Algae and mining: A new frontier in sustainable site rehabilitation

Algae might seem an unlikely candidate to help transform Australia’s post-mining landscapes, but a new CSIRO -led project suggests these tiny aquatic organisms could provide sustainable futures for mine sites, surrounding ecosystems, and local communities. Looking down the microscope at the microalgae Nannochloropsis Australia’s mining sector is approaching a crossroads—where economic legacy and environmental responsibility must find common ground. A new CSIRO -led study, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), suggests that one of the most promising bridges between these imperatives may come from an unexpected source: algae. Though small in stature, algae are emerging as giants in their potential to transform post-mining landscapes. The study, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland and Murdoch University , proposes that algae-based technologies could reduce mining’s environmental footprint while seeding new...

Singapore ramps up Indonesian sub-bit coal swaps

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) became the first exchange to clear over-the-counter Indonesian sub-bituminous coal swaps last November and business is reportedly booming.

"We're seeing brokers jumping up and wanting to join in," Zenny Tran, the leader of Singapore-based broker Ginga Petroleum's coal team, told Business Times. "They now believe the market liquidity is sufficiently big enough for them to come in," she said.

This week, BGC Radix Managing Director Richard Tan said his oil-broking firm here aims to start a physical broking desk for coal within the next six months and, in London, Tullett Prebon announced it will open its Singapore-based Asian coal desk in August led by Greg Kublikowski.

The Business Times described Singapore, as "at the centre of the vibrant Asian coal trade"  and noted Straits Asia Resources and Noble Group as coal producers listed on the SGX.