Japan’s aluminium P1020 premiums for the first quarter of 2025 have been finalized at $228 per tonne over the cash London Metal Exchange (LME) price, marking a $53 per tonne increase from the previous quarter. This surge represents the highest premium level since Argus began tracking the market in 2016. Initial offers in December exceeded...
READ MOREChina’s leading copper smelters have agreed to reduce processing charges for copper concentrate in the first quarter of 2025 due to a continued shortage of copper ore, according to industry sources. During a meeting of the China Smelters Purchase Team in Shanghai, smelters set new guidance for treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) at $25 per...
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...
READ MOREJSW Group has entered the non-ferrous metals sector by acquiring two copper mines in Jharkhand, India, from Hindustan Copper through a competitive bidding process. This diversification aligns with the rising global demand for copper driven by electric vehicles, renewable energy projects, construction, and consumer appliances. Under the agreement, JSW will handle the development, capital investment,...
READ MOREBolivia’s state-owned Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB) announced that its Lithium Carbonate Industrial Plant in Uyuni, Potosí, is on track to boost production in 2025. The increase follows the stabilization of brine supply and auxiliary services at the facility, allowing for more consistent operations. YLB attributed this progress to ongoing stabilization and parameter adjustments, which...
READ MORECentral Puerto, a leading electricity generator in Argentina, has announced its entry into the mining sector with a 27.5% stake in the ‘3 Cruces’ lithium mining project in Catamarca province. This move marks the company’s strategic diversification into the rapidly growing lithium market, essential for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. Located in Argentina’s highest-grade...
READ MORESumitomo Metal Mining, along with its subsidiary Hyuga Smelting, announced plans to construct a new production facility at Hyuga Smelting to manufacture nickel matte using ferronickel and other raw materials. Construction is set to begin in 2025, with completion targeted for fiscal 2027. Once operational, the facility will enable Hyuga Smelting to produce both nickel...
READ MOREHamburger Energiewerke has partnered with the Aurubis copper smelter to utilize industrial waste heat for heating homes in Hamburg. The initiative, which is set to begin immediately, aims to supply up to 20,000 additional households with heat, marking the largest project of its kind in Germany. The waste heat is generated during a secondary stage...
READ MOREMarubeni 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’s exports of refined copper wire with a maximum cross-sectional dimension exceeding 6mm reached 6,303.98 metric tonnes (mt) in November 2024, marking a 26% month-on-month (MoM) increase and a 68.3% year-on-year (YoY) rise. Cumulatively, from January to November 2024, exports totaled 57,600 mt under HS code 74081100. The rebound in copper wire rod exports during...
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...
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