Electric mine truck giants join forces

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    BHP, Rio Tinto, Komatsu, and Caterpillar forge an alliance to accelerate deployment of battery-electric haul trucks. With all paths to net-zero-emissions mining leading through the ability to move rock without emitting carbon, two global mining companies are teaming up with two of the world's largest heavy equipment manufacturers to accelerate the development and deployment of battery-electric haul trucks. This landmark collaboration between BHP, Rio Tinto, Komatsu, and...

  • An enclosed trailer with open doors revealing TruScan controls and feed area.

    TruScan affirms CuMo ore sorting promise

    Shane Lasley, Mining News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Nearly all metals are found within 10% of rocks in Idaho copper deposit; XRF core scans proving to be ideal match for ore sorting analysis. Preliminary results from Idaho Copper Corp.'s use of Veracio's TruScan are beginning to reveal how the use of this automated drill core analysis technology during exploration can maximize the effectiveness of ore sorting technology during operations. By using specialized sensors to identify and reject unmineralized rocks prior to feeding...

  • Vials of recycled oxides from Cyclic Materials’ Mag-Xtract technology.

    Cyclic Materials opens REE recycling plant

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Canada-based rare earths recycler opens first plant in Kingston, Ontario. In the realm of advanced recycling, Cyclic Materials Inc. announced the opening of its Hub100 rare earths and critical metals recycling plant in Kingston, Ontario, the first scaled-up version of its proprietary REEPure hydrometallurgical technology. "The opening of Hub100 marks a significant milestone in our company's journey," said Cyclic Materials CEO Ahmad Ghahreman. "This successful scaling up of...

  • Electra employee inspecting nickel-cobalt recycled from lithium-ion batteries.

    NRCan awards $5M to aid Electra recycling

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Canada looks to support the development of company's proprietary battery materials recycling technology. To support advancing battery recycling technology, the Canadian government has awarded Electra Battery Materials Corp. C$5 million (US$3.6 million) to further develop its proprietary battery materials recycling process. Electra's battery material recycling facility is being developed alongside the company's battery-grade cobalt refinery, about 400 kilometers (250 miles)...

  • Closeup of core from drilling the Storeknuten critical minerals deposit.

    Betolar green solutions for Norge Mining

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Norge Mineraler partners with Finnish materials tech company for low-carbon mining and waste management solutions for mine in Norway. Anglo-Norwegian mineral exploration company Norge Mining and Finnish materials technology company Betolar have forged a partnership to explore solutions that increase the sustainability and value of producing critical minerals at the Storeknuten titanium-phosphate-iron-vanadium project in southwestern Norway. Being advanced by Norge Mining's...

  • Showers of sparks arc out of a vat being filled with molten steel.

    Rio Tinto aims to slash steelmaking CO2

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Global mining company is investing $143 million into BioIron, a tech that uses biomass to reduce ironmaking carbon emissions by 95%. From paper clips and surgical scalpels to skyscrapers and cargo ships, steel is a durable and abundant material that forms the framework for modern living. The process of transforming raw iron ore into steel, however, is responsible for around 8% of all global carbon dioxide emissions. Toward the ultimate goal of decarbonizing steelmaking, Rio...

  • A mound of polymetallic nodules in a ship’s hold.

    Japan's undersea critical mineral jackpot

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 11, 2024

    Japan's exclusive economic zone sports polymetallic nodules, which would support domestic battery mineral requirements for decades. While the worldwide debate for and against harvesting critical minerals from international waters rages on, Japanese researchers have discovered their own massive mineral resource in the Pacific and are free to do as they please with it. "Polymetallic nodules" (also known as manganese nodules) are essentially concentric layers of iron and...

  • A pickup offers scale for a vast expanse of desert and mountains in Pakistan.

    Exploring Reko Diq with Fleet Space tech

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 9, 2024

    Barrick Gold leverages satellite-enabled AI mineral exploration technology to explore the larger copper potential at Pakistani project. Barrick Gold Corp. is the latest in a growing number of mining companies to use space tech and AI mineral exploration solutions developed by Australia-based Fleet Space Technologies to discover hidden deposits of minerals needed for the clean energy transition. While Barrick is best known for being one of the world's largest producers of...

  • Illustration of an electric monorail hauling rocks up a slope at a mine.

    RIINO ore haulage monorail to make debut

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 8, 2024

    Autonomous, zero-emissions ore haulage system to be showcased at Ontario rock quarry test site. Replacing the diesel haul trucks that currently do the heavy lifting at most mines is the largest hurdle to overcome when it comes to achieving the net-zero emissions goals of mining companies. An electric ore hauling monorail being developed by Canadian mining tech startup RIINO Inc. could provide an efficient zero-emissions solution to the diesel ore haulage dilemma. Having...

  • Rio Tinto logo on a hard hat with two workers in the background.

    Canada ushers in carbon-free aluminum

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 2, 2024

    Rio Tinto partners with Québec to deploy ELYSIS at Arvida smelter, revolutionizing aluminum production by eliminating GHG emissions. Taking a significant leap in decarbonizing the aluminum industry, Rio Tinto is installing carbon-free smelting cells at its Arvida smelter in Québec. Using the groundbreaking ELYSIS technology, this project is a joint venture with the government of Québec and marks the first commercial deployment of this revolutionary technology. The pr...

