The government has initiated a plan to auction newly discovered lithium and other rare earth minerals later this year, with the mines ministry proposing an amendment to mineral concession rules 2016 to determine the methodology for fixing the value of the estimated resources.

Mint

Govt to amend rules to auction lithium, rare earth minerals

With the growing demand for lithium worldwide, South American lithium reserves are key in ensuring that this demand is met.


Innovation News Network

The importance of South American lithium to the global energy transition

Wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa is hoping to cut is dependence on China in some critical parts of its supply chain, its chief executive said, adding that while there was interest from customers such a move would lead to higher prices.

Mining.com

Siemens Gamesa to cut reliance on China for rare earths, permanent magnets

Australia seeks to create a homegrown lithium refining industry with the help of the US Inflation Reduction Act, but competition from China will be tough.

Power Technology

Australia bids to end dependence on China for lithium refining

Researchers at Stanford University demonstrated that a thin layer of a metallic compound called manganese palladium three has the necessary properties to facilitate a form of working memory that stores data in electron spin directions.



Manganese palladium three plays big role in AI technologies

The boss of Perth-based rare earths producers Hastings Technology Metals says a “premium” market is developing for the minerals outside China.

AFR News 

Ex-China’ premium market emerging for rare earths

The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, emphasized the importance of Africa harnessing its resources and manufacturing lithium batteries for electric vehicles to be part of the global electric vehicle revolution.

Nairametrics

Africa must manufacture lithium batteries for electric vehicles – AfDB

Shareholders lost money when the Canadian mining firm went broke in late 2019, collapsing under cost overruns and a crash in lithium prices. Four years later, a restructured Nemaska under new ownership is back developing a lithium deposit that could ultimately supply Ford Motor Co. with the key battery ingredient.



Battery boom sparks revival for Quebec’s formerly failed lithium miners

USA Rare Earth aims to become the sole American supplier of the obscure metals vital to national security and production of electric vehicles (EVs), CEO Tom Schneberger told EE Times. The startup will go head-to-head with China, which controls over 90% of the rare earth supply chain and at times has used that strength as a geopolitical bludgeon.

EE Times

USA Rare Earth Aims to Break China’s Grip

Country’s push comes amid global tug of war for EV minerals. Argentine officials say they’re nearing an IRA exemption. 


Bloomberg

Emerging Lithium Supplier Argentina Says It’s Close to US Deal Under IRA

Half of the world’s supply of the critical battery ingredient is mined in Australia, which ships virtually all of it to China. The government and business are betting they can change that.



The New York Times

Australia Tries to Break Its Dependence on China for Lithium Mining

Access to rare earth minerals and Russia’s war against Ukraine topped the agenda on French President Emmanuel Macron’s historic visit to Mongolia. Macron met with his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Sunday in the capital Ulaanbaatar and pledged cooperation on the extraction and trade of minerals used in satellites, cell phones and other key technologies.

AP News

Rare earths, Ukraine top agenda on French President Macron’s historic visit to Mongolia

Ford set its sights on expanding its electric vehicle output today by announcing a string of deals designed to assure it maintains a steady supply of lithium, an element critical in battery production.

Investopedia

Ford Rolls Out Lithium Deals With Sights Set on EV Production

Ford Motor Co. reached a series of deals to buy lithium from projects in Canada to Chile, as automakers rush to secure the materials needed to build electric vehicles.

Ford strikes lithium deals to support step up in EV output

Exxon is seeking a foothold in a region believed to contain lithium reserves to produce the mineral and test the viability of extraction technologies.

The Wall Street Journal

Exxon Joins Hunt for Lithium in Bet on EV Boom

The U.S is entering an array of agreements to secure the critical minerals necessary for the energy transition, but it’s not clear which of the arrangements can succeed

The U.S. Needs Minerals for Electric Cars. Everyone Else Wants Them Too

Mongolia has agreed to supply critical metals to France that it needs as part of its shift to a less carbon-intensive economy, Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday during the first ever visit to Ulaanbaatar by a serving French president.



Macron says Mongolia to supply critical metals for green push

A super-charged two-year rally, which saw Chinese spot lithium carbonate prices rise by tenfold, went into brutal reverse over the first part of this year

Reuters

Lithium slump puts China's spot price under the spotlight

Zinc-ion batteries come with many advantages, such as an abundance of zinc crust, affordance price tag, matured recycling technology



Energy Trend

Low Material Cost and Environmentally Friendly; What are Additional Challenges for Commercialization of Zinc-Ion Batteries?

