Week of October 2, 2024
Rare Element Resources receives federal authorization and funding to proceed with first-of-its-kind rare earth separation plant. Following a few months of slowed progress due to inflationary pressures pushing the costs to build its rare earths processing and separation demonstration plant above budget, Rare Element Resources Ltd. says the critical minerals facility being installed just outside of Upton, Wyoming, is on track to begin operations by the end of the year. Last...
DOE backs company for more domestic battery supply, enhancing U.S. electrification and critical material supply chain resilience. Further solidifying its role in North America's circular battery metals supply chain as the world shifts to electrification, American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) has been awarded a $150 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to construct a second commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility. In the fall of 2023,...
German firm unveils $2.8 billion zero-emissions mining equipment partnership with Fortescue. MINEXPO INTERNATIONAL 2024, LAS VEGAS – Grabbing the spotlight during the world's largest mining event is no small feat. A historic $2.8 billion partnership to further advance the technologies needed for zero-emissions mining, however, put German heavy equipment manufacturer Liebherr and West Australian miner Fortescue front and center during the main event that comes around just...
Emerging tech addresses limitations in conventional brine evaporation method for increased domestic lithium production in North America. Direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies promise incredibly fast processing times (hours instead of months) and higher yields, broadening the range of usable brine resources across diverse geographical locations in North America. DLE methods can vary widely, with some being more energy-intensive while others require higher amounts of...
Alaska Energy Metals has partnered with the Colorado School of Mines and Virginia Polytechnic Institute to answer that question. Alaska Energy Metals has partnered with the Colorado School of Mines and Virginia Polytechnic Institute to determine how much carbon dioxide a mine at its Nikolai project in Alaska could capture and store while also providing a domestic supply of nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum group metals (PGMs) for the energy transition. Research has shown...
Four-year project to improve price, safety, and domestic production of materials for lithium iron phosphate batteries. As part of efforts to improve electric vehicle battery safety, performance, and overall cost reduction, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corp. announced a four-year project to pioneer an eco-friendly lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cathode manufacturing technology together with Hyundai Steel and EcoPro BM, a battery materials research and development...
The USGS has developed tools to help companies and researchers find them all. United States Global Survey (USGS) reports have long demonstrated that while there is technically plenty of lithium found in the Earth's crust to meet demand, extracting this battery metal in the usual fashion (hard rock mining and brine evaporation) hasn't been very sustainable or cost-effective, requiring large amounts of energy, water, or infrastructure. The highest concentrations of lithium are...
An expensive new risk for Western manufacturers and their investors. This past June, German chemicals giant BASF backed out of a planned $2.6 billion nickel refinery in Weda Bay, Indonesia. While the company cited changing dynamics in the global nickel market, BASF also faced calls to abandon the project from environmental and human rights groups. BASF's decision to walk away should focus the clean energy and automotive sector's attention on a new risk profile: Indonesia's...
