Fortescue executive chair Andrew Forrest has welcomed Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the company’s green technology and test facility in Perth.
Qiang’s visit to the Hazelmere prototype facility gave Fortescue the opportunity to demonstrate the progress of its green iron technology.
Fortescue is aiming to work with China to establish an Australia Sino green iron supply chain, which will see equipment and technology sourced from China and Australia, and green metal and hydrogen made in Australia and supplied to the world.
Speaking at the Australia–China CEO Roundtable with Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Forrest emphasised his plan for the future.
“A fully integrated green iron metal supply chain between Australia and China is the key to China maintaining its position as the dominant global producer of steel to the world,” Forrest said.
“Our proposed Australia Sino green iron metal supply chain will bring together mining powered by large-scale renewable power and green hydrogen to produce green iron metal.
“Our ambition is to provide 100 million tonnes of green iron metal to China each year, eliminating more than 200 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.”
Fortescue Metals CEO Dino Otranto said a strengthened partnership between Australia and China is a natural progression.
“Today, China remains our key market for our iron ore business and we now look forward to building new relationships in a green focused world,” Otranto said.
“We believe that partnering with China to help send its steel industry green will be a major benefit to both economies and to bilateral relationships, shoring up Australia as China’s reliable and preferred commodity supplier.”
Weir’s new world class, state-of-the-art facility in Port Hedland. Image: Weir
Global mining technology leader Weir has officially opened its new Port Hedland service centre in Western Australia.
The new facility bolsters Weir’s national network of 16 service centres and will aim to support customers and their operations across the Pilbara region.
The centre is equipped to service Weir’s broader range of products and technologies, provide engineering and maintenance support as well as critical parts storage for faster service times for customers.
Opening ceremony on World Environment Day. Image: Weir Minerals
“The new centre at Port Hedland will support our key customers in the region, providing Weir’s best-in-class service and expertise,” Weir Minerals regional managing director Kristen Walsh said at the facility’s opening.
“The Australian $28 million facility demonstrates our commitment to sustainable mining and with further investment planned, we will continue to support our ambitious growth plans in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.”
This will include Fortescue and Thiess’ Iron Bridge project, which incorporates Weir transformational flow sheets – the world’s first dry comminution circuit without tumbling mills.
Port Hedland serves as a critical hub for the mining and resources industry in Australia, driving economic growth and success for the important iron ore region.
The new service centre will work to deliver innovative engineering solutions and expertise, enhancing operational efficiencies and advancing sustainable progress across the Pilbara’s dynamic mining landscape.
With best-in-class technology and support, the centre features facilities forEnduron high-pressure grinding rolls servicing, including tyre roller assembly and Linatex rubber lining services, helping customers to extend the life of their assets.
Weir employees celebrate the opening. Image: Weir
The next stage of development, set for 2025, will see an expansion of the team and specialisation in the repair and overhaul of various Weir processing equipment including Warman pumps, Cavex hydrocyclones and Isogate valves as well as Enduron crushers and screens.
Building on trust, collaboration and integrity, Weir said it is committed to delivering innovative solutions and working together with its customers to make mining more sustainable.
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Group 6 Metals has uncovered more ore tonnes and metric tonne units of tungsten trioxide from the Dolphin tungsten mine than originally anticipated, alongside a record month of shipments.
The company’s in-pit reconciliation methodology uses in-pit sampling, UV (ultraviolet light) lamping, and production drill hole assaying to compare mining results to the geological model.
When compared to the geological model, recoveries from the Dolphin open pit exceeded expectations up until the end of April.
Dolphin produced about 94 dry tonnes of concentrate in April at an average grade of 57.1 per cent for 5380 metric tonne units of tungsten trioxide. A total of 115.05 dry tonnes of concentrate at 57.38 per cent tungsten trioxide was shipped in April, a record month for Group 6.
“Over the past six months, our geology and mining teams have excelled at maximising ore recovery,” Group 6 managing director and chief executive officer Keith McKnight said.
“This means we’ve collected more valuable tungsten ore than forecast while working the outer areas of the Dolphin open pit. While this has caused a temporary delay in the mining sequence, the extra effort has resulted in a detailed understanding of the mine’s geology, giving us a lot of confidence in our mine forecast.
