Production

  • MTM Critical Metals Expands E-Waste Metal Recovery with New Extraction Success

    BY Lars Jensen
    MTM Critical Metals has made significant strides in extracting metals from electronic waste using a technique known as Flash Joule Heating (FJH). Following earlier reports of high recovery rates for gold, silver, and copper, the company has now added tin and palladium to the list of successfully recovered metals. The extraction process, which does not...
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  • Nathan Trotter & Co. Secures DoD Funding to Expand Tin Refining Capacity

    BY Lars Jensen
    Secondary refined tin and solder producer Nathan Trotter & Co. has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to receive funding to expand the country’s tin smelting and refining capacity. The project will involve constructing comprehensive tin smelting and refining facilities in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, to de-risk the tin supply chain. Nathan Trotter will...
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  • $1M U.S. Department of Energy Grant Funds Research on Additive Manufacturing for Nuclear Reactors

    BY Lars Jensen
    A $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been awarded to Sougata Roy, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, to explore the use of additive manufacturing for producing shields and other components for nuclear reactors. The research aims to leverage 3D printing techniques to create tungsten-based alloys...
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  • Japan’s Refined Copper Production to Rise 5.5% in Second Half of Fiscal 2025

    BY John Davis
    Japan’s refined copper production is expected to increase by 5.5% in the second half of fiscal 2025 compared to the previous year, according to Reuters calculations based on plans outlined by smelters. The rise is attributed to reduced maintenance activities and solid demand, particularly from the electronics and construction sectors. The financial second half in...
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  • Japan’s Copper Supply Set for 5.5% Increase in Second Half of Fiscal 2025

    BY Lars Jensen
    Japan’s refined copper production is expected to increase by 5.5% in the second half of fiscal 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations based on smelter plans. This increase is primarily attributed to reduced maintenance activities and solid demand. The financial second half covers the period from October to...
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  • Novelis Orders Aluminium Sheet Production Facility from Danieli for Bay Minette Plant

    BY Lars Jensen
    US aluminium products producer Novelis, a subsidiary of India’s Hindalco Industries (Aditya Birla Group), has commissioned Italian equipment supplier Danieli to build a flat-rolled sheet production facility at its Bay Minette plant, currently under construction in Alabama. The facility will have an annual capacity of 1 million tonnes, focusing on aluminium scrap recycling and aluminium...
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  • Japan’s Aluminium Premium Rises for Third Consecutive Quarter

    BY Lars Jensen
    The premium for aluminium shipments to Japanese buyers for the October to December period has been set at $175 per metric ton, reflecting a 1.7% increase from the previous quarter, according to four individuals directly involved in pricing talks. This rise aligns with higher premiums seen in Europe. The new figure surpasses the $172 per...
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  • Rusal Reports Lower Aluminium Exports While Domestic Shipments Rise

    BY Lars Jensen
    Rusal’s aluminium exports fell by 4% year-on-year to 2.19 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2024, according to company data reviewed by Interfax. During the same period, the total volume of aluminium transported by Rusal, including domestic shipments, decreased by 1% to 2.69 million tonnes, based on information from Russian Railways. Notably, aluminium...
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  • Hydro Boosts Aluminium Production and Recycling Capacity in Pennsylvania

    BY Lars Jensen
    Norwegian aluminium producer Norsk Hydro has completed a capacity expansion project at its Cressona smelter in Pennsylvania, USA, with an investment of approximately NOK 1 billion ($94 million). The expansion includes the installation of a new extrusion press with a force of 3,000 tonnes, enabling the production of aluminium profiles up to 12 inches (305...
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  • Aurubis Modernizes Stolberg Facility to Expand Copper Strip Production

    BY Lars Jensen
    Aurubis, one of the world’s leading multi-metal producers and a major copper recycler, has announced a EUR 16 million investment in its Stolberg copper rolling mill in the Rhineland, Germany. The investment includes two new core units—a hood annealing line and a stretch-bending line—to enhance the competitiveness, energy efficiency, and safety of the site. The...
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  • Iran’s Aluminium Ingot Production Rises Slightly in First Five Months of Year

    BY John Davis
    Iran produced 264,617 tonnes of aluminium ingots in the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-August 21), according to data released by the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Reconstruction Organization (IMIDRO). This marks a slight increase of 1% compared to the same period last year. The production increase was...
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  • Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi Achieve Record Production in Q3 2024

    BY Lars Jensen
    Ivanhoe Mines reported record production at its Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex and Kipushi zinc mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for Q3 2024. Kamoa-Kakula produced 116,313 tonnes of copper in concentrate, while Kipushi produced 17,817 tonnes of zinc in concentrate during its ramp-up phase. Kamoa-Kakula’s Phase 3 concentrator, which began producing in June, is...
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  • Fortune Minerals Retains Worley for Updated Feasibility Study of NICO Project

