Rio Tinto has approved a $77-million pre-feasibility study (PFS) to progress development of the Rhodes Ridge project, one of the world’s best undeveloped iron ore deposits, in the East Pilbara in Western Australia. Location of Rhodes Ridge in Western Australia. The commencement of a PFS follows completion of an Order... Read more →

Australia has a unique billion-dollar opportunity to create a new industry to support mine closures and transitions, generating employment opportunities for regional and Indigenous communities, according to a new report developed by the national science agency, CSIRO. New insights drawn from mining industry databases and CSIRO analysis project an annual... Read more →

Rio Tinto has approved a new 12.4MW solar farm and 8.8MVa/2.1MWh of battery storage to provide renewable energy for the Amrun bauxite operations near Weipa in Queensland, Australia. The 12.4MW solar farm and battery storage are part of Rio Tinto’s global decarbonization strategy and ongoing efforts to reduce emissions at... Read more →

Topsoe has signed a contract with Allied, a developer of energy infrastructure projects, to deliver its dynamic green ammonia technology for Allied’s project in Gove, Northern Territory, Australia. The produced green ammonia is intended to be exported from Gove to the expanding South East Asian markets where demand for e-fuels... Read more →

SunGas Renewables announced it has been selected by Australian green hydrogen and methanol project developer, ABEL Energy, to supply green methanol for a new $1.4-billion facility in Northern Tasmania, Australia. Johnson Matthey, a leading methanol synthesis technology and catalyst supplier, was also selected to supply key technologies for the project.... Read more →

In late October, the Albanese Government in Australia announced a A$2 billion (US$1.3 billion) expansion in critical minerals financing to solidify Australia’s position as a world leading provider, help the transition to net zero, boost the economy and support more jobs and opportunities for Australians. Critical minerals, including rare earths,... Read more →

Hyzon Motors, a hydrogen fuel cell technology developer and global supplier of zero-emission heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), announced the commercial trial deployment of its first Heavy Rigid fuel cell electric waste collection truck to Remondis Australia, one of the world’s largest recycling, service, and water companies. The commercial... Read more →

Australia-based is forming a JV to bring to market a new hydrogen injection technology that can be used to reduce diesel and gasoline fuel usage in passenger, commercial and stationary engines. UHL plans to target heavy diesel vehicles, such as trucks, buses, vans, utes, cement trucks and waste collection vehicles... Read more →

A new study by a team from the University of Sydney and Geoscience Australia has mapped the concentration and distribution of lithium across Australian soil, providing crucial insights for identifying potential reserves in the country. An open-access paper on the work is published in the journal Earth System Science Data.... Read more →

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, and corporate advisor RFC Ambrian have co-founded Hadean Energy, a new company to commercialize CSIRO’s tubular solid oxide electrolysis (tSOE) technology. Solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) (earlier post) uses a ceramic cell to split heated steam molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. SOE operates at temperatures above... Read more →

Australia-based hydrogen fuel cell vehicle company H2X Global recently secured a US$57-million deal with US-based firm, Verde Mobility Inc., to fastrack H2X’s delivery of 800 hydrogen-powered vehicles. The deal will finance the delivery of H2X Global’s US$300 million in purchase agreements for vehicles that include the Warrego (utility vehicle), Paroo... Read more →

A new report released by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and GHD Advisory calls for Australia to focus on the refueling infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered transport—alongside electric vehicles—or risk being left behind its international counterparts. While battery electric vehicles will drive decarbonization of road transport in Australia, there are opportunities... Read more →

Dovetail Electric Aviation announced that Hyundai Motor Group’s HTWO will supply a hydrogen fuel cell system for electric aviation powertrain trials. HTWO is the fuel cell system-based hydrogen business brand of Hyundai Motor Group. Rex, Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline, took a 20% stake in Dovetail in April,... Read more →

Rio Tinto plans to invest US$395 million in a seawater desalination plant in the Pilbara, Western Australia, to support future water supply for the company’s coastal operations and communities in the region. The proposed Dampier Seawater Desalination Plant, which remains subject to Commonwealth and State Government approvals, will be located... Read more →

Australian battery technology company Li-S Energy recently announced the development of its first 20-layer battery cells utilizing third-generation (GEN3) semi-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery technology. Key benefits Li-S Energy’s GEN3 lithium-sulfur battery cell include: a 45% improvement in volumetric energy density, reaching 540Wh/l; higher gravimetric energy density of more than 400Wh/kg; and... Read more →

Albemarle Corporation announced its decision to build two additional processing trains at the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant in Western Australia. The additional trains will be wholly owned and operated by Albemarle and would increase the facility’s production by 50 kilo-tonnes per annum (50,000 metric tonnes per annum). Operating at full... Read more →

