Contract Termination Caps Off-taker Risk The original 2018 contract obliged Cloud Snurran to supply a baseload 300 gigawatt-hours (GWh) a year from 2020 to 2030, rising to 550 GWh annually between 2031 and 2049—equivalent to roughly 0.3 % and 0.6 % respectively of Hydro’s normal-year equity power output in Norway. Deliveries stopped in November 2024...
READ MOREAlcoa, United States-based aluminium producer, and Ignis EQT, Spanish renewable-energy developer, have resumed the phased restart of the 228,000-tonne-per-year San Cibrao smelter in Galicia after securing government assurances that April’s nationwide power outage will not recur. The partners now expect the plant to remain loss-making to the tune of €77–94 million ($89–109 million) in 2025...
READ MOREThe United Kingdom’s lithium carbonate market is positioned for gradual recovery following two consecutive years of declining consumption, with industry forecasts projecting growth to 1,300 tonnes and $16 million by 2035. This modest expansion occurs within a broader global context of supply chain restructuring and technological innovation, highlighted by Rio Tinto’s $2.5 billion investment in...
READ MOREThe European Commission has officially designated Rio Tinto’s controversial Jadar lithium-boron mining project in western Serbia as a strategic investment under the Critical Raw Materials Act, placing it among 13 non-EU projects prioritized for the bloc’s energy transition. The move, announced in early June, comes despite years of mass protests, legal challenges, and vocal opposition...
READ MOREEuropean aluminium scrap exports to the United States have surged 273% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, threatening to create critical shortages for European recyclers as US tariffs drive unprecedented demand for scrap metal. The crisis stems from the US doubling Section 232 tariffs on aluminium imports from...
READ MORESolus Advanced Materials, a South Korean copper foil manufacturer operating Europe’s only battery-grade copper foil production facility, and CATL, China’s largest battery manufacturer with 40% global market share, have entered a supply agreement for copper foil deliveries to CATL’s European battery manufacturing operations. The partnership will see Solus supplying copper foil produced at its Hungarian...
READ MOREGerman copper producer Aurubis recorded a net profit of 76 million euros ($83.6 million) in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 28% decline from the same period last year. The company attributed the profit reduction to higher energy costs and decreased remuneration payments from mining partners for smelting and refining services. Despite profitability challenges,...
READ MORENornickel, a leading global mining company, and Rusnano, a state-backed Russian technology investment corporation established in 2007 to develop and commercialize innovative technologies, have announced plans to create a joint venture focused on extracting valuable metals from industrial waste materials. Rusnano, founded with significant government funding as part of Russia’s modernization efforts, specializes in investing...
READ MORERio Tinto announced on Thursday that CEO Jakob Stausholm will step down later this year after nearly five years in the role. The company confirmed that Stausholm will remain at the helm until a successor is appointed, with a formal selection process now underway. Internal candidates expected to be considered include Chief Commercial Officer Bold...
READ MORENorsk Hydro has confirmed it will close its Birtley aluminium extrusion plant in the UK at the end of May 2025, citing ongoing challenging market conditions. The 12,000 metric-ton-per-year facility had been scheduled to operate until the end of May, with closure expected by the end of June. The company has completed consultations with employees...
READ MOREAluminium Dunkerque has commissioned a new melting furnace dedicated to aluminium recycling at its French facility. Known as Furnace 8, the installation will enable the company to recycle 7,000 tonnes of aluminium waste annually and produce an additional 20,000 tonnes of low-carbon aluminium each year. This development is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions per tonne...
READ MORECobalt Holdings has confirmed plans to list on the London Stock Exchange in June through a $230 million initial public offering, marking a rare new entry for investors seeking direct exposure to the price of cobalt. Trading is expected to begin on or around June 10, with both institutional and UK retail investors able to...
READ MORENorway-based Transition Elements has applied for an exclusive permit to explore lithium potential in France’s Hérault department, with a 218 km² area under consideration across 22 communes between Bédarieux and Clermont-l’Hérault. The application, submitted in October 2023, is currently under administrative review and has not yet been approved, according to the Hérault prefecture. The project...
READ MOREGlencore increased its zinc metal production by 8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, reaching 227,700 tonnes. The Anglo-Swiss commodities group attributed the rise to the restart of its Nordenham smelter in Germany, which had been offline since late 2022, and solid output from its Spanish subsidiary, Asturiana de Zinc. The company, led by...
READ MORENorwegian aluminium producer Hydro has said that newly expanded U.S. tariffs on metals and automotive products are unlikely to significantly impact its business, due to limited exposure to affected trade flows and a diversified production footprint. In a financial update last week, CEO Eivind Kallevik addressed the evolving U.S. trade policy landscape, particularly the expansion...
READ MOREA team of chemists from Chemnitz University of Technology and the University of Innsbruck has developed a new copper-based catalyst capable of activating and transferring molecular hydrogen at low pressure, enabling reactions previously considered impractical under mild conditions. Led by Professor Johannes Teichert (Chemnitz) in collaboration with Professor Fabian Dillmann’s group (Innsbruck), the researchers reported...
READ MOREAs industries accelerate efforts to decarbonize, nickel’s role in batteries and stainless steel has become increasingly vital. However, conventional nickel production is highly carbon-intensive, emitting about 20 tons of CO₂ for every ton of nickel produced. With global demand for nickel expected to double by 2040, largely due to electrification in transport and infrastructure, the...
READ MOREU.S. aluminum buyers are facing record-high premiums as the effects of President Trump’s tariffs ripple through global markets. Since the start of 2025, the Midwest duty-paid aluminum premium has surged nearly 60%, now exceeding $900 per metric ton—a sharp contrast to Europe, where premiums have fallen more than 35% to around $230 per ton, their...
READ MOREVulcan Energy Resources reported further progress on its Phase One Lionheart Project in Germany during the quarter ending 31 March 2025, including the production of Europe’s first fully integrated, battery-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM). The company also achieved several permitting and commercial milestones as it moves toward full construction. During the quarter, Vulcan’s Central Lithium...
READ MORENeptune Energy, working with KBR, has produced battery-grade lithium carbonate from gas field brine at the Altmark site in Germany. The process uses KBR’s PureLi technology to refine lithium chloride, which was initially extracted using Geolith’s direct lithium extraction method. The resulting lithium carbonate has reached a purity of 99.5%, meeting industry standards for use...
READ MOREPoland-based metals producer Kety has announced plans to pursue both organic growth and acquisitions as part of its expansion strategy. During a recent video conference, deputy CEO Roman Przybylski stated that the company is considering acquisition opportunities in Western Europe and the United States, but emphasized that Kety intends to approach acquisitions carefully and not...
READ MOREFrench industrial firm Arverne Group has commenced construction of a Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) demonstration plant in the Bas-Rhin region of Alsace, advancing efforts to produce battery-grade lithium from geothermal brines. The facility represents a significant milestone in the company’s strategy to integrate geothermal energy and lithium production in the Rhine basin. Supported by public...
READ MORESwedish commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania has finalized the acquisition of Northvolt’s heavy-duty industrial battery pack division, marking the first asset sale since Northvolt filed for bankruptcy in March. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The business unit, previously known as Northvolt Systems Industrial, produces battery systems for heavy machinery and equipment used...
READ MORELevertonHelm has launched a new £30 million (US$40 million) lithium chloride production plant in Basingstoke, marking a significant investment in the UK’s battery materials infrastructure. With a production capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year, the plant is now the largest of its kind in Europe, converting lithium carbonate—imported primarily from South America—into a 40% lithium...
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