News

Article by Richard Szabo courtesy of Australasian Mine Safety Journal.

A resources mogul began rolling out eco friendly locomotives at a major mine.

Gina Rinehart recently ordered what was touted to be the first 100 per cent battery powered, heavy-haul train.

The heavy vehicle will be used for mainline service work at Hancock Prospecting’s Roy Hill operation.

Wabtec delivered the innovative FLXdrive technology painted in a “striking” pink. It boasts a 7 megawatt hour capacity, regenerative braking, and battery thermal management system with liquid cooling. It is also promised to deliver “double digit” reductions in emissions and fuel costs.

“By using regenerative braking it will charge its battery on the 344km downhill run from our mine to port facility and use that stored energy to return to the mine, starting the cycle all over again,” Hancock CEO Gerhard Veldsman said in a public statement.

“This will not only enable us to realise energy efficiencies but also lower operating costs.”

Mining magnate orders electric heavy vehicles

04.11.2023

Gina Rinehart recently ordered what was touted to be the first 100 per cent battery powered, heavy-haul train. The heavy vehicle will be used for mainline service work at Hancock Prospecting’s Roy Hill operation. “By using regenerative braking it will charge its battery on the 344km downhill run from our mine to port facility and use that stored energy to return to the mine, starting the cycle all over again,” Hancock CEO Gerhard Veldsman said in a public statement. “This will not only enable us to realise energy efficiencies but also lower operating costs.”

IR bill could smash economy

04.11.2023

Until recently, debate over the Anthony Albanese’s Closing Loopholes legislation has largely ignored a factor that could smash the economy. Unless this is clarified, resources and energy operations could shut. Thousands of workers could be out of a job. Frankly, it is ludicrous to think the FWC, with only one of its 50 members ever having run a substantial business, could be allowed to make assessments about future work plans that experienced business managers and board directors haven’t yet contemplated.

BHP says proposed labour laws threaten $3.2b Australian investment

03.11.2023

The world’s largest mining group, BHP, says the government’s proposed same job, same pay policy could jeopardise $US2 billion ($3.2 billion) worth of investment it has planned for its local copper business. BHP chief executive Mike Henry told shareholders at its annual meeting in Adelaide on Wednesday morning that the bill would also damage the Australian economy. “BHP strongly opposed the Same Job Same Pay Bill not only because of the damage it threatens to do to our business, but also for the hit it will have on Australia’s economy, to Australian jobs and to Australia’s productivity and international competitiveness,” Henry said

Australian mining red tape hurts its global investment case-Hancock

02.11.2023

Australia’s slow pace of mining approvals is diminishing its attraction as a global investment destination, Hancock Prospecting, owned by Australia’s richest person Gina Rinehart, said on Tuesday. "The current policy environment, duplication of processes, overreach from all departments and delays to approvals is negatively impacting new investment into the mining industry and is reducing Australia’s competitiveness in the international resource sector,” said Hancock.

Wabtec and Roy Hill unveil the first FLXdrive battery locomotive

02.11.2023

Wabtec Corporation and Hancock Prospecting subsidiary Roy Hill have celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive battery locomotive at a ceremony held at Wabtec’s design and development centre in Pennsylvania, US. The FLXdrive battery locomotive is the world’s first 100 per cent battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for a mainline service. It has a pink design to symbolise Roy Hill’s commitment to assisting in breast cancer research and those suffering from the illness. “This FLXdrive locomotive represents a major step in the journey to a low-to-zero-emission future in the rail industry,” Wabtec president and chief executive officer (CEO) Rafael Santana said.

BHP’S LABOUR LAW IRE

02.11.2023

“Viewed on its own — and in conjunction with the last year’s industrial relations changes — the same job, same pay reforms could, depending on decisions left to Fair Work, significantly increase costs with no corresponding increase to productivity,” Qantas’ acting industrial relations executive Nathan Safe said. “That could, in turn, compromise the viability of services, undermine job security and create market distortions by way of an unlevel playing field in circumstances where competitors will not be captured by the proposed reforms."

Employer groups hit out at Burke’s IR truce plan

02.11.2023

“This legislation is completely irredeemable,” Ms Constable said on Tuesday. “You cannot fix it with Tipp-Ex and Post-it notes. It needs a complete rewrite. The Government needs to head back to the drawing board and start again instead of scrambling to add poorly worded amendments.”

Hancock tops profit list with iron haul

01.11.2023

Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting mining giant has delivered the biggest profit for a locally owned private company this year, shipping record amounts of iron ore overseas.

Wabtec and Roy Hill Unveil the First FLXdrive Battery Locomotive

01.11.2023

Wabtec and its launch customer, a leading iron ore miner majority owned by Australia’s most successful private company, Hancock Prospecting, celebrated the debut of the FLXdrive battery locomotive, the world’s first 100% battery-powered, heavy-haul locomotive for mainline service. The ceremony unveiled the unique, striking pink-colored locomotive at Wabtec’s design and development center in Pennsylvania in front of employees, customer executives, and government and community officials.

IR minister’s ‘disregard’ for State’s mines sector

01.11.2023

The Minerals Council has accused Workplace Relations Tony Burke of showing "complete disregard" for WA's resources sector after he claimed some companies were over-egging the impact of his contentious shake-up of labourhire laws.