Stellantis N.V. and exploration and development company Alliance Nickel (formerly GME Resources) signed a binding offtake agreement for the supply of 170,000 tons of nickel sulfate and 12,000 tons of cobalt sulfate in total over an initial five-year period. This represents approximately 40% of forecast annual production of the NiWest... Read more →

Rio Tinto has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the Platina Scandium Project (PSP), a high-grade scandium resource in New South Wales, from Platina Resources Limited for $14 million. The project, near Condobolin in central New South Wales, contains a long life, high-grade scalable resource that could produce up... Read more →

Liontown Resources, an emerging battery minerals producer based in Australia, has rejected an unsolicited, conditional and non-binding indicative proposal from Albemarle Corporation, in which Albemarle would acquire all of the shares in Liontown at a price of A$2.50 per share—valuing the company at approximately US$3.7 billion. The proposal represented a... Read more →

Shenge, a China-based developer, producer, and supplier of rare earth products, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australia-based rare-earths miner VHM to purchase 6,400 tpa of rare earth mineral concentrate (REMC) and 100,000 tpa of zircon/titania heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) products for each calendar year of the three-year... Read more →

Global lithium company Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A., via its wholly-owned subsidiary SQM (SQM), will make a major cornerstone investment of up to A$20 million to acquire a 19.99% interest in Australia-based Azure Minerals Limited through a two-stage transaction. Azure Minerals is developing the Andover nickel-copper-cobalt sulfide project... Read more →

Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia Pty Ltd (TLEA), the 2021 lithium joint venture entity owned by Tianqi Lithium Corporation (TLC) (51%) and IGO (49%), has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of Essential Metals Limited for A$0.50/share, payable in cash. The transaction represents a 36.3% premium to ESS’s 30-day VWAP... Read more →

Australia-based lithium miner Core Lithium has loaded the first export shipment of product from the Finniss mine in Australia’s Northern Territory. This first shipment of 15,000dmt of 1.4% Li2O Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) (1.4% Li2O), announced 3 October 2022, was successfully tendered using a digital exchange platform achieving a price... Read more →

Iberdrola Australia and Australia-based hydrogen developer ABEL Energy will build a green hydrogen and green methanol production plant at Bell Bay in northern Tasmania (Australia). The project, called Bell Bay Powerfuels, is backed by the Australian government and will involve an investment of €1.1 billion. The Bell Bay Powerfuels Project... Read more →

Australia’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources released the December 2022 edition of the Resources and Energy Quarterly (REQ). Among its findings are that lithium export earnings are expected to exceed $16 billion in 2022–23, up from $5 billion in 2021–22. This will make lithium Australia’s sixth-largest resource and energy... Read more →

Australian express freight company, Team Global Express, has placed an order for 36 Volvo FL Electric trucks. This is Volvo’s largest electric truck order to date in Australia. The trucks will hit the streets of Sydney during the first quarter of 2023. The Volvo FL Electric model will be equipped... Read more →

SK On, a global electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer, signed a lithium supply deal with Australia’s Lake Resources (earlier post), a move that will further strengthen its key battery materials supply chain in response to robust business growth and geopolitical risks. Under the agreement, SK On anticipates the delivery of... Read more →

General Motors has secured a new source of cost-competitive nickel and cobalt for Ultium battery cells after making a strategic investment in Queensland Pacific Metals (QPM) of Australia (earlier post). The nickel laterite ore is expected to be processed using a new and proprietary process that helps reduce waste with... Read more →

Engineers from UNSW Sydney (Australia) have successfully converted a diesel engine to run as a dual-fuel hydrogen-diesel engine, reducing CO2 emissions by more than 85% compared to conventional diesel. The team, led by Professor Shawn Kook from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, spent around 18 months developing the... Read more →

Australia-based Pure Hydrogen Corporation has entered an arrangement with PepsiCo Australia to trial a hydrogen-fueled prime mover at one of PepsiCo’s manufacturing sites in the City of Brisbane. Pure Hydrogen will supply PepsiCo with a Hydrogen Fuel Cell 160kW 6 x 4 Prime Mover (HFCV Prime Mover). The company will... Read more →

South Korea-based SK On (SKO), a global EV battery manufacturer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Australia’s Global Lithium Resources to explore future business opportunities together in regard to stable supply of lithium. SK On ranked ninth in terms of global EV battery market share in 2019, but has... Read more →

Woodside Energy; Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC); Marubeni Corporation; Hokuriku Electric Power Company; The Kansai Electric Power Co.; Tohoku Electric Power Co.; and Hokkaido Electric Power Co. signed a joint research agreement under which they will jointly conduct a feasibility study (Phase 2) on the establishment of... Read more →

ENGIE has taken the Final Investment Decision in the development of one of the world’s first industrial-scale renewable hydrogen projects, to be located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Scheduled for completion in 2024, the first phase of the Yuri project will produce up to 640 tonnes of renewable... Read more →

