Marubeni Corporation has completed a $5 million investment in Altilium Metals Ltd., a UK-based company focused on lithium-ion battery (LiB) recycling. The investment was made through a third-party allocation of new shares, positioning Marubeni as a strategic partner in Altilium’s expansion within the sustainable energy sector. Altilium currently operates a pilot plant in Plymouth, UK,...
READ MOREBlue Whale Materials (BWM), a leader in lithium-ion battery recycling, has been awarded a $55 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. The funding, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Battery Materials Processing and Battery Manufacturing Program, will support BWM’s $110 million expansion of its Bartlesville,...
READ MOREAlpha HPA, an Australian critical minerals manufacturer, has announced a significant supply agreement with a leading Japanese electronics company amid soaring demand for semiconductors powering artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The ASX-listed company will supply high-purity alumina (HPA) from its upcoming refinery in Gladstone, Queensland, which is set to become the world’s largest HPA production facility....
READ MOREVancouver-based Sigma Lithium has announced it is on track to surpass its 2025 production targets following a strong performance in the final quarter of 2024. The company produced approximately 75,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate during the quarter, exceeding forecasts by 25% and bringing its annual total to 240,000 tonnes. Operating at the Grota do Cirilo...
READ MORECobalt prices have halved over the past two years, largely driven by a surge in supply from China’s CMOC Group. The company’s aggressive production growth has significantly contributed to the global oversupply of cobalt, pushing prices down from over $28,000 per tonne in January 2024 to under $24,000 by December on the London Metal Exchange....
READ MOREBrimstone, an Oakland-based leader in industrial innovation, has secured up to $189 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations. This funding will support the development of Brimstone’s groundbreaking Rock Refinery™ plant, aimed at producing deeply decarbonized portland cement, supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), and smelter-grade alumina from domestically...
READ MORETwo potential buyers have submitted offers for Glencore’s 49% stake in the struggling New Caledonian nickel producer Koniambo Nickel SAS (KNS), the company announced. The bids follow site visits conducted by the interested parties between late October and early December 2024. KNS President Alexandre Rousseau confirmed that shareholder evaluations of the proposals are underway but...
READ MORESignificant cuts to Indonesia’s nickel mine production could remove over a third of global supply, creating substantial upside pressure on nickel prices, according to Macquarie Group Ltd. Reports suggest the Indonesian government is considering slashing nickel mine quotas from 272 million tons in 2024 to as low as 150 million tons this year. Such a...
READ MOREAfrica produced 1.44 million tonnes of primary aluminium during the first eleven months of 2024, a 1.5% decline compared to the 1.462 million tonnes recorded in the same period in 2023. This contrasts with a 2.87% increase in global primary aluminium production during the same timeframe, reducing Africa’s contribution to global output from 2.26% to...
READ MOREMore than two years after Mexico enacted a law nationalizing its lithium resources, uncertainty persists for companies holding concessions. A recent supreme court ruling has reaffirmed the state’s exclusive right to extract lithium, setting a challenging precedent for private entities. In early December, Mexico’s supreme court unanimously dismissed an appeal from Grupo Bararal, which sought...
READ MOREBradda Head Lithium is making strides at its San Domingo pegmatite project in Arizona, aiming to define a NI 43-101 compliant resource in 2024 and move toward production by late 2025 or early 2026, according to executive chairman Ian Stalker. The company has identified new targets within the project area, including Ruby Soho, Dragon, and...
READ MOREExport Development Canada (EDC) has committed up to C$100 million ($70 million) ($70 million) in financing for the development of the Seymour Lake lithium project in Ontario. This project, operated by Australia’s Green Technology Metals, is poised to become Ontario’s first lithium producer and a cornerstone of the province’s critical mineral supply chains for the...
READ MOREChina has imposed a ban on exporting gallium and germanium to the United States, escalating trade tensions between the two nations. These minerals are critical for industries ranging from renewable energy to military technology and electronics, and the ban could have far-reaching implications. Gallium and germanium are essential components in technologies such as computer chips,...
READ MOREAs 2024 draws to a close, lithium prices have declined for the second consecutive year, marking a significant fall from their December 2022 peak of $85 per kilogram for lithium hydroxide. Prices have plunged nearly 90%, but recent signs indicate the sharpest phase of the decline may be over. Narrowing price drops and reduced discounts...
READ MORESK Nexilis, the world’s largest producer of copper foil, has been awarded a $133 million subsidy by the Polish government under the European Union’s Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) program. The Korean company announced that the subsidy, equivalent to 545 million Polish zloty, will enhance its cooperation with Poland on clean energy initiatives and...
READ MOREVedanta announced achieving its highest-ever quarterly and half-yearly aluminium production, reaching 1,205 kilotonnes (kt) in the first half of the financial year. Alumina production also surged 21% year-on-year (YoY). Following this update, the company’s stock dipped 2%, reaching a low of Rs 501 ($6.03) on the BSE. The company’s Zinc India operations also recorded a...
READ MORERusal is set to commence the design phase for a major alumina refinery in the Lomonosov district of Russia’s Leningrad region. The project includes surveying land for a port terminal and road infrastructure, paving the way for the construction of the Leningrad Alumina Plant (LAP). In 2022, Rusal established LLC ‘Leningrad Alumina Plant’ with an...
READ MOREEmirates Global Aluminium (EGA), one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, has leveraged a green loan facility to acquire a majority stake in Spectro Alloys, a U.S.-based aluminium recycling company. The loan, supported by multiple international banks, enables EGA to access a larger liquidity pool to fund low-carbon projects while optimizing borrowing costs. In September...
READ MOREChina’s leading copper smelters have agreed on reduced price guidance for copper concentrate processing and refining charges (TC/RCs) for the first quarter of 2025, reflecting a continued shortage of copper concentrates. The new rates, agreed upon at a meeting of the China Smelters Purchase Team in Shanghai, are set at $25 per metric ton and...
READ MOREOn December 17, 2023, Hyundai Mobis, the automotive parts arm of Hyundai Motor Group, announced its readiness to commercialize a cutting-edge battery cell cooling material. This innovation, known as the “Pulsating Heat Pipe,” aims to improve both the charging efficiency and safety of electric vehicles (EVs). The Pulsating Heat Pipe system is constructed from aluminium...
READ MOREChina’s Ganfeng Lithium has officially commenced operations at its Goulamina lithium mine in Mali, overcoming security concerns, a stringent new mining code, and a global lithium supply glut. Located in the southern Bougouni region, the mine’s first phase began production in mid-December 2024, with an annual capacity of 506,000 tonnes of lithium. The second phase...
READ MORERecent data from the Aluminum Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) reveal a decline in the recycling rate of aluminium beverage cans in the United States. In 2023, only 43% of aluminium cans shipped were recycled, a significant drop from the historical average of 52% since tracking began in 1990. While this rate remains...
READ MORELithium Americas has announced the completion of its joint venture (JV) with General Motors Holdings to fund, develop, construct, and operate the Thacker Pass lithium project in Humboldt County, Nevada. The project aims to supply battery-quality lithium carbonate for the North American critical minerals supply chain. Under the terms of the JV, Lithium Americas retains...
READ MOREAccording to a survey by Shanghai Metals Market (SMM), China’s primary aluminium prices and input costs have declined, reflecting muted demand for the commodities. Bauxite emerged as the only exception, with its domestic price remaining stable and its imported price increasing by $0.08 per tonne to $105.84 per tonne. A00 Aluminium Ingot Price On December...
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