“Excitingly, the high-grade C-lens (deposit) is now accessible at -30 RL (reduced level) in the main Dolphin pit, and production drill assay results confirm the presence of high-grade ore in the mining blocks (is) scheduled for June.”
Group 6 has also made progress in sustainability. It, along with Climate Capital, has been looking into integrating a 7.5 megawatt solar panel array and a 5.5 megawatt hour battery storage system at the Dolphin mine’s power plant.
Climate Capital has finished power modelling and an extensive site assessment. If implemented, the solar power system would sit adjacent to Group 6’s process plant.
Group 6 and Climate Capital are expected to negotiate a power purchase agreement under a build own operate model to deliver the solar project.
After being closed for three decades, the Dolphin tungsten mine officially re-opened in August 2023. It is located near Grassy, a town on the south-east coast of King Island.
The Liebherr hydrogen-powered T 264 haul truck. Image: Liebherr
A hydrogen-powered T 264 haul truck prototype developed in partnership by Fortescue and Liebherr has fired up its engines for the first time in Perth.
The successful operation of the truck, dubbed ‘Europa’, with hydrogen marks the next step in Liebherr and Fortescue’s journey to develop and supply zero-emission haul trucks for the mining industry.
“With Europa soon moving to site, Liebherr and Fortescue have taken an important step closer to their common target of developing and building zero-emission solutions for the mining industry that are both field proven and energy agnostic,” Liebherr Mining vice president of sales and marketing Joerg Lukowski said.
“This success demonstrates the incredible capabilities of two Tier 1 companies working together to develop viable technologies today that can help the mining industry move towards a decarbonised future.”
Europa contains a 1.6-megawatt battery developed in-house by Fortescue WAE, and 500 kilowatts of fuel cells. The prototype can store over 380kg of liquid hydrogen.
“Following the success of our battery electric haul truck prototype at site, we’re thrilled to now have Europa up and running on hydrogen,” Fortescue Metals chief executive officer Dino Otranto said.
“This is a huge achievement for the team and brings Fortescue another step closer to having a fleet of zero emission trucks at our sites by the end of this decade.”
Fortescue and Liebherr established a partnership for the development and supply of zero-emissions mining haul trucks in June 2022.
Liebherr began delivering the first of Fortescue’s T 264 diesel electric trucks in 2023, which will be converted to zero emission technology before the end of the decade.
“We’re aiming to transport Europa to our mining operations within the coming weeks where it will then undergo further site-based testing and commissioning,” Otranto said.
“The subsequent test results will inform our future fleet of zero emissions trucks that we’re delivering with Liebherr.”
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The Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions rock tools team are helping to set the industry standard for circularity of rock tools and their operations.
Currently, Sandvik is one of the only original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who recycles tungsten carbide across the world through its Carbide Recycling Program to preserve and protect remaining reserves of tungsten, a rapidly declining resource.
So far, the program has supported Sandvik to reduce its own transport CO2 footprint within this area by roughly 93 per cent, and by using recycled materials for new tools, Sandvik uses approximately 70 per cent less energy and reduces this portion of CO2 by approximately 64 per cent.
Watch the video below find out how the program supports Sandvik’s and its customers journeys towards more sustainable mining operations for future generations.
These 240 volt high flow submersible pumps are ideal for a difficult working environments where a powerful submersible pump is required. Perfect for construction sites, builders, farming and residential home owners. Move dirty water fast for any application.
Heavy Duty Submersible Centrifugal Water Pump with Float Switch
These high flow submersible water pumps are designed with a open impeller which makes them less prone to blockages and well suited for use with dirty fluids including light mud, sewage and even water containing some debris.
Paddock offer the most powerful pumps we’ve seen capable of running from a standard household 10 amp plug socket. These pumps are fitted with large heavy duty motors and are designed to move water fast.
These pumps come standard with a float switch fitted. When the float is in the upright vertical position, the internal ball drops inside the float and closes the circuit to activate the pump. When the fluid level drops, the float changes its orientation and stops the pump. The length of the float cable can be adjusted via the integrated cable clamp to custom configure the on/off trigger points if desired. Some customers not wanting the float switch have reported success in simply zip tying the float switch in the vertical ‘on’ position and this allows the pump to run continuously independent of fluid level.
