mining

  • World’s First Fleet of 100 5G-A Autonomous Electric Mining Trucks Launched at Yimin Mine

    A fleet of 100 Huaneng Ruichi autonomous electric mining trucks, the first of its kind in the world, has officially entered operation at the Yimin open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia, China. Powered by a 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network, the mine became the world’s first open-pit mine to achieve large-scale vehicle-cloud-network synergy, which has greatly improved production […]

  • Responsible Resource Development: The Path to Sustainable Lithium

    As the global community shifts toward renewable energy, electric mobility, and sustainable practices, lithium has emerged as a cornerstone of this transition. Lithium-ion batteries power electric vehicles (EVs) that are revolutionizing transportation, enable the energy storage systems balancing renewable grids, and drive countless portable technologies. Yet, while the global lithium market currently faces oversupply, driven […]

  • 200-MW Hydropower Project in Congo Will Support Mining Companies

    An African banking group announced it will finance development of a 200-MW hydropower installation along the Lufira River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The project is the African Export-Import Bank’s (Afreximbank) first private-sector renewable energy initiative in the DRC. Afreximbank is partnering with Kipay Investments SAS (Kipay). Officials on Dec. 18 said the […]

  • It’s Time for the U.S. to Get Smart on Critical Minerals to Advance Clean Energy Goals

    As governments adapt to ongoing clean energy goals, such as the Paris Agreement, green technologies have become more important than ever. The U.S. government has confirmed such goals, striving to implement 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. We are further seeing demand for critical minerals for these green technologies grow, as copper, zinc, […]

  • Nuclear Cogeneration Gains Momentum in Wyoming with New Microreactor Partnership

    Engineering giant Burns & McDonnell has entered into an agreement with nuclear technology specialist BWXT Technologies to advance the design and development of the BWXT Advanced Nuclear Reactor (BANR). The microreactor project is an integral part of a contract with the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA), which is assessing the viability of deploying small-scale nuclear reactors […]

  • From Mine to Line through End of Life, How Technology is Optimizing Battery Production

    The battery industry is experiencing a seismic shift as demand for renewable energy solutions increases. With electric vehicle (EV) sales expected to double from 2023 to 2027, reaching 31.6 million units, and shortages of cobalt and lithium expected through 2027, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights, innovation is necessary. There is a growing demand for […]

  • The POWER Interview: Nuclear Set to Energize, Decarbonize Industry

    A variety of industries are looking at nuclear power as a way to reduce their carbon footprint and provide a reliable source of electricity. Technology companies, along with industries such as mining and shipping, are exploring the use of nuclear energy as a way to cut emissions and electrify their operations. Tech companies such as […]

  • Renewables Need More Domestic Production of Minerals

    Climate legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions up to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030, has shifted the already critical need for domestic minerals into

  • Capstone Green Energy Lands a Follow-On C1000S Rental System for a Remote Data Center Handling Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Mining in Louisiana

    VAN NUYS, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2022) — Capstone Green Energy Corporation (www.CapstoneGreenEnergy.com) (NASDAQ: CGRN), (“Capstone,” the “Company,” “we” or “us”), a global leader in carbon reduction and on-site resilient green energy as a service (EaaS) solutions, announced today that its southern U.S. Distributor, Lone Star Power Solutions (www.lonestarpowersolutions.com), has contracted with a remote data center […]

  • Blueprint Underway for Commercial Mine Energy Storage Facility in Sweden 

    A blueprint for what could become the world’s first commercial underground mine storage facility has garnered financial backing from Swedish Mining Innovation.

  • Solar Microgrids Offer Pathway to Decarbonize Mining

    Mining is an energy-intensive industry; digging, crushing, and processing minerals takes a lot of power, and mines often operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Like other industries, mining companies are seeking solutions to reduce their emissions; both for the sake of the planet and in response to increasing pressure from customers to […]

  • Thermal Coal—Now and Next

    Joe Mease and Bryan Benoit, Grant Thornton LLP After serving as a primary source of electrical power generation for the last half-century, bankruptcies throughout the American coal mining industry in 2020 serve as the proverbial canary in the mine for the once dominant black nuggets found across the U.S. from the Appalachians to the Powder River Basin. […]

  • Coal-Fired Power in 2021: A Recovery or a Reckoning?

    This has been the year from hell for coal-fired power and the coal industry. If current projections hold, coal generation in 2020 will be 21% lower than last year and 62% lower than the 2007 peak. The coal share of the generating mix, which for decades hovered around 50%, will finish the year at 20%, […]

  • Off-Grid Microgrid: Solar + Batteries + Thermal Generation

    Today’s microgrid installations showcase a variety of configurations and control systems. Commercial and industrial sites are finding innovative ways to power their operations, particularly those in remote

  • ‪The Curious Case of a Two-Billion-Year-Old Nuclear Reactor

      Scientists appear to have unraveled the mystery of uranium ore found at a mine in Oklo region of the Central African state of Gabon that exhibits a lower proportion of uranium-235 (U-235)—the fissile sort. According to an August 10 bulletin from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the first response that physicists had when […]

  • Court Orders EPA to Evaluate Coal Industry Job Losses Related to Air Pollution Rules

    A federal court has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to file a plan and schedule to evaluate the consequences of its air pollution rules on jobs, finding for a giant coal company that is suing the agency for an alleged “war on coal” waged over the past five years. In an October 17 summary […]

  • Peabody, Optimistic About Coal’s Future Stability, Seeks Bankruptcy Protection

    Financially bruised Peabody Energy Corp.—the world’s largest privately owned coal mining firm—is seeking bankruptcy protection. The St. Louis–headquartered company filed for voluntary Chapter 11 protection in a desperate attempt to strengthen liquidity and reduce debt amid what it says has been an “unprecedented industry downturn.” It filed petitions for most of its U.S. entities in […]

  • Mining for Lithium in Geothermal Brine: Promising but Pricey

    Brine, the waste stream of the geothermal power production cycle, is usually considered a nuisance. High in corrosive minerals, even when reinjected, it’s challenging to manage. So when Simbol Inc. showed it had a way to turn this waste stream into a revenue stream by mining it for high-value minerals like lithium, a lot of […]