The UK government is set to announce a £350 million contract to refit one of its nuclear submarines in a move that will secure 2,000 jobs.

The work, which will be carried out at Babcock's Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, will include fitting the Royal Navy's HMS Vengeance with a new reactor core, as well as refitting and refuelling of the vessel.

Equipment on board the submarine will be completely overhauled, with missile launch capabilities improved and computer systems upgraded. The work programme is expected to last between three and four years.

Large and small scale electricity storage is at the heart of a new green economy: by 2016 it will demand quantities of lithium not currently available, putting a fair wind behind Lithium Americas Corporation as it positions itself to exploit the salt lakes of northern Argentina.

Panama has become a land of opportunity for the mining sector. Zorel Morales of the Mining Chamber of Panama (CAMIPA) talks to Gay Sutton about the prospects for the industry, and a campaign to introduce environmental and social frameworks to the country’s mining code.

Panama has a fascinating geology, lying over four colliding tectonic plates. The presence of both tectonic movement and volcanic activity over a long period of time has created a very promising area for mineral exploration.

The new Aminpro-Chile metallurgical laboratory, part of Amelunxen Mineral Processing, has quadrupled in size in the 22 months it’s been operating. CEO Roger Amelunxen talks to Gay Sutton about the challenges of the earthquake of 2010, and managing rapid growth.

Osisko’s billion dollar Canadian Malartic mine is the single largest gold reserve in production in Canada. General manager Denis Cimon talks about the challenges and achievements of this unique project.

The town of Malartic, Quebec is sitting on a gold mine—literally. To be more precise, it used to sit on a gold mine until part of the town was moved to facilitate mining operations. But more of that later.

Electronic systems provider API Technologies has completed the acquisition of UK-based C-MAC Aerospace Ltd for £20.95 million (approximately $33 million).

With facilities in Great Yarmouth and Milton Keynes, UK, C-MAC is a leading provider of high-reliability electronic systems, modules, and components to the defense, aerospace, space, industrial, and energy sectors.

Scotland’s energy minister Fergus Ewing has announced a new £103 million investment fund designed to drive the growth of renewable energy in Scotland.

The Renewable Energy Investment Fund (REIF) will initially focus on supporting communities and rural businesses to develop their own local renewable projects. It will also support district heating, and wave and tidal developers with the development and deployment of array projects.

Air Products today announced it has acquired advanced adsorption technology assets for its generated gases product lines from Xebec Adsorption, Inc.

Air Products has purchased the technology, intellectual property and know-how related to structured adsorbents, beaded adsorbents, and rotary valves from Xebec, a publicly-traded Canadian company specializing in adsorption technology headquartered in Blainville, Quebec. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

South African mining giant Gold Fields has acquired a 40 per cent interest in the gold-copper Far Southeast Project in the Philippines, it has been announced.

In September 2010, Gold Fields entered into two option agreements with Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, which owns 60 per cent of Far Southeast; and Liberty Express Assets, which owns 40 per cent. The agreements granted Gold Fields an option to acquire a 60 per cent interest in Far Southeast for a total of $340 million.