Just after midnight on April 30, residents near the Salton Sea were jolted awake by a magnitude 4.3 earthquake. Dozens of people told the U.S. Geological Survey that they felt the shaking, with a couple locals reporting it was strong enough to knock items over or break dishes.

Press Enterprise 

Could the rush for lithium near the Salton Sea trigger earthquakes?

Mining & Metals | Battery Metals

Evidence suggests the Inflation Reduction Act and the advent of small modular reactors is unlikely to lead to a US nuclear resurgence in the medium term.

Energy Monitor

Why a new era for US nuclear looks unlikely 

Russia has a “massive” accumulation of coal on routes and depots leading to Black Sea ports due to the EU’s import ban and flagging demand from key buyer Turkey, traders said.

Montel

EU’s coal ban triggers “massive” backlog in Russia

Switching to an electric car has plenty of benefits, but should you be worried about the lifespan of their batteries?


Which?

The truth about electric car battery degradation

Russia's statements about the alleged threat of radioactive contamination due to Ukraine's use of armor-piercing shells containing depleted uranium do not correspond to reality.


Ukrinform

Russia spreading fakes about depleted uranium - Canadian Intelligence 

Energy security concerns — worsened by the war in Ukraine — and policy support from rich countries are likely to help investments in clean energy outpace spending on fossil fuels, the International Energy Agency said in a report issued Thursday. But investments in coal are on course to rise by about 10% in 2023, nearly six times what the IEA has estimated they should be for the world to end its reliance on fossil fuels and achieve emissions cut goals for countering climate change, it said.

Time News

Global Investment in Clean Energy is Rising, Says IEA. But So Is Coal Investment

The global movement towards sustainable transportation is rapidly accelerating, fueled by the emergence of gigafactories that are springing up across the globe.

Direct Industry

A Global Tour of Upcoming Battery Production Factories

Texas-based Uranium Energy has begun an S-K 1300 initial assessment economic study (S-K 1300 IAES) at its 100% owned Roughrider project in Saskatchewan, Canada. Uranium Energy selected Canadian companies SLR Consulting and Wood to conduct the study.


Mining Technology

Uranium Energy starts assessment study for Canada uranium project

With all of the extra attention Iran has received in recent days in terms of presenting a growing potential nuclear threat, it is worth reviewing what the Islamic Republic has achieved and what tasks it still would need to accomplish in order to cross the nuclear threshold. Already in mid-2021, Iran has enriched significant quantities of uranium up to the 60% level, with a jump to the 90% weaponized uranium level being a task that can be accomplished in a matter of weeks.  

The Jerusalem Post

What is Iranian nuclear ‘weaponization’ and why is it decisive?

South Africa, which is going through an energy crisis, is weighing the possibility of extending the operational lives of two of its largest coal-fueled power plants to boost energy security, sources with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg.

Oil Price

South Africa Considers Countering Its Energy Crisis With Coal

Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors is set to pick Britain for a multi-billion pound electric car battery plant, the BBC reported, saying the Indian firm would choose it over Spain.

Jaguar Land Rover owner set to pick UK for EV battery plant

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is planning a small test reactor that would burn a large amount of weapons-grade uranium, according to the project’s draft environmental assessment. The experiment, to be built in a cost-sharing arrangement, would provide data for a new type of power reactor being developed by TerraPower and Southern Company Services.

Science News

U.S. planning test reactor to run on weapons-grade uranium

Australian coal continues to make inroads among Chinese buyers, adding to pressure on domestic prices, with new shipments climbing to their highest level since Beijing halted imports in the fall of 2020.

gCaptain

China Stepping Up Imports of Australian Coal

The U.S. Energy Department told lithium battery company Microvast Holdings (MVST.O) it will not award it a $200 million grant, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday, after lawmakers cited concerns over its alleged links to China's government.

US will not award $200 mln grant for Microvast battery company

On 29 March 2023, Curitiba officially launched its Solar Pyramid, a landmark project representing the first solar plant to be built on a former landfill in Latin America.

C40 Cities

Curitiba: From landfill to solar revolution

Two countries dominate Europe’s coal emissions. Though falling, coal made up over 60% of the bloc's power sector pollution last year.

