Editor's letter

In this issue, we spotlight copper as nations race to increase production and secure supply for the critical energy transition mineral. We begin in the US, assessing the viability and challenges of President Donald Trump’s pledge to “bring copper home”, before turning to Oman’s copper revival. We then report on the ground from Zambia’s Kansanshi copper mine, for which the country made its biggest copper investment in a decade this August. 

On the technology front, we review the world’s first full battery electric dump truck, which is undergoing real-world testing in Zambia, and speak to Arca’s Sean Lowrie on how mining companies can unlock a $1.3trn commercial opportunity through permanent carbon sequestration. We also examine technological approaches to managing mineworker fatigue in both surface and underground operations. 

In an interview for our series on inspiring women in mining, Dr Sue Keay, director of the UNSW AI Institute, draws on her experience in both the robotics and critical minerals industries to underscore the need to bring more women into STEM and mining leadership.

Jackie Park, editor