In a recent development, the Chinese and Australian companies are increasing cooperation throughout the entire mining value chain, moving past the traditional iron ore trade to encompass mine decarbonization, ore beneficiation, and green steel as well as renewable energy applications as the global mining industry speeds up its shift to lower-carbon production.
It is well to be noted that besides entire mining value chain, cooperation when it comes to Chinese and Australian companies is expanding into areas like renewable energy, mineral processing, mining equipment, and research as well as overseas resource development, Australian mining companies, research institutions, and technology suppliers said at the recent Iron Ore and Open Pit Operators Conference 2026 IOOP2026 in Perth.
That includes Fortescue from Australia, which said Chinese companies are involved in several projects across solar power, battery energy storage, wind energy, and electrified mining equipment and is one of the companies pushing mine decarbonization by means of partnerships with Chinese firms.
LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. is developing solar projects for Fortescue, whereas Envision Energy is delivering wind turbines for its wind projects. On the other hand, BYD is supplying battery energy storage systems, and XCMG is working with Fortescue so as to develop zero-emission mining equipment, which includes 240-tonne electric haul trucks.
According to the director of integrated operations at Fortescue, Katie Charuga, speaking at IOOP202, Fortescue has already gone ahead and rolled out electric excavators and electric drills as well as battery energy storage systems and is evaluating electric haul trucks and locomotives, with projects getting developed with global partners, which includes the likes of Chinese companies.
The chief executive officer of the Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre – HILT CRC, Jenny Selway, opines that the cooperation between Australia and China was essential to decarbonizing the iron and steel value chain. The two countries need to and are indeed working together so as to decarbonize the entire iron and steel value chain.
It is worth noting that the shift to greener steelmaking is also opening up new possibilities for cooperation in terms of ore upgrading as well as mineral processing technologies.
As per operation manager for the Australia region at LONGi Magnet Co., Ltd., Weng Wubiao, in an interview with Xinhua, said that decreasing ore grades at some Australian mines and rising demand when it comes to higher resource efficiency are driving more interest when it comes to beneficiation technologies. The green steel development requires higher quality ore and resource efficiency, which is what is creating some really fresh opportunities for technologies that enhance iron ore grade.
Interestingly, LONGi has provided magnetic separation equipment and solutions for Australian mining projects, thereby in a way assisting the customers in improving ore quality along with resource utilization.
As mining companies look forward to enhancing efficiency in production along with cutting operating costs, mining equipment is evolving towards more energy-saving as well as productive solutions, remarked senior sales engineer of Shanghai Kminda Tech Co., Ltd., Shao Yuan, told Xinhua.
The company’s High Frequency Multi-Deck Layer Stack Vibrating Fine Screen, which the company is advocating within the Australian market, can indeed minimize equipment footprint, reducing material consumption as well as energy consumption, while at the same time enhancing efficiency in screening, helping lower the capital investment of the customers along with their operating costs, Shao Yuan added.