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  • Worker remote operates crane moving large graphite cylinders inside plant.

    POSCO signs $733M Ultium graphite deal

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 3, 2024

    In a deal that will further support General Motors' electric vehicle ambitions, POSCO Chemical has entered into a contract to supply Ultium Cells LLC with $733 million (939.9 billion Korean won) of artificial graphite anode material over the next six years. While natural, or mined, graphite makes up much of the anode material going in the lithium-ion batteries that power EVs, artificially produced graphite is added to increase charging speed and extend the life of the...

  • A metallic cube of the periodic table symbol and information for manganese.

    Stellantis secures manganese supply

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023

    Enters deal with Element 25 for battery-grade manganese from Australia mine. In a move to secure an oft overlooked lithium-ion battery ingredient, Stellantis has cut a deal with Australia-based Element 25 Ltd. to supply a high-purity manganese product that the global automaker needs for the battery packs that power its growing line of electric vehicles. Element 25 plans to mine manganese from its Butcherbird deposit in Western Australia and ship a concentrate to a processing...

  • A closeup of a chunk of a metallic, silvery-grey crystalline graphite.

    Nouveau Monde Graphite eyes giant mine

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 8, 2023
    1

    PEA outlines plan for 500,000 tpa graphite mine at Lac Guéret in Northern Quebec. As it ramps up to commercial production at its Matawinie graphite mine and Becancour battery materials plant in Quebec, Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. released the results of a preliminary economic assessment for developing a much larger graphite mining operation at the world-class Lac Guéret deposit on Mason Graphite Inc.'s Uatnan project in Northern Quebec. A road-accessible project about 175 m...

  • A cream-colored band of rock above an old mine shaft in a Montana hillside.

    Sheep Creek's deeper rare earth potential

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Critical materials explorer samples historical adits at high-grade rare earth project in SW Montana. A fall program of underground exploration and sampling by US Critical Materials Corp. further confirms the idea that Sheep Creek is one of the highest-grade rare earth discoveries in the United States and supports the need for drilling to fully understand the scope of critical minerals mineralization at this project in southwestern Montana. High-grade rare earths were found at...

  • A white Volkswagen ID.4 EV travels past wind turbines on a European highway.

    No substitute for EU rare earths policy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    REIA urges EU to secure rare earth supplies to ensure adequate battery materials to meet 2030 EV targets. Securing an adequate supply of magnet rare earths to help make the most out of the highly competitive lithium battery materials should be an essential element of the European Union's electric vehicle strategy, according to the Rare Earth Industry Association. REIA delivered this message in response to the European Commission's call for input on the proposed European...

  • Computer image of lightning striking and pulverizing a rock pillar with stairs.

    BHP invests in new rock-crushing tech

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    I-ROX tech utilizes micro electrical bursts to pulverize at lower costs and less energy than traditional milling. Could microbursts of electricity be used to discover hidden mineral deposits, drill down into those discoveries for sampling, and then pulverize rock in the discovered deposits to extract the minerals contained within? BHP believes it is possible and is collaborating with I-Pulse Inc. to advance pulsed-power technology for mining. BHP is particularly interested in...

  • Digital image representing an EV being charged with low-carbon wind energy.

    Canada unveils critical mineral strategy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    To seize upon a once-in-a-century opportunity to leverage Canada's already world-class mining sector to supply the minerals and metals needed to build the clean energy future, Ottawa has unveiled a strategy backed by a $3.8 billion (US$2.8 billion) investment to bolster the resiliency of critical mineral supply chains in the northern nation. Ottawa began positioning Canada as a major player at the front end of the emerging green energy supply chains with a 2021 list of 31...

  • Night vision image of six-wheeled army vehicle under the Milky Way.

    Senate bill aims to boost strategic metals

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Senators Sullivan, Romney introduce bill to reduce DoD overreliance on China for minerals critical to security. Concerned that America is too reliant on China for the minerals and metals critical to national defense and energy security, U.S. senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have introduced the Critical Mineral Independence Act of 2022 – legislation aimed at bolstering critical minerals production in the United States and allied countries. Over the past...

  • Graphic with the symbol, atomic number and atomic weight of tellurium.

