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  • Chrysos PhotonAssay is being used at mine sites and in mineral assay labs.

    MSALABS expands PhotonAssay business

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

    To meet the growing demand from mining companies eager for a technology capable of clearing the backlog of mineral samples stacked up at assay labs, MSALABS now plans to deploy 21 Chrysos PhotonAssay units around the globe by 2025. "Over the past year, we have seen very strong demand for Chrysos PhotonAssay, and we expect this interest to continue to grow as our global mining customers not only gain confidence in its accuracy and reliability, but also benefit from the...

  • Rubidoux sandstone outcropping the southern Missouri Ozark Mountains.

    USGS scours Ozarks for critical minerals

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

    To gain a better understanding of the potential for critical minerals in the Ozarks, the U.S. Geological Survey has partnered with Arkansas and Missouri geologists on a $2.75 million program that will result in collecting "the largest continuous swath of geophysical data in the United States focused on critical mineral resources." This program is being carried out under the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, or Earth MRI, a partnership between the USGS, Association of...

  • Lab tech connects wires on a Zinc8 zinc-air battery.

    NY Sen. Schumer calls Zinc8 with an offer

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

    Seeing a win-win-win situation that revitalizes an old Superfund site, creates jobs for New Yorkers, and supercharges a cutting-edge renewable energy storage technology, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, picked up the phone and called Zinc8 Energy Solutions CEO Ron MacDonald to urge the energy-storage technology company to manufacture zinc-air batteries in his home state. During this pivotal call to MacDonald, Sen. Schumer touted the cleaned up and refurbished...

  • Rendering of NMG’s future Matawinie graphite mine in Quebec.

    A feasible Nouveau Monde Graphite plan

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

    It is going to require enormous quantities of graphite for the lithium batteries powering the electric vehicle revolution, and Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. has taken another step toward feeding North American EV supply chains with this critical battery anode material. On July 6, the Canadian battery materials company unveiled the results of a feasibility study that demonstrates strong economics for its plan to build a graphite mine and a coated spherical graphite anode...

  • A row of First Solar cadmium-tellurium thin film PV panels.

    DOE eyes mine sites for clean energy hubs

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

    The White House has allotted $500 million for a program that aims to transform old and current mine sites into renewable energy hubs. Being administered by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Clean Energy Demonstrations on Current and Former Mine Land Program aims to validate innovative approaches to converting mine lands to clean energy projects, with a goal of replication across the nation. DOE says the repurposing of mine land for energy projects that lower carbon dioxide...

  • Biden under “A Future Made in America” banner at GM’s Factory Zero.

    DOE seeks input on US critical materials

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

    Recognizing the meteoric rise in demand for minerals and metals critical to electric vehicles, renewable energy, and the American economy at large, the U.S. Department of Energy is requesting public input on the development and implementation of a $675 million critical materials research, development, demonstration, and commercialization program. Funded by the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program is being established to address vulnerabilities in the...

  • An old road closed barricade on an overgrown roadway.

    Sen. Sullivan halts Defense nominees

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

    U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, is holding up the nominations of three senior Department of Defense nominees until he gets some answers on why the Biden administration pulled the permits for a road to the Ambler Mining District, a region of Alaska with deposits of copper, cobalt, zinc, and other minerals critical to the renewable energy and defense technologies. The Alaska senator made the announcement while questioning two of the nominees – Radha Plumb, nominated to b...

  • Row of installed First Solar thin-film solar panels in field with flowers.

    DOE backs tellurium enriched solar tech

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 23, 2022

    Launches $20M consortium to boost American-made CdTe cells Increasing federal backing of American-made thin-film solar technologies is likely to increase the demand for tellurium, a key ingredient of cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells. Tellurium is a metalloid, one of seven elements with properties that fall between metals like aluminum and tin and non-metals like carbon and phosphorus. These semimetals, which also include silicon and germanium, have natural semiconductive...

  • A large Komatsu mining haul truck being tested at a site in Arizona.

