Algae and mining: A new frontier in sustainable site rehabilitation

Algae might seem an unlikely candidate to help transform Australia’s post-mining landscapes, but a new CSIRO -led project suggests these tiny aquatic organisms could provide sustainable futures for mine sites, surrounding ecosystems, and local communities. Looking down the microscope at the microalgae Nannochloropsis Australia’s mining sector is approaching a crossroads—where economic legacy and environmental responsibility must find common ground. A new CSIRO -led study, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), suggests that one of the most promising bridges between these imperatives may come from an unexpected source: algae. Though small in stature, algae are emerging as giants in their potential to transform post-mining landscapes. The study, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland and Murdoch University , proposes that algae-based technologies could reduce mining’s environmental footprint while seeding new...

WA's Griffin Coal draws interest from China, India

The administrators of Western Australia's Griffin Coal reported they have received interest in the failed miner's assets from Australia and overseas. Privately owned Griffin, which produces about 5 Mt of thermal coal a year mostly for domestic power generation, has debts of A$700 million and was placed into voluntary administration last week after it was unable to make a A$25 million payment to its bondholders.

A spokesman for administrator KordaMentha said the expressions of interest had come from state and private entities and that overseas interest had come from countries including India and China.