Euronews

‘Repeat offenders’: These are the top 10 most polluting power plants in Europe

In California, private sector innovation is giving way to public sector experimentation

Cato Institute

U.S: California Tries Charging for Electricity Based on Income

All the uranium produced in the USA during the first quarter of this year was from in-situ leach (ISL) operations, according to the latest US government update. But production from conventional mills as well as ISL looks set to ramp up over the coming months.


World Nuclear News

Quiet quarter for US uranium production as momentum builds

Australian coal continues to make inroads among Chinese buyers, adding to pressure on domestic prices, with new shipments climbing to their highest level since Beijing halted imports in the fall of 2020. That ban ended at the start of this year and China’s appetite for the high-quality coal supplied by Australia is gaining momentum amid concerns that rising domestic production includes too much lower-grade fuel. 

China Buys More Australian Coal as Appetite for Quality Builds

The Argonne National Laboratory has received US$ 3.5 million (EUR 3.2 million) from the US government to help accelerate sustainable battery production in America.


Recycling International

Multi-million investment into US battery research

Climate experts criticised the G7 group of advanced economies for failing to commit to tougher action on fossil fuels after Germany and Japan prevailed on the continued use of gas and coal respectively.


Financial Times

G7 disappoints on climate progress without deadlines on gas and coal use

Mining & Metals | Energy Sources

Panama is sitting on massive reserves of copper and other minerals crucial to the energy transition. Now it – and other Latin American nations – are wringing massive concessions from mining companies like Vancouver’s First Quantum Minerals

The Globe And Maill

Panama is ready to cash in on its copper boom

Australia's Sandfire Resources said on Thursday that it has produced the first copper concentrate at its new Motheo mine in Botswana’s Kalahari Copper Belt, becoming the second producing mine in the emerging copper hotspot.

Australia’s Sandfire produces first copper at new Botswana mine

BHP Group Ltd. is confident China’s troubled property market will turn around in coming months, despite gloomy economic signals pushing iron ore and copper prices back to levels last seen during the Covid Zero era. 

BHP Confident China Property Recovery Will Boost Metals Demand

India’s steel consumption is bucking the global trend and is estimated to grow 7-8% on rising government spending and signs of a resurgence in private sector investments, said Jayant Acharya, joint managing director and chief executive of JSW Steel. 

Hellenic Shipping News

India’s steel consumption to grow 7-8% on govt spending’

Rich in phosphates and cobalt deposits, Morocco is poised to attract investments in the fields of electric batteries and environment-friendly vehicles as it pushes to achieve industrial sovereignty and expands high-tech manufacturing.

North Africa Post

Morocco should build on its strategic metals to achieve industrial sovereignty

The commencement of drilling at the Simandou Iron Project is a major milestone for Arrow as we continue to work towards discovering high-grade iron ore resources in the Simandou range at a time where major infrastructural developments to service the area are underway.

Mining Review Africa

Diamond drilling begins at Arrow Minerals’ Simandou iron project

When her daughter started suffering severe skin reactions, Sophie Reynolds tried everything to try to ease the symptoms and find the source.

ABC News

Australia: EPA to probe Cadia gold mine after heavy metals found in residents' blood, rainwater

A little electricity has helped a team of chemists to make sustainable polymers that could improve e-waste recycling, precious metal mining, and perhaps even work as antimicrobials.

Cosmos 

With a zap of electricity, recyclable (and recycling) polymers can form

The accelerating pace of decarbonisation around the world is fuelling a heated race for critical minerals

Cyprus Mail

A looming war for minerals?

India’s steel consumption is bucking the global trend and is estimated to grow 7-8% on rising government spending and signs of a resurgence in private sector investments, said Jayant Acharya, joint managing director and chief executive of JSW Steel.

India’s steel consumption to grow 7-8% on govt spending

Copper prices rebounded on Friday on hopes that U.S. politicians will seal a deal to avert a debt default and as investors adjusted positions ahead of the weekend

Zawya

Copper rebounds on optimism over U.S. debt talks

Rising industrial demand comes as South African supply hit by electricity shortages

Platinum market expected to enter record deficit this year

Using hydrogen generated with renewable energy, steelmaking could have an American revival. 



Building Design + Construction

New manufacturing processes can make steel construction a greener option and add U.S. jobs

The government-backed China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) on Tuesday debated how to speed up the revision of standards for steel scrap to boost imports.