    Mining sector races to net-zero by 2050

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 16, 2022

    CO2 reduction path for mines is difficult but not impossible Aligned with global climate goals agreed upon in international pacts such as the Paris Agreement, most of the major mining companies that will supply the raw materials required to build the low-carbon future have declared their own targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30 to 40% by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. How likely is it that this industrial sector known for its enormous diesel-powered digging and hauling...

  • Vivid green northern lights display over mining equipment operating at night.

    Major funding for Vital rare earths plan

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 12, 2022

    Vital Metals Ltd. has received an AU$45 million (US$31.6 million) infusion of cash to fund its expanding rare earths business in Canada. "Vital Metals is on the threshold of becoming North America's only company capable of producing a refined rare earth product from its own mine, completing our transition from exploration and development to production and operations," said Vital Metals Managing Director Geoff Atkins. "This is an important milestone, not only in the development...

  • A blue “Welcome to Idaho” sign along a desert highway at the Nevada border.

    Electra drills new cobalt zone in Idaho

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 4, 2022

    Toward its goal of building its inventory of the cobalt needed for the lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles, Electra Battery Materials Corp. has drilled a new zone of mineralization at its Iron Creek cobalt-copper project within the Idaho Cobalt Belt about 135 miles northeast of Boise. "Idaho could play an important role in the onshoring of the EV battery supply chain by providing a domestic supply of cobalt in America," said Electra Battery Materials CEO Trent Mel...

  • A large truck hauling a load of rocks at a mining operation.

    Onyen ESG solution tracks mine purchasing

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 4, 2022

    To make it easier for mining companies to demonstrate the economic contributions of their operations to local communities through the purchases of goods and services, Onyen Corp. has added a local procurement mechanism to its ESG (environmental, social, and governance) reporting software. Spending on goods and services often represents the largest financial flow from a mining project to the local communities and country. In addition to being a major lever for economic and...

  • A Sandvik bolters, jumbos, and longhole drill in an underground mine.

    An electric Sandvik mining fleet deal

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 2, 2022

    Toward the goal of producing zero-carbon copper at its McIlvenna Bay mine project in Saskatchewan, Canada, Foran Mining Corp. has ordered a fleet of 20 battery-electric underground mine trucks, loaders, drills, and other equipment from Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions. This US$32.4 million (330 million Swedish kronor) deal marks the largest single sale of Sandvik's growing line of electric mining equipment. "This record contract is the culmination of a year-long...

  • Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup under bright lights at the Rouge EV Center.

    The ABCs of securing metals for Ford EVs

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 2, 2022

    Looking to secure the materials required for the lithium batteries that will deliver power to more than 2 million electric vehicles per year by 2026, Ford Motor Company is adding the clout of its Blue Oval emblem to mining companies and projects that can offer low-carbon supplies of the aluminum, battery materials, and copper needed to build its envisioned e-mobility future. "Ford's new electric vehicle lineup has generated huge enthusiasm and demand, and now we are putting...

  • A Tesla 4680 lithium-ion cell for EVs against a background of colorful swirls.

    DOE loans Syrah $102M for graphite plant

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 2, 2022

    To bolster supplies of the lithium-ion battery materials needed for America's transition to electric vehicles, the U.S. Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office is loaning Syrah Resources Ltd. $102.1 million to expand Vidalia, a processing facility in Louisiana that upgrades mined graphite into a material needed in the lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles and modern electronics. "Securing critical materials, such as lithium and graphite, is essential to...

  • An artist rendering of a lithium-ion battery.

    Vital link to Ontario's EV supply chain

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 26, 2022

    Umicore to invest C$1.5B on lithium battery materials plant in Ontario. To establish the missing link between Ontario's abundant lithium battery metal resources and the established automotive industry in the Canadian province, Belgium-based Umicore plans to invest C$1.5 billion (US$1.2 billion) to build a plant that will feed cathode battery materials into the North American EV supply chain. "Canada and the Ontario province have all it takes for Umicore to establish a...

  • Closeup of the columns at the RapidSX demo plant in Ontario.

    Ucore accelerates RapidSX development

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 19, 2022

    Following the positive results from an independent technical review received early this year, Ucore Rare Metals Inc. has decided to expand the rare earths separation capacity of its RapidSX demonstration plant to include stages that will produce the rare earths for the powerful magnets that go into electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, computer hard drives, and a long list of other modern devices. Developed by Innovation Metals Corp., a subsidiary of Ucore, RapidSX is...

