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...

Timah tips tin price rise by 20% in 2010

Indonesian-based PT Timah, the world's largest integrated tin miner, expects tin prices this year to climb over 20% to reach $20,000 a tonne as demand recovers. The miner also expects sales of refined tin to edge up to 50,000 tonnes this year, from around 49,000 tonnes estimated for 2009. "We see the market situation improving this year as demand is picking up," its President Director, Wachid Usman said.

He said the majority-state owned cimpany is in a due diligence process for coal mines in Kalimantan in Indonesia's Borneo island, as it looks for acquisitions to replace falling reserves.  Timah is currently producing between 1-1.5 Mt/y of coal but reserves are expected to run out within the next three years. "We seek coal mines with reserves at about 50 Mt," Mr Usman said, as quoted by Reuters.