National satellite project announced A national satellite initiative, spearheaded by Optus and a national consortium of industry, academia and government partners, plans to launch a sovereign Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite by early 2028. The consortium includes iLAuNCH Trailblazer, HEO, Inovor Technologies and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), with the satellite to be designed and built by…
Australian space exploration company Fleet Space has announced partnerships with three quantum technology companies to develop next-generation sensors for mineral exploration. The company said on Wednesday it had partnered with mDetect, Nomad Atomics, and DeteQt to expand technology for the global mining industry by developing quantum sensors for AI-powered mineral exploration. The partnerships will advance…
The federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has awarded a $19.8 million grant to support NeoSmelt – a joint venture between BlueScope, BHP, Rio Tinto, Woodside Energy and Mitsui Iron Ore Development – progress towards a planned low-emissions iron pilot plant at Kwinana. According to a statement on Tuesday from energy minister Chris Bowen…
Ghost Bat in new milestone The Australian made and designed autonomous aircraft, MQ-28A Ghost Bat (pictured), has achieved was the federal government has described as a major capability milestone. The first military combat aircraft to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years conducted a capability demonstration at Woomera, involving “a single…
Industry association the Australian Aluminium Council has recommenced its efforts to have bauxite, alumina and aluminium added to the nation’s list of critical minerals, releasing a new report on supply chain risks and urging the government not to let aluminium “become the new nickel”. In a statement on Thursday, the council said that expanding the…
By Peter Roberts Some years into Australia’s newfound awareness of critical mineral supply chains and their importance to electrification and new technologies, have things changed all that much? Mostly, despite the hype of our being a battery or other materials ‘superpower’, Australia still supplies the raw materials and others do the economic value adding in…
A six-month critical minerals accelerator run by BHP has begun accepting applications for next year’s cohort. The Xplor program for early-stage explorers will run for a third year, and is open to companies seeking to uncover “new sources of critical minerals crucial for a sustainable future”. According to statement from BHP on Tuesday, companies receive…
The South Australian Government has commenced an application and assessment process for BHP’s planned smelter and refinery expansion at Olympic Dam in South Australia, which could see copper cathode production double over the next decade, The news came through a notification in the South Australian Government Gazette on Thursday, and was described by BHP as…
Two projects backed by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre have commercialised technology based on cosmic rays and hyperspectral imaging to make mining safer and more productive. In a statement on Tuesday, the not-for-profit organisation highlighted projects by Swinburne University spinout mDetect and ASX-listed EQ resources, both of which received backing from AMGC’s Commercialisation Fund. mDetect…
BHP has taken what it calls ‘the difficult but necessary decision’ to temporarily suspend its Western Australian Nickel operation, Nickel West. The company operates open-cut and underground mines, concentrators, a smelter and refinery all located in Western Australia. The company blamed ‘significant and sustained challenges to the Australian nickel industry’, which includes a period of…