Breaking the mould: gold-digging fungi found in WA

29th May 2019

Last week in Bendigo a family stumbled across a rare gold nugget worth $35,000. Where did the nugget come from? A gold-coated fungi near Boddington in Western Australia. Read the full article here.

Almost $1 million in funding to go to Australia’s first solar to hydrogen-based microgrid

28th May 2019

A grant of nearly $1 million has been announced for a 100% renewable energy project which will see the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest reduce its reliance on diesel fuel to generate power.

The Daintree region is a step closer to hosting an Australian-first solar to hydrogen-based microgrid. Backed by a federal government grant of $990,150, Daintree Renewable Energy Pty Ltd is expected to take the project to ‘shovel ready’ within 12 months. Read the full article here.

Pilot Program uses human waste biogas as renewable energy

28th May 2019

A pilot program in South Australia will use the power of poo, also known as human biogas, to store and deliver renewable energy that is also cost efficient.

This new technology will take biogas from a wastewater treatment plant then store it as latent heat in molten silicon at a temperature of 1,414 degrees Celsius. It’s then delivered back as heat or power and turned into energy. Read the full article by ABC here.

Australian homes are improving their energy efficiency

16th May 2019

The CSIRO has found that Australian residential homes are becoming larger in size and more energy efficient.Read the original article here.

BGC Contracting News – $30M gold win spurs contracting growth

06th Mar 2019

BGC Pty Ltd is a premier Australian construction and mining firm who was established in 1970 and are based in Western Australia (HQ). Recently they were awarded a $30 million contract as part of the development of the Ramone Gold Project which is run by Northern Star Resources Limited. This project is located south east of the Jundee Gold Mine and marks the first gold mining project that BGC has been seen in Western Australia for the past 10 years.

Read the original article here. 

South Australian Government major development declaration for Olympic Dam

14th Feb 2019

Mining company, BHP, has welcomed the South Australian Government’s decision to declare Olympic Dam’s growth plans a major development. This is an important step when it comes to lifting Australian copper production.

This declaration set by the South Australian Government is the first step in a State and Federal process that includes assessment of potential social, economic, and environmental impacts that are associated with an increase in mining and production at Olympic Dam from 200 kilotonnes per annum (ktpa) to up to 350ktpa.

Read the full article here.

National Mining Chronicle – New life for an abandoned mine

06th Feb 2019

A once abandoned zinc mine at Lawn Hill is back in business thanks to New Century Resources (NCR) and National Pump and Energy (NPE). Located 250km north-west of Mount Isa in the Lower Gulf of Carpentaria, the Century mine was abandoned by MMG Limited three years ago. NCR were quick to pounce on the site, in a deal that saw MMG pay NCR $46 million to take over the rehabilitation of mine site.

Read the full article here. 

Sweltering summers and scorching energy bills: Citizen scientists can help ease the sizzle

17th Dec 2018

As we slide into summer, we’re already experiencing scorching temperatures in many areas across the country.

The nation has experienced a warmer-than-average November and a number of extreme weather events, such as the recent heatwave in tropical Queensland.

Nationally, maximum, minimum and mean temperatures were all above average.

It’s perhaps to be expected then, that some Australian households will face stress as summer heats up, both in terms of the heat and rising electricity bills.

When air conditioners, extra fridges and pool pumps are in heavy use, some households are faced with tough decisions about how they balance their comfort with potential impacts on the environment and energy costs.

For the full story, go to Csiro

Source: Csiro

A rare-earth metal enigma is solved

15th Nov 2018

For the full story, go to James Cook University 

Source: James Cook University

Supercharging battery metals

31st Oct 2018

As more and more electric vehicles take to our roads, and more and more renewable energy flows into our energy mix, battery technologies become more crucial.

The electric vehicle market is predicted to grow 10-fold by 2030 and 50-fold by 2050.

So, as the demand for battery technology increases so too does the demand for the raw materials that go into them.

As a country rich in natural resources, Australia is well placed to jump on growth in battery metals.

Raw materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and vanadium are Australian commodities which are becoming more and more sought after.

Innovation offers a way to add greater value to these resources.

For example, increasing the quality or purity of the end product or producing the metals in a way that’s more environmentally-friendly.

For the full story, go to Csiro

Source: Csiro