Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has signed a renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) with Khangela Emoyeni Wind Farm (Pty) Ltd, securing 140MW of wind energy from a new wind farm in the Western and Northern Cape Province. This project is expected to reduce RBM’s annual carbon emissions by 20%. The 20-year PPA involves African Clean Energy...
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Researchers from the Department of Applied Physics at Novosibirsk State University (NSU), in collaboration with colleagues from the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry named after A.V. Nikolaev SB RAS, have developed a groundbreaking method to increase the specific capacity and charge-discharge cycles of lithium-ion batteries. This advancement leverages silicon-based nanopowder, synthesized by a team led by...
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Hydro has announced a strategic investment to upgrade its recycling capacity at the Atessa plant in Italy. This initiative will expand the plant’s annual recycling capacity from 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes, with 20,000 tonnes sourced from recycled, low-carbon aluminium made from 75 percent recycled post-consumer scrap. The investment will focus on acquiring advanced recycling equipment,...
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Soltech Energy’s subsidiary, E-Mobility, has signed an agreement with Boliden to develop mobile charging stations for battery-powered mining machines at the Kristineberg mine. This development was announced in a press release, marking a significant innovation in mining technology. Initially, the agreement covers the creation of three charging stations. According to Soltech, this solution introduces a...
READ MOREScientists in Russia have pioneered a new method for converting methane into hydrogen using a special catalyst, significantly reducing costs and enhancing the environmental friendliness of hydrogen energy, according to the Russian Science Foundation (RNF). Researchers at Skoltech’s Center for Hydrocarbon Science and Technology have achieved remarkable results in laboratory conditions, successfully converting up to...
READ MOREHydro has commenced onsite renewable energy production at its aluminium plants in Sweden with the integration of battery storage systems. This initiative, executed by Hydro’s renewable energy company, Hydro Rein, marks the completion of phase one, featuring rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels to enhance the existing local hydropower plant. Jacob Reeckmann, Head of Sales and...
READ MORERussia’s Nornickel, one of the world’s largest mining groups, partners with telecom group Rostelecom in a bid to enhance cybersecurity in mining amid intensified hacker attacks on Russian companies. Nornickel and Rostelecom signed a partnership agreement focusing on information security at the Digitalization of Industrial Russia conference, Nornickel, majority owned by entrepreneur Vladimir Potanin, said...
READ MOREAurubis, a leading supplier of non-ferrous metals, has successfully commissioned a state-of-the-art automated system at its Lunen plant, setting new standards in the recycling industry. The company invested a mid-single-digit-million-euro amount in this innovative system, which automates the sample preparation of feed materials such as e-scrap using cutting-edge robotics. The new system significantly enhances efficiency...
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Deputy Governor of the Kaluga Region, Vladimir Popov, announced the successful completion and operation of a new high-tech workshop, built and equipped in less than a year. The relevant agreement for this project was signed during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in 2023. The total investment in the project exceeded 500 million rubles....
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Specialists from Rosneft’s scientific institutes in St. Petersburg and Krasnoyarsk have successfully conducted pilot tests of a new technology for producing lithium carbonate from hydromineral raw materials mined at the Yurubcheno-Tokhomskoye and Kuyumbinskoye fields. Lithium carbonate is a crucial raw material for producing lithium hydroxide, which is used in lithium batteries, steel production, pharmaceuticals, and...
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Sienna Resources has announced the acquisition of the new “Case Lake West Cesium and Spodumene Pegmatite Project” in the Larder Lake Mining division of Ontario, Canada. The project, covering approximately 2,200 contiguous acres, is located roughly 100 km north of Kirkland Lake, NE Ontario, and directly borders Power Metals Corp’s Case Lake cesium and pegmatite...
READ MORESaudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden) has successfully extracted lithium from seawater, as reported by CEO Robert Wilt to Reuters on May 21. “We are actually producing lithium from seawater now,” Wilt stated, though he noted that the project is currently at a pilot stage and not yet commercially viable. In a separate initiative, Saudi Arabian...
READ MOREIndonesia’s top investment official announced on Monday that the government has proposed the construction of an electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in the nickel-rich country to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. This proposal was discussed during Musk’s meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at a water conference in Bali. “We made an offer, is it possible...
READ MOREStrategic Developments and Global Shifts in the Metals Industry Aurubis’ Expansion and Sustainable Initiatives in Bulgaria Launch of Solar Power Plant Construction Aurubis, Germany’s leading copper producer and the largest in Europe, has initiated the construction of a solar power plant aimed at providing sustainable energy to its Pirdop facility in Bulgaria. This solar plant...
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Kazakhstan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have agreed to collaborate on modernizing and developing the national mining sector. This partnership aims to enhance governance, transparency, and regulation in line with international standards and practices. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Industry and Construction, Kanat Sharlapaev, and...
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Sulzer, a Winterthur-based group, has acquired a minority stake in Canadian company Wealth Minerals, reinforcing its commitment to transforming energy supply towards greater sustainability. Wealth Minerals focuses on developing projects for sustainable lithium production, with its main projects located in Chile. Sulzer CEO Suzanne Thoma emphasized the strategic significance of this investment, stating, “We are...
READ MORENigeria will begin the production of solar panels and electric vehicle (EV) batteries, according to President Bola Tinubu. During the inauguration of Nigeria’s largest lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State, Tinubu highlighted the growing demand for solar panels in Nigeria and Africa, suggesting that locally processed lithium could be used for EV battery production. “I...
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Umicore has entered into a long-term partnership with STL, a subsidiary of Gécamines, to refine and recycle germanium from mining waste at the Big Hill tailings site in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This collaboration focuses on enhancing the value extracted from the region’s mining residues by introducing advanced hydro-metallurgical processes developed by Umicore....
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Researchers at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Russia have developed a groundbreaking composite material that outperforms many aluminum alloys in strength. Published in the International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, their findings highlight a composite crafted from alternating layers of glass or carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and metal, primarily aluminum. This structure not...
READ MOREMTM Critical Metals has announced significant progress in the recovery of Rare Earth Elements (REE) and critical metals from coal fly ash using its Flash Joule Heating (FJH) prototype. This innovative technology has demonstrated a more than 50% improvement in the acid leachability of these elements, which is a substantial increase compared to traditional acid...
READ MORESibanye-Stillwater, one of South Africa’s largest private sector employers, is moving forward with renewable energy projects valued at R2.5 billion ($135 million) despite facing significant delays due to land claims. Business Day reports that three of the company’s renewable projects were postponed for 12 to 18 months because of land claims lodged between July 1,...
READ MOREResearchers at Spain’s Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) and the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO), in collaboration with Corning Corporation, have developed a transparent antimicrobial copper coating for touch displays, which could prove beneficial in public settings, especially in post-pandemic times. This innovative technology, named TANCS (Transparent Nanostructured Copper Surface), involves applying...
READ MOREThe global push for electric vehicles (EVs) as part of the 2050 net-zero carbon emission vision is expected to lead to a substantial increase in copper demand. Industry experts forecast a looming supply shortage, with copper becoming both scarce and expensive in the coming years. Several factors contribute to this outlook. Major copper mines, such...
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Radmir Rzaev, a senior lecturer at the Department of Materials Technology and Industrial Engineering of V.N. Tatishchev Astrakhan State University, has pioneered a groundbreaking welding technology that enables the joining of dissimilar metals and materials. This new method, which utilizes friction welding with stirring, is poised to enhance the characteristics of welds and significantly reduce...
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