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...

Vietnam begins importing coal

A shipment of more than 9,575 tonnes of coal from Indonesia arrived at Vietnam's Cai Lai seaport on 13 June to provide fuel for power generation facilities in the country's central and southern regions.

Remarkably it was reported as the first batch of coal that Vietnam, a nation rich in this resource, had imported.

The Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (VINACOMIN) will import some 10 million tonnes of coal, mostly low-energy bituminous coal in 2012. The figure is estimated to reach 100 million tonnes by 2020, to meet the urgent demand for power generation and other industries such as steel and cement making.

VINACOMIN explained that high-energy anthracite coal, which is abundant in Quang Ninh province, will be exported at high prices due to world demand.