Editor's letter

Cover image: Autonomous haul truck at Rio Tinto’s Australia operations. Photo: Ian Waldie/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In Norway, an ambitious electrification project is underway: Norge Mineraler is working with ABB to develop a new discovery as a fully electric mine from the outset. We catch up with the companies to hear how they building the potential for future equipment upgrades into the mine’s design, and where the limits to electrification currently lie. We also find out what’s on the horizon for battery-powered trucks, and why China is leading in their deployment.  

In commodities, we offer an outlook for platinum and how major producers such as South Africa can navigate market uncertainties, look at the road ahead for Namibia’s untapped copper potential, and explore the mining sector’s role in Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification. 

With the combined capex of the top 19 mining companies is expected to reach $71bn in 2024, we find out which companies will emerge as the biggest spenders. Plus, we catch up with promising research that suggests mine tailings could provide a new source of critical metals and minerals while also cleaning up the environment, and check out a combined magnetic and gravity sensing technology that promises speedier and less invasive exploration of mineral deposits. 

The MINE team