Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) has implemented what it believes to be a unique process to reduce chemical waste from the painting process at its factory in Amsterdam. Developed in cooperation with Advantage Chemicals, the process will save an estimated €60,000 per year on labour and energy costs, as well as disposal costs for waste water and sludge.

Powerscreen will be unveiling the latest in a series of new mining and quarrying products at the Hillhead Exhibition on June 19-21 at its L10 stand. Visitors to the demonstration area will see five machines working. The Powerscreen XA750S jaw crusher will be feeding the Powerscreen Warrior 2400 screen, while the Powerscreen XA400S jaw crusher will be working separately to showcase its new pre-screen feature. Finally, the enhanced Powerscreen XH320X impact crusher will be working with the Powerscreen Warrior 1400X screen.

AREVA and Mitsubishi, through their respective subsidiaries Afmeco Mining and Exploration (AFMEX) and Mitsubishi Development (MDP), have decided to work together in a uranium exploration program in Australia. Exploration will be conducted for several years across tens of thousands of square kilometres of Australia where little or no previous exploration has yet been undertaken. Under the terms of the agreement entered into between both companies, MDP will cover 100% of AFMEX’s exploration expenditure for several years up to a predetermined amount. Once the threshold is reached and if MDP confirms its interest, MDP will have the option to acquire 49% of the greenfield* uranium exploration permits held by AFMEX in Australia and enter into a joint venture owned 51% by AFMEX and 49% by MDP.

The Clean Mining Alliance has announced the unveiling of its new industry association aimed at supporting and advocating technological advancements to make the mining industry cleaner and more environmentally responsible. “Frameworks exist to increase social responsibility in mining, but despite advancements in exploration, extraction, production and reclamation technology, the industry has struggled to present itself as having grown beyond the mining days of old,” said Dallas Kachan, Executive Director of the Clean Mining Alliance. “The Clean Mining Alliance exists to help promote new and emerging technology developments that are making mining more environmentally responsible.”

India’s Vulcan Industrial Engineering Co (VIECL) and L&H Industrial of Gillette, Wyoming, USA, both claiming to be “leaders in engineering services and products for the global mining industry,” have launched Velocity International, a US based organization that will produce mining machinery, spare parts and equipment accessories that are primarily used in high volume global mining operations. Headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, Velocity has put together a team of industry experts with extensive international experience that will sell and service high quality mining equipment through its worldwide dealer network.

Sandvik has applied an innovative 3D methodology to conduct design work on a new crushing plant at Randgold Resources’ Gounkoto mine in Mali. The project entails the crushing of the primary ROM gold ore and transporting it to a secondary crushing station to be stacked by a slewing stacker. Sandvik Mining Systems was awarded the contract in January 2011 and the scope of work included civil, electrical, mechanical and structural design, procurement, fabrication and ex-works delivery of the plant, as well as commissioning assistance. Time Mining erected and commissioned the plant in December 2011.