Lithium battery recycling is emerging as a key solution for reducing environmental impact and securing future supplies of critical battery metals. A Stanford University study highlights that recycling lithium-ion batteries emits less than half the greenhouse gases (GHGs) of traditional mining while using only a quarter of the water and energy. Recycling defective scrap materials...
READ MOREAluminium Bahrain (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter on a single site, has initiated a pilot programme to test an electric, battery-powered Aluminium Fluoride (AlF3) feeding vehicle. The vehicle, developed by Techmo Car S.p.A., is currently undergoing evaluation in Reduction Lines 4, 5, and 6. The trial will assess the vehicle’s performance and efficiency, with...
READ MORERock Tech Lithium has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with German cement manufacturer Schwenk Zement to utilize lithium production by-products from Rock Tech’s Guben Converter in cement manufacturing. The partnership aims to reduce carbon emissions while creating a new revenue stream, aligning with Germany’s National Circular Economy Strategy, which promotes the use of industrial...
READ MOREHydro and Rio Tinto have announced a partnership to develop carbon capture technology aimed at reducing emissions from aluminum smelters. The companies plan to invest approximately $45 million over five years, with research and development efforts taking place at Hydro’s facilities in Norway and Rio Tinto’s locations in Europe. Both companies will continue their independent...
READ MORERio Tinto’s 74%-owned South African subsidiary, Richards Bay Minerals (RBM), has signed a deal with independent power producer Red Rocket South Africa for 230 MW of wind energy. The renewable power will supply RBM’s smelting and processing facilities at its Richards Bay ilmenite operation, the company announced on January 30. Red Rocket is developing the...
READ MORECopper, dubbed the “metal of electrification,” is essential for solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles (EVs), and power grids. With EVs requiring nearly four times more copper than internal combustion vehicles, its availability is crucial to India’s carbon-constrained future. Demand for copper is expected to double to 50 million metric tons by 2035, driven by...
READ MORENorwegian aluminum producer Norsk Hydro has announced plans to acquire the remaining 28% stake in HydroVolt, its battery recycling joint venture with Northvolt, for NOK 78 million (approximately USD 7.4 million). The move comes as Northvolt files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, with the transaction expected to be finalized by the end of March. HydroVolt was...
READ MOREScientists and companies in the U.S. are exploring novel ways to secure critical minerals, including a method called phytomining, which uses plants to extract metals like nickel from soil. This approach, backed by federal funding, aims to reduce reliance on traditional mining and mitigate China’s dominance in critical minerals. Phytomining relies on hyperaccumulators—plants that absorb...
READ MOREA team from Leiden University and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has identified the root cause of platinum electrode corrosion, a discovery that could enhance green hydrogen production and improve electrochemical sensors. The findings were published in Nature Materials. While platinum is known for its durability, the study revealed that negatively polarized platinum electrodes degrade...
READ MOREThe electric vehicle (EV) market and renewable energy adoption are driving unprecedented demand for battery metals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium. These materials are central to the cleantech transition, powering EVs, large-scale battery storage systems, and renewable energy technologies. As global EV sales are expected to surpass 20 million units in 2025, nickel demand alone...
READ MOREThe Ministry of Energy and Minerals in Oman signed two significant mining concession agreements today, aiming to enhance copper ore exploration and sea salt extraction. The first agreement, signed with Al Haditha Energy, grants rights to prospect and mine in Concession Area No. 22-B, located in North A’Sharqiyah Governorate. The agreement was inked by Eng....
READ MOREUK-based clean technology group Altilium has announced a partnership with LevertonHELM, the UK subsidiary of German chemical firm HELM, to establish a sustainable domestic lithium supply chain in the UK. The collaboration aims to reduce reliance on imported raw materials by integrating Altilium’s battery material recovery expertise with LevertonHELM’s lithium production capabilities. As part of...
READ MOREIn its final days, the Biden administration has allocated funding to advance green aluminum initiatives, releasing an initial tranche of up to $500 million to Century Aluminum Co. for the construction of the nation’s first green aluminum smelter and $17.4 million to Norsk Hydro ASA for a technology upgrade at an aluminum recycling plant in...
READ MOREForge Battery, a subsidiary of Forge Nano, has finalized a $100 million funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to expand its lithium-ion battery production capacity in North Carolina. The funding, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), was secured through the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) on January...
READ MOREBoston-based Pure Lithium Corporation has entered a joint development agreement with Saint-Gobain Ceramics, a global leader in specialty ceramic materials, to accelerate the production of innovative lithium-selective, water-blocking membranes. These patent-pending membranes are designed to streamline lithium extraction from brine, a critical step in the production of lithium metal anodes for batteries. In addition to...
READ MOREThe Ministry of Industry and Tourism, the Xunta de Galicia, U.S.-based multinational Alcoa, and energy company Ignis have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ensuring the long-term future of the aluminum plant in San Cibrao, Lugo. The agreement signals a collective commitment to collaborate with the plant’s workers to stabilize operations and prioritize...
READ MORECobalt remains a critical mineral, integral to industries including defense, aerospace, energy storage, consumer electronics, and electric vehicles (EVs). As demand for these applications grows, the global cobalt market faces a complex mix of opportunities and challenges heading toward 2030. Global Production Trends Cobalt is primarily mined as a by-product of copper and nickel. Global...
READ MORERusal has achieved a breakthrough in primary aluminium production by significantly reducing vanadium and other heavy metal content using revolutionary inert anode technology. This advancement enhances the electrical conductivity of aluminium, opening new opportunities for its application in the power industry. The inert anode technology, a key development in aluminium smelting, allows for the production...
READ MOREEmirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the UAE’s largest industrial company outside of oil and gas and a leading producer of premium aluminium, has announced the completion of civil works for the expansion of its US recycling subsidiary, Spectro Alloys. The project involves a 90,000-square-foot addition to Spectro’s facility, allowing the production of billet from post-consumer aluminium...
READ MORECodelco, the world’s largest copper producer, managed to lift its annual copper output in 2024 to 1.328 million metric tons, narrowly escaping a 25-year low. However, concerns from union workers and analysts cast doubt on whether the company’s methods are sustainable as it targets an ambitious annual output of 1.7 million metric tons by the...
READ MOREThe European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) has cautioned the European Commission against imposing restrictions on scrap exports, emphasizing that such exports are essential to sustaining recycling businesses within the European Union. EuRIC’s statement comes in response to a December 2024 letter from Eurofer and European Aluminium advocating for stricter controls on the export of ferrous...
READ MOREAltek is partnering with Real Alloy to develop a zero-waste aluminium salt slag recycling facility in Wabash, Indiana, with support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). The facility will utilize Altek’s AluSalt technology to recycle metallics, salts, and recover non-metallic by-products from aluminium salt slag. Real Alloy has secured...
READ MORELithium has emerged as a cornerstone in the transition to sustainable transportation, driven by the rapid global adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). A recent report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), “A Global and Regional Battery Material Outlook,” emphasizes the increasing demand for lithium due to advancements in battery technology and the push...
READ MOREMitsubishi Corporation (MC) has announced its participation in a pioneering aluminum smelting project in Finland that will utilize electricity free from carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The initiative aims to develop low-carbon aluminum smelting technology, with production targeted to begin around 2029. The project is a collaboration between Mitsubishi Corporation, Finland’s national power company Fortum, Finnish...
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