Foton Mobility and Transit Systems Australia announced the arrival of two hydrogen fuel cell buses. The hydrogen buses are equipped with the fuel cell system jointly developed by SinoHytec and Toyota. (Earlier post.) The hydrogen fuel cell buses have been added to Transit Systems growing green fleet of sustainable transport... Read more →

A new study by The University of South Australia (UniSA) has tested and verified the structural integrity of walls constructed from tires packed with earth, with the results potentially providing new opportunities for the reuse of end-of-life tires in the construction industry. Tire waste represents a major sustainability challenge globally,... Read more →

E-fuels company HIF (Highly Innovative Fuels) Global has begun the development of Australia’s first large-scale, carbon-neutral eFuels production facility in Tasmania. HIF Asia Pacific, a wholly owned subsidiary of HIF Global, filed a Notice of Intent (NoI) with the Tasmanian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) seeking approval for the facility, which... Read more →

Electric vehicles can handle the distances required to travel to essential services in remote and regional Australia, a new study from The Australian National University (ANU) has shown. The open-access research has been published in Australian Geographer. … the adoption of EVs in Australia has been slow by international standards,... Read more →

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has launched an online center consolidating Australian hydrogen research and industry activities to supercharge the development of a clean and competitive hydrogen industry. The Hydrogen Knowledge Center, part of CSIRO’s Hydrogen Industry Mission, has been designed to foster collaboration between the growing Australian hydrogen industry,... Read more →

A group of leading German companies along with Australia’s Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has released a green hydrogen roadmap, outlining a set of recommendations for government and industry, to meet the ambitious target of importing large amounts of green hydrogen from Australia to Germany. The Green Hydrogen Taskforce, created earlier... Read more →

The Qantas Group and Airbus recently announced they will invest up to US$200 million to accelerate the establishment of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry in Australia. Due to the lack of a local commercial-scale SAF industry, Australia is currently exporting millions of tonnes of feedstock such as canola and... Read more →

bp will acquire a 40.5% equity stake in and to become operator of the Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH), which has the potential to be one of the largest renewables and green hydrogen hubs in the world. Based on the development of world-scale renewable power generation, AREH, in the Pilbara... Read more →

Rio Tinto has delivered first ore from the Gudai-Darri iron ore mine as the company brings online its first greenfield mine in the Pilbara, Western Australia, in more than a decade. Gudai-Darri will help underpin future production of the company’s flagship Pilbara Blend product. Pilbara Blend products are known for... Read more →

Loop Energy, a designer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell solutions, will enter the promising Australian bus market as a supplier of fuel cell modules to Aluminium Revolutionary Chassis Company (ARCC), the developer and manufacturer of Australia’s first lightweight bolted aluminum city bus chassis. (Earlier post.) ARCC becomes Loop Energy’s... Read more →

Transit Systems VIC, part of Kelsian Group, Australia’s largest integrated marine, tourism and transport company, is adding two Australian-built hydrogen fuel cell buses to the fleet as part of the Victorian Government’s three-year Zero Emissions Bus Trial. While this is a first for Victoria, Transit Systems has successfully operated 10... Read more →

Australia-based Core Lithium has entered into a legally binding Term Sheet with Tesla for the supply of up to 110,000 tonnes of Li2O spodumene concentrate from the Finniss Lithium Project over a term of 4 years, with pricing referenced to the market price for spodumene concentrate, subject to a price... Read more →

bp and Honeywell have signed a licensing agreement for Honeywell UOP’s Ecofining technology. bp is undergoing pre-feed engineering for its proposed diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project in Western Australia. bp plans to convert hydroprocessing equipment at its former refinery site in Kwinana, Australia, to produce approximately 10,000 barrels... Read more →

EV Metals Group plc (EVM) launched the Australian Lithium Alliance, a strategic initiative to partner with Australian companies to accelerate exploration, development, mining, processing and production of lithium minerals. The strategic initiative will be implemented by Australian Lithium Alliance Pty Limited (ALA), a wholly owned subsidiary of EVM, through joint... Read more →

Ford has become the first automaker to use 100% recycled ocean plastics to produce automotive parts. Wiring harness clips in Ford Bronco Sport models are made of ocean-harvested plastic—commonly referred to as “ghost gear.” The strength and durability of the nylon material equals that of previously used petroleum-based parts but... Read more →

Australia-based Mineral Resources (MRL, MinRes) announced a decision by the MARBL Lithium Joint Venture (MARBL), an unincorporated joint venture owned 40/60 by MRL and Albemarle Corporation, to restart operations at the Wodgina Lithium Mine (Wodgina), in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. MARBL expects Wodgina, which was placed on care... Read more →

Rio Tinto has approved a new solar farm and battery storage at Weipa in Queensland, in a move that will more than triple the local electricity network’s solar generation capacity and help provide cleaner power to Rio Tinto’s operations. The Weipa operations in Far North Queensland includes three bauxite mines,... Read more →