Each pump includes a high quality silicon carbide mechanical seal with oil separation chamber ensuring water remains about pf the motor. This design results in long term reliable operation. Maintenance is a dream as the wet end pump can quickly be separated from the electric motor. The pump motor is constructed with 100% pure copper wire windings which helps it to run cooler and last longer for the user.
The pump is suitable for fresh, sewage or sea water*. Popular uses include water supply and disposal, home pressure pumping, irrigation, dairy, farming, fishery, residential pump, construction and building sites, sewage, grey water and flood management.
Submersible pumps rely on the fluid they’re submerged in to cool the powerful motors. Unlike non submersible pumps there is no fan to blow cooling air over a finned motor. Therefore it is important to ensure the pump is not allowed to run for extended periods of time out of the water. The included float switch is configured such that the pump will turn off before the water level drops below the motor. When installing these pumps, ensure the pit is large enough that the float switch can not become jammed in the on position as this can lead to the pump running dry eventually overheating the motor. Each motor includes thermal cutout protection as standard to save the pump from damage if it was accidentally allowed to run dry.
Submersible Pump Features:
5m lead with standard plug end
Low Noise, smooth operation
Compact Construction
12 month warranty
Pump Specification
SPS1500AF
SPSP2200F
Voltage
240V Single Phase
240V Single Phase
Power
1500 W
2200 W
Motor
Continuous Duty Cycle when submerged
Continuous Duty Cycle when submerged
Flow Rate
466 LPM
700 LPM, 42 m3/hr
Inlet / Outlet
2″
3″
Pressure
18m ~180kPa, 26 psi
17m ~170kPa, 25psi
Max. Fluid temp.
60°C
60°C
Compatible Fluids
Water, Sea Water*, Sewage
Water, Sea Water*, Sewage
Approx. Weight
29 kg
33 kg
Approx Dimensions
270x290x600mm
270mmx290mmx700mm
Construction
Stainless steel motor casing
Open impeller design
Stainless steel shaft
Silicone Carbide Mechanical Shaft Seal with secondary oil seal
Stainless steel motor casing
Open impeller design
Stainless steel shaft
Silicone Carbide Mechanical Shaft Seal with secondary oil seal
Protection
Thermal **
Thermal **
Warranty
1 yr
1 yr
*Long term use in sea water may lead to corrosion which is not covered by warranty. Whilst the pump will work with sea water it is not recommended for permanent installations in corrosive salt water environments.
** Whilst the pump motor includes thermal cutout protection, this should not be used to control fluid level. Allowing the pump to run dry repeatedly only to over-heat and stop via the thermal cutout protection will significantly reduce the operating life of your pump and this type of damage is not covered under the products warranty. The pumps float switch should be used to control fluid level and this is configured such that the motor is always submersed and cool.
K-AllShelter conveyor belt covers are manufactured using a wide range of optional materials. Image: Kinder Australia
Kinder Australia is helping quarries keep dust down while protecting material from the elements with its K-AllShelter Capotex covers.
Quarries can be a harsh and unrelating place for conveyors and the material they move.
Being exposed to the Australian elements can invite disaster. Rain adds more complications to the mix, as adding water to quarried material can quickly alter the consistency and lead to screen blinding, clogging, chute hangups and blockage.
Heat and humidity can interfere with material quality and flow, while the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays can shorten the belt life.
Strong winds can blow material off the belt, and in some cases, even flip the belting entirely. This also has the added problem of creating dust emissions.
Peter Laskey, a Kinder Australia field application specialist, told Quarry that dust prevention is becoming even more important in the sector.
“We are seeing quarries around the country looking to minimise dust as much as they can,” he said.
“Regulations are strict and it’s important to ensure the safety of the nearby workforce.”
One Victorian Quarry reached out to Kinder Australia to rectify its onsite dust issues. The site had recently improved one of its transfer points to deal with dust that had been building up.
