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...

USA trade mission to Mongolia, China targets coal mine safety

The USA's Commerce Department's International Trade Administration, US and Foreign Commercial Service is organizing an executive-led trade mission to China and Mongolia for at least 15 American companies that manufacture or distribute mining and mining safety equipment. The 23-28 October executive-led mission will include individual and government meetings to boost exports to an industry on which China will spend billions of dollars in the next five years to improve safety.

The visit will begin 23 October in Mongolia's capital of Ulaanbaatar, followed 25-28 October in two Chinese cities, Xi'an and Beijing and concluding at the China Coal and Mining Expo taking place 28-31 October in Beijing.

China is the largest coal producer in the world, with about 45% of the world's total annual production. As energy demand increases for its rapid economic development, China's coal production is growing yearly. For the past three years, the country's coal production was 2.7 Bt, 2.9 Bt, and 3.2 Bt respectively. It is expected to reach 4 Bt in 2011. Coal currently accounts for between 65-70% of China's primary energy supply, and demand for coal is forecast to grow 3.2% annually through 2030.

In 2010 coal overtook copper as Mongolia's most important export, accounting for 30% of exports. The country's coal output is projected to grow at an annual average rate of 62.3%, reaching 16.2 Mt/y by 2015. The Mongolian Government recently invited tenders for two contracts associated with Tavan Tolgoi, one of the world's largest coal deposits. Companies from Russia, Australia, South Korea, Japan, the USA, India and China are reported to be among the consortia bidders. Licenses for the mine will be held by the state-controlled Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi.

For the entire mission (China and Mongolia), the fee will be $6,245 for large firms and $5,475 for small and medium-size enterprises