    A secret ingredient to US clean energy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Rare tellurium has emerged as vital metalloid in next-gen solar, solid-state batteries. From longer-range electric vehicle batteries to long-lasting solar panels that efficiently charge those EVs with sunshine, tellurium is quietly becoming one of the most important energy metals that most people have never heard of. "It has flown largely under the radar, even though it's essential for cadmium-telluride solar panels and new lithium-tellurium batteries that could revolutionize...

  • A conveyor belt transports ore to the surface at an underground mine.

    Storing renewable energy in old mines

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 16, 2023

    Can old mines be repurposed as giant batteries for cost-effective and long-term storage of renewable energy? A peer-reviewed paper by a team of researchers led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) makes a compelling case for underground gravity energy storage systems that do just that. Matching electrical generation capacity with consumer demand is key to transitioning to a sustainable low-carbon energy future. This has been a longtime problem...

  • Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivers a speech at Vitals’ REE plant.

    Trudeau tours Vital rare earths plant

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Mar 3, 2023

    In a show of support for Canadian production of the minerals critical to clean energy technologies, Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Vital Metals Ltd.'s rare earth processing facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. "The world wants clean technology, and Canada has the resources, the expertise, and the skilled workers to meet that demand," Trudeau said during his Jan. 16 stop in Saskatchewan. "By developing and processing our critical minerals here in Canada – the f...

  • A two-story-tall white Liebherr T 264 truck parked in a mine pit.

    Massive Fortescue mining truck battery

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Feb 8, 2023

    5 MWh battery designed by WAE for Liebherr haul truck charges in only 30 minutes. Australian iron ore miner Fortescue has received what is likely the largest electric vehicle battery in the world – a 1.4 megawatt-hour behemoth designed to power a 240-metric-ton mining haul truck it is developing in partnership with equipment manufacturer Liebherr. This massive 15-metric-ton battery – measuring a whopping 11.8 feet (3.6 meters) long, 5.2 feet (1.6 meters) tall, and 7.9 fee...

  • As the sun sets, crews mine rare earths ore from a deposit at Nechalacho in NWT.

    A Vital pivot in rare earths strategy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Feb 2, 2023

    Following an AU$45 million (US$31.6 million) infusion of cash in July, Vital Metals Ltd. has gone through some significant changes that are being reflected in a new strategy that slows the ramp-up of production at the company's rare earths separation plant in Saskatchewan and focuses the company's resources on expanding production at its Nechalacho Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories. Shortly following this financing anchored by AU$30 million (US$21 million) contributed by...

  • Aerial view of the proposed Statevolt lithium battery plant near the Salton Sea.

    Statevolt secures So-Cal gigafactory site

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Feb 2, 2023

    Acquires land for EV battery factory in Lithium Valley. After months of searching for the ideal locale for a gigafactory capable of producing enough lithium-ion batteries for 650,000 electric vehicles per year, Statevolt has found a 154-acre site that can plug into the low-carbon energy and lithium being produced in the Salton Sea area of Southern California. "We have worked hard to find a suitable location to accommodate our vision and keep us near to our partners," said...

  • Geologist using hammer to break off a rock sample on a hillside in Alaska.

    USGS launches 3 new Earth MRI scans

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Feb 2, 2023

    As part of its nationwide scan for domestic sources of critical minerals, the U.S. Geological Survey is investing just over $1 million to gain a better understanding of the potential for cobalt, nickel, niobium, rare earths, manganese, platinum group elements, and other essential metals in Missouri, Montana, and Minnesota. In 2022, the U.S. Department of the Interior allotted more than $74 million to the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, or Earth MRI, a partnership...

  • White hill of lithium-boron in the southwest Nevada desert.

    DOE commits $700M for Rhyolite Ridge

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 21, 2023

    Conditional loan signals a major step forward for ioneer's planned lithium-boron mine in Nevada. As part of the Biden administration's ongoing effort to support projects that will provide a domestic supply of the minerals and metals critical to America's transition to clean energy and transportation, the U.S. Department of Energy has committed to loaning ioneer Ltd. up to $700 million to develop the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada. "Rhyolite Ridge is a major...

  • Chain links with binary code representing digital security.

    Ransomware attack idles BC copper mine

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 20, 2023

    A ransomware attack that has forced Copper Mountain Mining Corp. to shut down operations at its namesake mine in southern British Columbia elevates concerns about the vulnerability of mining operations that are increasingly dependent on digital technologies. With its computer systems coming under attack late in the day on Dec. 27, the Copper Mountain IT team quickly implemented risk management systems and protocols to limit the damage and ensure safety at the mine. These...