However, following the transfer point upgrade, dust was being redirected to a different point of the conveyor system. Two vertical shaft impactors were frequently creating excessive dust emissions, particularly around the front of the transfer site, during the start up and production phase.
Baffles were previously used, but this solution was not enough to combat excessive dust emissions during normal production.
K-AllShelter features:
• Cost effective
•Self-supporting (no support structure required)
•Accessible from both sides of the conveyor
• No sharp edges
• Build-in inspection points available
•Site specific wind load report available to confirm compliance to Australian Standard
Laskey said the K-AllShelter Capotex conveyor cover was the proven, cost-effective dust suppression solution.
“The K-Shelter Capotex conveyor cover was chosen for its lightweight, high strength and easy to install features. The covers feature a dust-tight seal that prevents dust from escaping and causing problems on site.
“Future conveyor maintenance is made simple and hassle free due to the conveyor covers being hinged on both sides and due to the Caposafe Service Prop. The prop holds the cover and lets the maintenance team get access easily.”
K-AllShelter conveyor belt covers are manufactured using a wide range of optional materials and engineered as a waterproof, durable barrier. They can be custom made to suit all belt widths and models.
They help to provide durable protection from extreme environmental elements and help to control moisture levels of conveyed materials. Covering the conveyor is also beneficial to operators, improving safety by covering the moving parts.
Laskey said the dust emissions were eliminated following the installation of the covers, as the dust would settle onto the belt instead of becoming airborne.
“The customer was very happy – they saw how well it contained dust and decided to continue it to the head pulley. Once they saw how effective it was, they decided to go for the whole length of the conveyor,” he said.
“This is a classic example of how Kinder Australia works to find the right solution for a site. Our team looked at one part of the system, got that right, then moved to another. It’s not about isolating the symptom – we want to rectify the problem itself.
“We’re a solutions-based company with a large engineering base. Kinder is always working on new ways of solving problems that work best for each site.” •
AGG1 co-hosts with World of Asphalt. Image: Steven Franklin
Steve Franklin, founder of Eltirus, attended the AGG1 Academy & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee. He reports what he found at a key event for the North American aggregates industry.
Co-hosted with the World of Asphalt, the AGG1 Aggregates Academy & Expo witnessed a record-breaking attendance.
More than 15,800 industry professionals participated in the three-day event, marking a significant 38 per cent increase from the previous record of 11,400 attendees in 2022.
This surge in attendance underscores the event’s growing importance and influence within the aggregates and asphalt industries.
The show not only set new records in attendance but also expanded its reach in terms of educational sessions and exhibitors, offering more than 120 educational sessions and featured over 400 exhibitors across 18,000 square meters of place with attendees from all over the world, including as far as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Europe to engage with the latest innovations, technology, and education in the field.
Who was there?
The exhibitor area was well represented by equipment manufacturers and equipment.
In terms of aggregate equipment suppliers, all the companies that you would expect to be there were – Caterpillar, Epiroc, Develon, HD Hyundai, John Deer, Komatsu, Liebherr, Sandvik, Volvo, and more.
On the technology side, I saw Carlson, Inform, Loadrite, Price Bee, Topcon (to name but a few).
I also ran into a range of people from companies that I know who were not exhibiting, but nevertheless there catching up with customers and prospects.
Aggregate equipment suppliers were at the event, including Liebherr. Image: Steve Franklin
Electric and autonomous equipment
I was much disappointed to see very little in terms of this type of technology. The only notable machine was a small electric wheel loader. The big news in the North American market in terms of autonomous operation is of course the Luck Stone Caterpillar trial at their Bull Run quarry, however I didn’t hear any discussion of this at the show.
Automated environmental monitoring
Monitoring of environmental performance can be a pretty time-consuming affair when done manually. I have often thought there should be an easier way of doing things and I saw just that at AGG1.
Sauls Seismic provides a fully managed service that provides, installs, and manages IoT sensors that measure ground vibration, rainfall, water flow and water level, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, conductivity, weather and dust deposition.
I have never seen a company that has all the environmental sensors that a site might need, installs, and maintains them and provides access to the data in a consistent format through a public API. Is there such a service in Australia – if so, please let me know.
