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Codelco CEO vows to pursue community buy-in over lithium expansion

Published: 17 Apr 24

Chile's State-run miner Codelco has made progress in negotiating with local communities over lithium mining and will keep working to win their support, CEO Ruben Alvarado said on Tuesday, a day after several groups in the Atacama salt flat broke off talks. The world's top copper producer has been in dialogue with indigenous groups on the details of a new, state-mandated joint venture in the Atacama salt flat with Chile's SQM, one of two lithium miners in the country.

Canada unions brace for 2025 labour crunch in oil sands maintenance season

Published: 17 Apr 24

Annual maintenance on Canada's oil sands plants is forecast to cause no more disruption than usual this year, but trade union officials are warning of a labour crunch during Alberta's 2025 turnaround season as construction takes off on two new industrial projects. Every year producers in Alberta hire thousands of extra skilled workers to execute essential maintenance on oil sands upgraders, thermal projects and refineries. Canada is the world's fourth-largest oil producer, and roughly two-thirds of its 4.9-million barrels per day (bpd) of crude come from northern Alberta's oil sands.

A pipeline under construction in the hills of Appalachia

Canada to give Indigenous groups loan guarantees for resource projects

Published: 17 Apr 24

Canada will provide up to C$5-billion in loan guarantees to help Indigenous groups invest in natural resource projects, the Liberal government said in its annual budget on Tuesday. The program could give the groups major investment opportunities, from the government-owned Trans Mountain oil pipeline to TC Energy's Coastal GasLink pipeline, power lines and wind and solar projects.

Brazil court again suspends Vale's Sossego copper mine licence

Published: 17 Apr 24

A local court in Brazil has again suspended the operating license for Vale's Brazilian Sossego copper mine, the company and the country's Para state said. The state won an appeal overturning a previous court ruling that had reinstated the mine's operating license, Vale said.

Endeavour accused of misleading buyer of two African gold mines

Published: 16 Apr 24

Endeavour Mining has been accused by Lilium Mining of misrepresentation over the sale of two African gold mines, as the fallout from the tenure of ousted CEO Sebastien de Montessus continues. Lilium made the allegations after purchasing the Wahgnion and Boungou projects in Burkina Faso last June. It’s part of a counterclaim that alleges “misrepresentation and concealment of information relevant to the financial position and operating capabilities” of those mines, according to a statement from Lilium on Monday.

Hummingbird continues discussions with Corica, progresses with mining activities at Kouroussa

Published: 16 Apr 24

Amid ongoing discussions with mining services provider Corica, Aim-listed Hummingbird Resources says it is progressing with the restart and ramp-up of mining activities at the Kouroussa gold mine, in Guinea, with the goal of achieving commercial production as soon as possible. The company says it has continued to engage with Corica, seeking resolution to disputes between the companies that led to Corica halting work at Kouroussa last month.

Saldanha iron-ore terminal shut down for maintenance until Friday

Published: 16 Apr 24

State-owned Transnet Port Terminals’ (TPT’s) Saldanha Iron Ore Terminal has embarked on a five-day shutdown for the maintenance and servicing of equipment on two tipplers, starting on April 15. The tipplers, which are critical machines in the terminal’s operations, facilitate the offloading of iron-ore from train wagons onto conveyor belts before it is loaded into vessels scheduled for export.

Cape Town technology enterprise incubator celebrates birthday with launch of new products

Published: 16 Apr 24

Cape Town-based ‘techpreneur’ incubation hub The Creative Lab has announced that it would mark its first anniversary with the launch of a diverse array of cutting-edge products, developed by a number of South African innovators, using the hub’s facilities. The Creative Lab is an initiative of EvansWerks. “Opening The Creative Lab was a leap of faith for my family,” highlighted EvansWerks CEO and founder Justin Eugene Evans. “Today, we’re witnessing the dividends of that investment, proving the abundance of tech talent in South Africa. They simply lacked a facility designed to bring their ideas to life.”

University of Pretoria inaugurates new immersive technology lab

Published: 16 Apr 24

The University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology has launched a new immersive technology lab at the Department of Information Science as a way of further integrating advanced immersive technologies into its curriculum and research initiatives. The immersive technology lab has its roots in the early integration of virtual reality (VR) technology within the department, dating back to 2013. The acquisition of early VR headsets allowed honours students to immerse themselves in the forefront of technological innovation.

UNTD calls for more fiscal flexibility to help developing countries reach SDGs

Published: 16 Apr 24

While the global economic slowdown in 2023 was less severe than expected, intergovernmental organisation United Nations Trade and Development (UNTD) has warned that a further deceleration in global economic growth can be expected this year. UNTD secretary-general Rebeca Grynspan has called for concerted multilateral action and a balanced policy mix to safeguard the global economy amid shifting trade patterns, soaring debt and mounting costs of climate change, particularly in developing countries.