  • A metallic cube of sulfur’s symbol on the periodic table of elements.

    More sulfur for better Li-S batteries

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 17, 2023

    Argonne National Lab breakthrough advances lithium-sulfur batteries one step closer to commercial use. Increased energy density at lower costs is the ultimate goal when it comes to making better batteries for smartphones, toys, tools, and electric vehicles. Lithium-sulfur batteries have shown the potential to outperform traditional lithium-ion batteries on both these fronts. This is why scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory are working to...

  • Dashed line shows opal-filled fracture cutting across layered rocks on Mars.

    Martian opals are a precious discovery

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jan 9, 2023

    Gemstones could offer evidence of past life and be a water source for future Martians. Martian opals discovered in a lakebed traversed by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover may be much more precious than their counterparts found on Earth. This is not due to the opals found on the Red Planet being more opalescent, dazzling, or exotic – though a pendant adorned with Martian opals would truly be out of this world – but because they may be a key to understanding past life and ena...

  • A mining truck loaded with rock being helped up a slope with an overhead trolly.

    ABB, Boliden closing the mining CO2 loop

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 20, 2022

    To lower the carbon footprint of its electric motors and other products that play a major role in allowing mining and many other sectors of the global economy to then lower their carbon footprint further, ABB is building a strategic partnership with Swedish mining and smelting company Boliden for low-carbon copper. Copper is a vital material for manufacturing the electrical equipment that is playing an increasingly important role in industrial applications that are...

  • Flat Martian landscape with dunes, small rocks, and Perseverance’s shadow.

    First extraterrestrial rock sample cache

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 20, 2022

    Perseverance is dropping off a batch of samples for Mars Sample Return robotic team to retrieve. While the impressive toolkit aboard the Perseverance rover provides earthbound scientists with a trove of data on the geological and biological history of Mars, the ultimate goal is to get rock and dirt samples collected by the robotic geologist back to Earth for closer examination. Toward this objective, Perseverance is wrapping up its prime mission by creating a depot of samples...

  • A large, rock-clad earthen dam holds back mining waste and water.

    Mining trio seeks new ideas for tailings

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 13, 2022

    OZ Minerals, Rio Tinto and Boliden launch initiative that encourages entrepreneurs to reimagine mining and mine tailings. Setting aside professional rivalries for the greater good, OZ Minerals, Boliden, and Rio Tinto have joined forces to nurture new technologies that will reduce the environmental risks posed by mine tailings and extract value from these materials currently considered waste after the targeted metals are extracted. "It isn't very often that competitors come...

  • Computer graphics for AI, machine learning, data mining, and related topics.

    Minerva selling AI-driven geo division

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 13, 2022

    Seequent, the geodata company that offers powerful earth modeling solutions such as the Leapfrog Geo 3D modeling software for mining and mineral exploration, has added an artificial intelligence-driven geological modeling tool to its portfolio. Seequent's parent company, Bentley Systems Inc., acquired the geological division of Minerva Intelligence Inc., an AI software company that has developed tools for climate risk evaluation and geological modeling, for C$1 million...

  • Closeup of person with mask and eyeglasses with one fogged and one clear lens.

    A new gold standard for antifog eyewear

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 13, 2022

    Swiss researchers have developed a transparent gold nanocoating that vanquishes the perennial nemesis of glasses wearers – fogging. Unlike traditional antifogging methods, which uses hydrophilic coatings that evenly spread condensation across the surface of the glass, the micro-thin gold layer developed by scientists at ETH Zurich harnesses sunlight to passively heat the lenses to prevent fog from forming in the first place. This works on the same principle as the heating e...

  • Soldier fires a machine gun while lying in the snow during winter exercises.

    DoD supports Perpetua's antimony project

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 7, 2022

    In a move to break America's dependence on China and Russia for the antimony needed for ammunition, fireproofing compounds, night vision goggles, and other military hardware, the Pentagon is providing $24.8 million to help reestablish a domestic antimony mine at Perpetua Resources Corp.'s Stibnite Gold project in Idaho. While originally established as a gold mine, Stibnite shifted its focus to strategic metals to support the U.S. military during World War II. From 1941 to 1945...

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