  • A worker walks through tall, dry grass carrying an electronic device.

    Spacetech & AI aid Aussie copper search

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 13, 2024

    Inflection Resources leverages Fleet Space's ExoSphere to survey enormous land package. To help discover large deposits of copper that will help meet growing demands of the global energy transition, Inflection Resources Ltd. is leveraging the space tech and AI mineral exploration solutions provided by Fleet Space Technologies to scan for potential targets hidden undercover across an enormous copper-prospective land package in New South Wales, Australia. Under an up to $96...

  • A geologist’s hammer on top of a pile of heavily mineralized rocks.

    VerAI joins gallium, rare earths search

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated May 30, 2024

    US Critical Materials leveraging AI-powered tech to maximize efficiency of outlining high-grade critical mineral deposits at Sheep Creek. Looking to quickly and efficiently expand upon the remarkably high-grade rare earths and gallium identified at Sheep Creek, US Critical Materials Corp. has forged a strategic alliance with VerAI Discoveries Inc. to leverage the power of artificial intelligence to explore its promising critical minerals project in southwestern Montana. Early...

  • Robot arm mining on an asteroid in outer space.

    Before mining asteroids, sell the tech

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated May 30, 2024

    Space miners develop Earth-friendly tech products as the first step to a future extraterrestrial economy. Plenty of space mining companies have boomed and gone bust in the last decade. In spite of this, "the field has exploded in interest," said Angel Abbud-Madrid, director of the Center for Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines. The costs of space travel and exploration have been reduced dramatically due to the privatization of transport. With deep-sea mining still...

  • Looking over long stockpiles of coal toward a power plant in Slovenia.

    Turning European mines into batteries

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated May 24, 2024

    Mining companies look to Gravitricity's gravity energy storage tech as anopportunity to extend usefulness of mine shafts after the ore is gone. Energy storage is the lynchpin of a clean energy future that will rely on enormous quantities of zero-carbon electricity from intermittent sources such as wind and solar. After all, the billions of lightbulbs illuminating a city at night or millions of air conditioners keeping homes and businesses cool on a still summer day do not...

  • Site manager watching a Railveyor system working.

    Electrifying Elk Creek with Railveyor

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated May 21, 2024

    Scoping study finds implementing system could significantly reduce costs, time, and footprint in one fell swoop. In the pursuit of a domestic supply of the rare earths and other minerals critical to the United States, NioCorp Developments Ltd. has unveiled the results of a scoping study that demonstrates that the implementation of a Railveyor ore haulage system has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint, costs, and the time it takes to get to full production at its Elk...

  • Rendering of large wheel dumping ore buckets with Mining One, EcoHoist logos.

    Mining One lends expertise to EcoHoist

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated May 20, 2024

    Mining consultant is assisting in the deployment of EcoHoist's innovative ore hoisting tech. EcoHoist's lateral thinking when it comes to developing an economical solution for the vertical transport of material out of underground mines has drawn the attention of Mining One, an Australia-based consultancy firm for the mining sector. "Ensuring safe and efficient haulage underground is becoming increasingly challenging," said Gary Davidson, principal mining engineer at Mining...

  • Rows of metallic gold, red, and black battery cells.

    Merging lithium battery supply chains

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated May 15, 2024

    Talon and Argonne National Lab are working to transform iron waste products from nickel mines into a superior LFP battery cathode material. A mix of battery types is needed for a rapid and sustainable transition to electric vehicles. While lithium-ion batteries with nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathodes will continue to be the main choice for longer-range EVs in North America, lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) offers an alternative for lower-cost cars used primarily for...

  • A TruScan mobile unit parked and set up to receive drill core for scanning.

    A TruScan of CuMo ore sorting potential

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated May 15, 2024

    Idaho Copper is utilizing Veracio's digital ore scanning tech to accurately relog drill core in preparation for updated mine study. As the next step in its goal of providing a domestic source of copper to meet the United States' growing demand for this energy transition metal, Idaho Copper Corp. is leveraging Veracio's TruScan technology to digitally analyze more than 60,000 feet (18,290 meters) of core in preparation for ore sorting studies at its CuMo cop...

  • Innovation Mining logo with representation of gold atoms.

    Innovative solution for stranded gold

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated May 8, 2024

    EnviroMetal founder launches new company to advance eco-friendly alternative to cyanide for the recovery of gold from small-scale gold mines. When Duane Nelson stepped down from his leadership role at EnviroMetal Technologies, he had a vision of building a new clean-tech company to continue to advance the eco-friendly gold recovery solution that he had helped to develop – Innovation Mining is that company. Formerly known as DynaVat Technologies, Innovation Mining is focused o...

  • AI rendering of a satellite orbiting over Earth.

    Satellite subscription service for miners

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated May 3, 2024

    Hypervine launches a service that allows users to receive unlimited satellite surveys and reports for a low monthly fee. From gaining a detailed overhead view of the predevelopment landscape to grabbing a snapshot of current conditions and monitoring changes over time, satellite imagery is revolutionizing the planning and operations of modern mines. However, the cost for a satellite to take a snapshot of a mine can be high, and many traditional technologies cannot image the gr...

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