  • Komatsu mining truck that can run on multiple low-carbon power sources.

    Cummins zero emission for Komatsu trucks

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 19, 2022

    To further delve into the development of zero-emissions mining haul trucks, Komatsu is teaming up with Cummins, a global power leader best known for its diesel engines. Building on a longtime partnership of Cummins diesel engines powering a wide variety of Komatsu mining and construction equipment, the companies are now collaborating on zero-emissions power technologies, including hydrogen fuel cell solutions for large mining haul trucks. "Cummins has been a long-term partner...

  • Graphite is the single largest ingredient in lithium-ion batteries.

    Low-CO2 Nouveau Monde graphite affirmed

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 19, 2022

    The carbon dioxide emissions of electric vehicles are not measured by exhaust from the tailpipes, but from the greenhouse gasses associated with building and charging these zero-emission vehicles. Understanding this, Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. has gone to great lengths to minimize the CO2 footprint of the battery-grade graphite anode material it will produce in Quebec. An independent life cycle assessment verifies that the Canadian company's production of coated spherical...

  • Beer made from a yeast with the potential to remove heavy metals from water.

    Drink beer to prevent lead poisoning

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

    MIT scientists find that brewer's yeast absorbs heavy metal. While drinking an ice-cold pint of beer may not flush lead from your system – there is not a libation strong enough for that task – the yeast used to brew your favorite ale may prevent the heavy metal from getting into your body in the first place. And like they say, "16 ounces of prevention is better than a pound of cure" – or something like that. Researchers at the esteemed Massachusetts Institute of Techn...

  • Image of a dragon in front of the flag for the People’s Republic of China.

    The China rare earths dragon awakens

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    Dragonbridge executes online attack on US rare earth interests Dragonbridge, a cybernetwork that pushes online narratives in support of the People's Republic of China's political interests, has launched a campaign targeting companies advancing rare earths mining and processing projects in the United States and Canada. Mandiant, a globally recognized leader in cybersecurity, first began investigating Dragonbridge's incursion into the North American rare earths space when it...

  • Wooden tiles with gallium, titanium, and other elements on the periodic table.

    Without a word uranium becomes critical

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    The U.S. Geological Survey has identified 50 minerals and metals critical to the economic wellbeing and security of the United States, uranium is not one of them. This omission of a mineral that plays a critical role in America's energy security does not sit well with a bipartisan group of congressmen that have introduced legislation to rectify this oversight. "Energy security is national security. We should not be reliant on our foreign adversaries like China and Russia to...

  • Engine house above 19th-century copper-tin mine in Cornwall, England.

    UK gathers critical minerals intelligence

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    To help ensure it has reliable and plentiful supplies of the minerals and metals essential to the high-tech and green energy future, the United Kingdom has announced the launch of its Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre in Nottingham, England. Critical minerals are essential for the manufacturing of smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, fighter jets, and an enormous array of other products essential to the UK's economy and national security. With the global...

  • Bottles of erbium, neodymium, and cerium REE oxides produced in Saskatchewan.

    Saskatchewan increases REE plant funding

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    To further support its strategy to establish Saskatchewan as a major hub for North America's rare earth supply chain, the provincial government is investing an additional C$20 million (US$15.5 million) into the rare earth processing facility that Saskatchewan Research Council is developing near Saskatoon. In the fall of 2020, the Saskatchewan government invested an initial C$31 million (US$24 million) for SRC to build the first facility in North America capable of upgrading...

  • Electra Battery Materials’ cobalt refinery in Ontario.

    Electra considers Quebec cobalt refinery

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    As it advances the development of a lithium-ion battery materials park centered on its cobalt refinery in Ontario, Electra Battery Materials Corp. is considering the potential of building a second similar facility in a battery materials park being developed near the town of Becancour in the neighboring province of Quebec. "Given a forecasted deficit in domestic cobalt sulfate production by 2025, we have received significant interest from industry and government stakeholders...

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