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Fortune Minerals has hired Worley Canada Services to lead additional engineering work and prepare an updated feasibility study for the NICO Cobalt-Gold-Bismuth-Copper Project in Canada. The project includes a mine and concentrator in the Northwest Territories and a hydrometallurgical facility in Alberta. The updated study will assess current project costs, commodity prices, and recent optimizations,...
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  • Dundee Precious Metals Releases Preliminary Third Quarter Production Results

    BY John Davis
    Dundee Precious Metals has released preliminary production figures for gold and copper for the third quarter and the nine months ending September 30, 2024. The company’s Chelopech and Ada Tepe mines are reported to be on track to meet their 2024 production guidance despite some operational challenges. David Rae, President and CEO of Dundee Precious...
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  • Shanghai Nickel Prices Surge on Supply Disruptions

    BY John Davis
    Shanghai nickel prices jumped nearly 6% on Tuesday, reaching a three-month high as trading resumed following a week-long holiday. The most-traded November nickel contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) rose 3.4% to 135,470 yuan ($19,304 per metric ton) after peaking at 138,800 yuan, the highest since July 9. Meanwhile, three-month nickel on the London...
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  • Rusal Plans Expansion of Boguchansk Smelter to Double Capacity

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Rusal plans to start construction of the second stage of the Boguchansk aluminium smelter in 2025, according to Renaissance Capital. This expansion will double the smelter’s production capacity to 596,000 tonnes per year, with the start-up complexes being commissioned in stages until 2030. The total investment in the project will be updated by the end...
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  • Nickel Production Halt at Ambatovy Mine Threatens Madagascar’s Economy

    BY Lars Jensen
    Nickel, which accounted for 25% of Madagascar’s export value in 2022, faces a significant disruption following an incident at the Ambatovy nickel mine. Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, which operates the mine, reported damage to the pipeline transporting ore to the processing plant, leading to a suspension of production. The halt at Madagascar’s largest nickel mine comes...
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  • Vedanta Reports 3% Rise in Aluminium Production for July-September Quarter

    BY Lars Jensen
    Vedanta announced that its aluminium production for the July-September period totaled 609,000 tonnes, marking a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. The company’s total aluminium production in the first half of the current financial year reached 1.21 million tonnes, also reflecting a 3% year-on-year growth. During the September quarter, alumina production from...
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  • Barrick Gold Begins $500 Million Expansion of Lumwana Copper Mine in Zambia

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Barrick Gold has initiated the expansion of its Lumwana copper mine in Zambia’s Kalumbila District, with an investment of USD 500 million earmarked for the project’s first phase. The expansion will focus on infrastructure upgrades, operational improvements, and the introduction of advanced mining technologies. The total cost of the project is expected to reach USD...
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  • Vale Plans to Triple Copper Production as New CEO Gustavo Pimenta Takes the Helm

    BY John Davis
    Vale is considering opportunities to significantly increase its copper output, potentially tripling production, as it seeks to catch up with industry competitors, according to the company’s newly appointed president, Gustavo Pimenta. In a statement made on Wednesday, Pimenta highlighted that Vale currently produces 350,000 tonnes of copper annually, while the largest global producers generate around...
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  • Aluminium Duffel Launches New Logo and Commissions New Milling Installation

    BY Lars Jensen
    Aluminium Duffel has officially commissioned its new €26 million milling installation, capable of processing up to 400,000 tonnes of aluminium annually. This investment marks a significant step for the company, allowing it to handle the milling of its aluminium slabs in-house, particularly those required by the automotive sector. Previously, some of the slabs were processed...
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  • Gold Prices Surge to Historic Highs Amid Strong Investment Demand and Fed Rate Cuts

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Gold prices have hit historic highs this year, driven by robust demand for the precious metal as investors seek safer assets amidst global economic uncertainty. The surge comes as geopolitical tensions, US Federal Reserve rate cuts, and increased gold purchases by central banks fuel demand. On September 25, spot gold prices reached a record $2,670...
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  • Vale Temporarily Halts Operations at Onça Puma Nickel Plant After Storm

    BY John Davis
    Operations at Vale’s Onça Puma nickel plant in Ourilândia do Norte, Pará, have been temporarily suspended following damage to the local power transmission network caused by a severe windstorm on Saturday, October 5. According to Vale, the network is expected to be fully restored by October 15. Vale estimates that this interruption will reduce nickel...
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  • South Korea’s Solus to Build Canada’s First Copper Foil Plant for EV Batteries

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Solus Advanced Materials, a South Korean company specializing in copper foil, has announced that its subsidiary, Volta Energy Solutions Canada, has finalized an agreement with Investissement Québec. The agreement secures financial incentives for the construction of the first copper foil plant in Canada, located in Quebec, to support the electric vehicle (EV) battery industry. The...
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