China steel body seeks speedy change to scrap standards

The energy transition has driven a boom in exploration for so-called ‘energy metals’ required for low-carbon power generation and newly commercial technologies such as batteries. The rising tide is also lifting interest in uranium.



Will 2023 be the year of energy metals?

early March, the Canadian government announced during the 2023 Canadian International Mining Conference that it will invest nearly CAD 360 million (about $260 million) to promote research, development and expansion in key mineral fields.

Shanghai Metals Market 

Canada Strengthens Support for 31 Key Minerals Including Copper, Aluminium, Lithium, 

A new study shows the potential for clean energy and hydrogen-based steel production to slash carbon emissions and put Americans to work.

Canary Media

Green steel could help rebuild America’s Rust Belt

Data adds to growing sense that Chinese economy has failed to fully recover after removal of zero-Covid policies 

China’s economic recovery in doubt as industrial output falls short

Yuriy Ryzhenkov, the chief executive officer of Metinvest Group, addressed Ukraine’s role in the future of the European steel industry, indicating that the country has the potential to become a primary supplier of direct-reduced iron (DRI) to Europe.

Fastmarkets

Ukraine has potential to become primary DRI supplier to Europe, Metinvest CEO says

The transition to low-carbon energy will be a tremendous challenge. Not only do we need to ramp up clean-energy supply to replace fossil fuels, we also need to meet growing energy demand for a rising population, and set up infrastructure to accommodate new energy source

Energy Intelligence

Mining the Gap to a Net-Zero Future

Mining & Metals | Industrial Metals

Canadian mining company Fortuna Silver Mines has poured the first gold at its Séguéla mine in Côte d’Ivoire, as the mine entered the ramp-up phase.

Fortuna Silver reports first gold pour at Côte d’Ivoire mine

The United Arab Emirates has become a key trade hub for Russian gold since Western sanctions over Ukraine cut Russia's more traditional export routes, Russian customs records show.

From Russia with gold: UAE cashes in as sanctions bite

EPA holds ‘drop-in’ session to answer questions about health and drinking water but concerns remain

The Guardian

Anxiety stirs in NSW community as Cadia mine investigated over heavy metals in blood tests

Consumers have cut back on buying the stones in response to the cost of living crisis

Diamonds: war, not sanctions, have cut prices for Russian gems 

A 39-year-old director of a diamond broking firm who allegedly fraudulently imported rough diamonds by overvaluing them, in contravention of provisions of Customs act, was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).

The Times of India

Diamond firm director arrested in fraudulent import of stones case

Russian gold shipments to the UAE, China and Turkey

Belgium is among the largest wholesale buyers of rare gems from Moscow, and local professionals fear that a Western ban on Russian diamonds could result in less oversight.

Russian diamond sanctions in G7's sights, but doubts remain over impact of ban

Creating an impact is not only a job for equity investors. We explain how we are identifying credit risks through analysis of areas including geospatial data and biodiversity richness.

Schroders

How credit investors hold mining companies to account for their impact on nature

According to Oriole Resources, Managem Group will continue to fund the AGEM Senegal Exploration earn-in on the Senala gold project, with the terms of a 2018 option agreement stipulating that Managem Group has the option to earn up to a maximum 70% interest in the project by 28 February 2024, subject to a total spend of $8 million.

Energy Capital & Power

Activities Resume at Senala Gold Project in Senegal

Australia and the United States have agreed to cooperate on critical minerals and the clean energy transition through a compact announced on Sunday by President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meeting in Hiroshima, Japan.



The Fifth Estate

Australian clean tech to benefit from US Inflation Reduction Act subsidies

A fire that led to the death of 27 miners at a Peruvian mine has prompted questions about the rigor behind a Swiss government-backed effort to improve safety and working conditions in the gold supply chain

swissinfo

Swiss responsible gold standard faces questions after mining accident in Peru

The US has sanctioned some of Russia’s biggest gold miners, as it imposes fresh penalties on the country’s metals and mining sector

US Imposes Sanctions on Some of Russia’s Biggest Gold Miners

South African miner says move to New York will allow it to access deeper pool of investors

AngloGold Ashanti to switch primary listing to New York

Newcrest board recommends shareholders vote in favour of takeover in latest mining industry consolidation

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