Inventory management
Using drones for stockpile management is a big step up from manual measurement in terms of accuracy.
However, I am sure that you will also know that the approach can result in variable outcomes at time.
All it takes is someone to start changing densities, mis-pick the material type, alter the elevation of a stockpile base or boundary for you to see big swings in tonnages. In short, it is a good approach, but not an infallible one.
Enter Stockpile Reports (SR). Famous for their app that allows you to measure a stockpile using your iPhone (and more recently using the new Apple Vision Pro VR goggles), they also offer an enterprise inventory management service. So, what do I mean by inventory management service and how is this different to the way that we are used to measuring stockpiles with say Propeller or DroneDeploy?
Stockpile Reports is the only automated, controlled, and scalable third-party solution for managing bulk materials inventory that provides third-party verification and stockpile measurement accuracy scoring. Whether the imagery is captured with planes, drones, phones, or installed cameras, their patented technology ensures precision with reports that auto-correct obstructions, provide an objective surface score, and measure confidence in toe and base calculations.
The thing that really makes it stand out is the fact that your stockpile volumes are verified, and SR stand behind the numbers.
They also provide API access to the data and sensors that can provide real time analysis of stockpile volumes using fixed cameras that help identify potential stock-outs. It is amazing technology.
More than 15,800 industry professionals participated in the three-day event. Image: Steve Franklin
Aggregate and concrete plant scheduling
I think we can all agree that keeping quarry production and sales teams can sometimes get out of sync, with less than desirable outcomes.
Plant Demand aims to help alleviate this problem by putting in place a system that helps to keep everyone on the same page by helping to improve stock level visibility and reduce potential stock-outs. Increasingly common in North America, I think it has the opportunity to help businesses in our region too.
Logistics optimisation
Whether you deliver ready-mix concrete, cement, aggregates, asphalt, or any other building materials, effective transport planning can mean the make a big difference to the bottom line. Inform, a German company provides a remarkable AI based system that claims to increase truck fleet performance up to 30 per cent by calculating an optimised delivery schedule and fleet configuration for the next day based on service levels.
I am sure that to anyone who runs a fleet of trucks, 30 per cent improvement sounds like a big number. With this in mind, I was looking to talk to people at the show who had experience of Inform and could validate the sort of improvement that they are promoting.
One former managing director of a European aggregates operation who had experience of the system confirmed that they had indeed seen improvements on the order of 25-30 per cent in fleet productivity through the use of Inform and that its approach to fleet sizing or redistribution, truck right-sizing, fleet size/mix, haulage contracts made a profound difference to how they ran their fleet.
Quoting and sales price optimisation
Price Bee was very kind in allowing us to co-show with them at AGG1. I was amazed by the interest their product generated at the show, with many, many people stopping by to see their integrated quoting and pricing system for aggregates, concrete and asphalt.
Having seen the system from its inception many years ago, it was very interesting to get a deep dive into the software and how it can help providers. Even more so was to see the progress they have made into the North American market with a number of big-name customers.
If you haven’t seen Price Bee, it provides a fast, effective way to quote aggregates, concrete and asphalt (if you are using Excel for quotes, you must see this), but it also integrates pricing optimisation into the quote to ensure that different customers are charged the right pricing tiers and works to help you maximise price across the board.
Fleet management
Last but not least, great to see a home-grown technology solution at the show – Komatsu’s Smart Quarry Site system which was well represented and created a lot of interest.
Summary
Probably the most noticeable trend at AGG1 this year was the focus on digital transformation. The vast majority of producers I spoke to have an accelerated interest in this area and were working on projects to change how they did business. •
The Hazemag Roller Screen is the next generation of roller screens. Image: Hazemag
European manufacturer Hazemag believes many Australian quarries could benefit from installing a roller screen.
Traditionally, the roller screen has been the domain of limestone producers due to its ability to handle sticky and difficult material.
However, a new generation of roller screens is being developed to help quarries with more than just a sticky situation, especially if they want extra versatility.
“We’re seeing a lot of inquiries at the moment for the roller screen because in the rainy season and winter time, quarries can get flooded with water, and the material can get quite sticky, so they need something that can be used in the dry and wet season,” Hazemag and allmineral managing director of Australia Teddy Craies told Quarry.
