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...

New Chinese port for domestic coal from Inner Mongolia

China's northern Inner Mongolia province will soon have an open access to ship its coal from a port in its neighboring province to fuel-thirsty customers in eastern and southern regions. A port terminal to be built in Huludao, Liaoning Province, will support an annual throughput of 50 Mt of coal when the first phase of the project becomes operational by 2012, Zhao Rongqing, the chief of port affairs in Huludao City, told Xinhua. The annual throughput will be eventually expanded to 230 Mt.

A 300 km railway will be built to link the port directly with Xilingol, a major coal production base in Inner Mongolia.

Inner Mongolia is China's coal heartland. Its verified coal deposit of 732 Bt is much greater than the 250 Bt in Shanxi Province, which is currently China's biggest producer.