The demand for critical minerals including lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, rare earth elements, potash, uranium and aluminum is increasing as the world moves towards a global net-zero economy and the adoption of clean technologies such as solar panels and electric vehicle batteries. These minerals are not only essential for clean technology, but also play...
READ MOREScientists in New Zealand and Australia have made a significant discovery in the field of nanomaterials by creating tiny metallic snowflakes. Who Professor Nicola Gaston and research fellow Dr Steph Lambie, both of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, and Dr Krista Steenbergen of Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington, collaborated with colleagues in...
READ MOREThe European Union and Chile have agreed on a partnership to liberalise bilateral trade and enhance EU access to metals like lithium and copper, which are widely used in electric vehicles. The EU, which signed the trade deal on 9 December, already relies heavily on Chile for lithium sourcing, with over 60% of its imports...
READ MOREPeruvian protesters have threatened to disrupt operations at Glencore’s Antapaccay and MMG’s Las Bambas copper mines, demanding fresh general elections, the country’s La Republica newspaper has reported. The protests were triggered by the impeachment and detention of the South American country’s former president Pedro Castillo. The demonstrators are demanding early presidential elections and the closure...
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Ring of Fire Metals (RoFM) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Webequie First Nation, outlining a framework for collaboration on proposed development in Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire. Who Ring of Fire Metals and the Webequie First Nation have signed a memorandum of understanding outlining how the two parties will collaborate to...
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Glencore is to sign a long-term agreement with recycling technology firm ACE Green Recycling, whereby the latter will supply recycled lead and key metal-based battery end products from recycled lithium-ion batteries. Under the 15-year agreement, Glencore will receive up to 100% of ACE’s products from four of its proposed lead-acid and lithium-ion battery recycling parks...
READ MOREAround the midpoint of 2023, Brazil-based mining company Vale plans to split off its base metal operations into a separate company from its core iron ore business. Its nickel operations in Canada will be impacted by this decision, including those in Sudbury, Ontario; Thompson, Manitoba; and Voisey’s Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. Who Vale executives announced...
READ MOREAs part of the Think & Act Differently (TAD) incubator initiative, funding and support will be offered to innovators seeking to reimagine mining and processing to remove, minimize, find value in or reuse mine tailings. Who Anglo-Australian mining firm Rio Tinto, copper miner OZ Minerals and Sweden-based metals firm Boliden have agreed to partner on...
READ MORERussia is second only to China in terms of volumes of rare earth metal reserves, but accounts for just 2% of the global market. Supposedly, development of known reserves is hampered by a lack of local demand, but over 90% of required REMs are imported. In the context of ever toughening sanctions, shifting to a...
READ MORESwitzerland-based mining company Glencore has said it will pay USD 180 million to the Democratic Republic of Congo to settle corruption claims. The Congo payout is the latest in a series of corruption cases which has seen Glencore agree to pay out more than USD 1.6 billion in fines this year. Despite the fines, Glencore...
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EUR 588 million (USD 616.22 million) of capital expenditure has been earmarked for a lithium project in Finland. Who Diversified South African miner Sibanye-Stillwater is set to advance its Keliber lithium project in Finland, seeking a foothold in the European battery metals market. The company took control of Finnish battery chemicals maker Keliber in October...
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Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, warned on Thursday that global shortages of the metal may reach eight million tonnes by 2032, as new projects can’t catch up with soaring demand. What Maximo Pacheco, Chairman of the Board of Codelco, said at an industry conference that while a surplus is expected in the short term...
READ MOREWallbridge Mining sells all its nickel assets to Archer Exploration Corp. Who Canadian gold company Wallbridge is selling all the property, assets, rights and obligations associated with its nickel portfolio to Archer Exploration Corp, also based in Canada. The value of the deal is estimated to be around CAD 53.6 million in Archer shares (approximately...
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As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows no signs of stopping, US-based lightweight metal engineering and manufacturing company Arconic has sold off its Russian assets. Who To comply with sanctions against Russia, Arconic sold its Russian operations to the majority owner of the state-backed metals company VSMPO-AVISMA for cash. The key property changing hands is the...
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New porous titanium technology for implants developed by Russian scientists Who The Department of Materials Science and Materials Technology of the Moscow Aviation Institute claims to have developed a crystallization technology that allows for the relatively inexpensive production of titanium “cotton” for implants, which is set to be 5–6 times less expensive and more consistent...
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Achieving current climate targets to potentially save the world from catastrophe will require hundreds of billions in copper investments. Who Analysts from Wood Mackenzie claim that 9.7 million tonnes of copper are needed over the next 10 years to cover the projects necessary to hit goals outlined in the Paris Agreement targets, an increase of...
READ MOREA green and efficient new rare earth mining technology that uses electricity instead of chemicals has been proposed. Who Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry proposed a new approach in the Nature Sustainability journal earlier this month, showing that employing electrokinetic mining techniques to extract rare earth elements from weathering...
READ MOREThe countries holding a majority of the world’s known resources for manufacturing batteries are considering forming a cartel based on the OPEC model in the face of growing demand and surging prices. Who There’s growing interest in a lithium OPEC in the ‘Lithium Triangle’, a colloquial term for Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, which are home...
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After the signing of a financing package that will provide up to $123 million in liquidity, Nevada Copper is set to restart operations at its Underground Mine location within the larger Pumpkin Hollow reserve. The resumption of copper extraction at the site comes with an optimised plan to bring the mine’s life-cycle value forward by...
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Nickel Creek Platinum has announced the completion of a drilling and geophysics programme conducted in Yukon, Canada, as part of the Nickel Shaw Project. The project involved a total of 3,300 metres of drilling, 2,000 metres of which comprised a Prefeasibility Study (“PFS”) at the Wellgreen deposit. Eight holes were drilled to support the conversion...
READ MOREThe German government has appealed to the International Seabed Authority to put deep-sea mining activities on hold while an assessment of regulations and potential environmental damage is conducted. The announcement comes after the climate activist group Ocean Rebellion staged a protest against the Hidden Gem drill ship in Rotterdam in February 2022. Spain and New...
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A USD 873 billion mine extracting Ni, Cu, Pt, Pd and Au metals from the magmatic sulphide deposit that forms the core of Norilsk Nickel’s eponymous operations was listed as the most valuable mine in the world by MINING.COM. If the calculations were based on prices back in March, the value of the mine would...
READ MOREA new theory of iron–nickel alloy solidification has been proposed. Regulating the process of creating Invar (iron–nickel, Fe–Ni) could bring about a more uniform structure, controlled characteristics, and improved properties in the final product. Who Physicists at the Ural Federal University (UrFU) have determined that oncoming flow plays an important role in the technology for...
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A new recycling facility is set to turn the Finnish town of Heinola into an aluminium and copper processing hub. The plant, whose construction costs are estimated at 7 million euros, will begin operating next year. The facility consists of a pre-crushing line and a separation line. The operations will have a production capacity of...
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