It is a familiar story for Craies and project and service engineer Jaco Botha when they visit quarries, especially around the Victorian and eastern coast markets.
When winter strikes and the seasonal conditions worsen, their productivity drops as their equipment struggles to handle the change.
Prescreening can help increase profits. Image: Hazemag
The Hazemag Roller Screen can help quarry operators handle different weather conditions, raw material consistencies and specification requirements.
The Hazemag Roller Screen has a separation surface area featuring disc-fitted rollers. The polygonal-shaped rollers help transport, circulate, and loosen material for the downstream equipment. Fines pass the gaps between the rollers while coarse material is conveyed from the screen to the screen overflow.
Compared to a vibrating screen, the Roller Screen from Hazemag is non-vibrating, which is helpful in specific operations like limestone, clay stone, natural stone, and gypsum.
Hazemag has heard from customers that their roller screens have become an effective pre-screening tool.
“We’ve heard from a few Australian quarries when they’ve approached us about the roller screen, the main reason is their crushers and chutes are getting clogged up during winter,” Craies said.
“The roller screen, in installations across South East Asia and PNG helps the crusher do the job and helps operations in terms of variance in materials and the season and optimised energy utilisation.
“It helps the crusher perform better.”
The Hazemag new generation of roller screens, with gap setting adjusted for product size primary 70mm to 120mm and secondary 20mm to 70mm, is available to the quarrying industry.
This enables operators to adapt to changing requirements and suit material specifications easily. It can handle difficult material, which means less wear and reduced energy consumption for downstream equipment.
“You can put it in front of your primary crusher because it can handle quite a big lump size compared to a conventional vibrating screen,” Jaco Botha said.
“Putting it in front of the primary crusher enables you to get away with a smaller crusher because you’re dealing with smaller sizes.”
Hazemag’s Roller Screen can benefit other machines with a quarry’s downstream set-up.
“This helps the crusher do what it is meant to do and crush the bigger material, not crush things that don’t need to be crushed,” Craies said.
“When you compare it to a vibrating screen, they can’t handle the lump sizes and volume (like a roller screen).
“The roller screen helps pre-screen material which optimises the crusher’s lifespan and the production and energy consumption as well.”
In a traditional vibrating screen, which has two oscillating screens, these types of materials can adhere and bake onto the screen. This enhances wear and the need for maintenance.
The Hazemag Roller Screen has none of this movement, and each roll is equipped with scraper elements to ensure an enhanced clean.
“Each roller has a scraper which helps to scrape and move and then breakdown the separated materials to help get them moving forward,” Craies said.
Hazemag has designed its roller screen with a modular design, available in modules of four or six shafts. The roller screen’s modular nature enables customers to place extra steps between the individual modules.
All Hazemag’s shafts are solid core but can be altered to fit the customer’s application. For example, the welded three-bow disc design is better suited to heavy-duty applications, while the form-locked join design is more versatile.
The roller screen drive system and disc arrangement are selected based on the customer’s application. The chain-link system is where one geared motor drives several shafts, and the individual drive system is where each shaft is driven by a geared drive.
“We can customise it to the customer’s requirements to their needs and application,” Craies said.
“We use all the information, including what the customer is trying to achieve and what their current set-up and footprint are, and we will do some testings to find the best solution for them.”
Hazemag’s updated HAZconnect system enables site managers and operators to access data on all Hazemag machines including the Roller Screen.
The digital maintenance platform enables operators to perform preventative maintenance using detailed data insights from the dashboard on HAZconnect.
“It brings information about the machine to the operator, and they can adjust the settings and gives them control,” Craies said.
“This kind of preventative and digital maintenance lets them reduce downtime.”•
Duaplate DX is a revolutionary weld overlay material engineered by Bradken to perform under the most extreme abrasive operating conditions.
Trialed in the lower section of a surge bin, the Duaplate DX was installed in an iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The bin was compared to an identical chute lined with Duaplate D80.
Duaplate DX is manufactured to Bradken’s proprietary composition to create an incredible fine microstructure that provides a substantial improvement in the operational life over traditional chromium carbide based overlay.
