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...

Aspire raises production target for Ovoot coking coal in Mongolia

Australia-listed Aspire Mining said it has raised the eventual production target for its wholly-owned Ovoot coking coal project in Mongolia to 12 Mt/y, from 10.5 Mt/year. Recent coal washability test results confirmed a high theoretical yield of 80% with 8% ash content, giving Ovoot the potential to be the lowest-ash coking coal producer in Mongolia, Aspire said.

"It is clear from the results that coal from some areas of the deposit may not need to be washed," Aspire managing director David Paull said . That would result in lower operating costs and less coal washing capacity, he added.

The company has raised its output projection for a second-stage development of Ovoot to 12 Mt/y, assuming run-of-mine coal of 15 Mt/y, which would place Ovoot among the world's largest coking coal mines. However, Ovoot's first stage development would be a much smaller scale project of 500,000 t/y - 1 Mt/y due to limitations of road trucking capabilities, Paull told Platts.