The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
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Automaker to invest $625 million for 38% JV interest in Lithium America's Thacker Pass. To help ensure that it has a reliable and Inflation Reduction Act-compliant source of the lithium needed for its growing line of electric vehicles, General Motors has agreed to invest an additional $625 million to acquire a 38% joint venture interest in Lithium Americas Corp.'s Thacker Pass mine and processing plant in northern Nevada. "We're pleased with the significant progress Lithium...
Lithium Nevada receives Department of Defense grant to accelerate the domestic production of battery-grade lithium carbonate. To help meet growing demand for the batteries powering America's energy transition and military hardware, the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Lithium Nevada Corp., a subsidiary of Lithium Americas Corp., $11.8 million to accelerate the extraction and processing of lithium carbonate at its Thacker Pass mine project in Nevada. "It is critical that...
The proposed $6.7 billion purchase indicates that the global mining giant foresees a lithium market rebound. On Oct. 9, Rio Tinto announced plans to acquire lithium producer Arcadium, boosting Arcadium's value and enhancing Rio Tinto's lithium market exposure, crucial for electric vehicle growth. What does this investment say about the future outlook for the lithium market? Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm has maintained an attitude of "cautious optimism" in interviews,...
Automakers sign agreement to collaborate on vehicles, supply chain and clean energy tech. Two leading automotive companies have joined forces to target improved efficiencies and increased competitiveness through collaboration along lines of manufacturing and clean energy technologies. General Motors and Hyundai Motor Company have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore future collaboration across these key strategic areas as leading global OEMs – leveraging t...
Separation and processing are the master link of US supply chain. From tech devices such as smartphones and computer monitors to clean energy products like electric vehicles and wind turbines, household goods like vacuum cleaners and refrigerators, and military hardware such as F-35 fighters and communications equipment, rare earths have a critical role to play in nearly every facet of America's economy and security. The United States, however, currently relies on China for ne...
"Investing in America" agenda is expected to generate $16 billion for onshoring critical minerals, processing and battery tech. As part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it will be funding over $3 billion to 25 selected projects across 14 states to boost domestic production of batteries and battery materials. The portfolio of selected projects is intended to support projections of over 12,000 battery...
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...
Nickel's continuing journey toward clean processes and domestic production. Nickel has a complex relationship with the ongoing energy transition: It provides relatively inexpensive energy density and greater capacity to the lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles and storing clean energy, helping to lower the cost of each kilowatt hour. Its properties have been instrumental in untethering the portable electronics we use every day and incorporating clean power...
Will the controversial metal find its place in green tech? About 30 years ago, nobody thought much about cobalt. Today, this metal, with myriads of uses, is one of those elements that gets dragged into the spotlight due to the role it plays in electric vehicle batteries, with critics citing the disparity between the environmental and social costs of producing cobalt and the green tech solutions this critical metal enables. But we can't build a clean energy future without...
PyroDelta's thermoelectric device could significantly improve ICE vehicle fuel efficiency by transforming engine heat into electricity. First Tellurium Corp. subsidiary PyroDelta Energy is moving forward with a tellurium-enhanced thermoelectric generator that could significantly improve the gas mileage of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles – a technology that could also be used to increase the range of hybrid cars and EVs. Thermoelectric generators are solid-state devic...
Incalculable riches, delicate ecosystem, and the green energy future. Deep-sea mining has captured the world's attention as a uniquely promising source of the metals needed for lithium-ion batteries powering the green energy future and a bitterly controversial topic of debate. Undersea deposits contain quantities of nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese sufficient to replace every U.S. car on the road today with an electric vehicle. They also host some of the most diverse, lit...
Brazil-based miner is working with Komatsu and Cummins to develop dual-fuel engines that are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 70%. In a move that is expected to significantly lower the carbon dioxide emissions from the large mining trucks at its mines and strengthen the biofuel industry, Brazil-based mining giant Vale has partnered with Komatsu and Cummins to develop engines that burn a mix of ethanol and diesel. Under this Dual Fuel Program, the partners will focus on...
Safety concerns after recent battery fires encourage transparency from automakers. Following several recent publicized incidents of electric vehicles catching fire in South Korea, Hyundai Motors will be the first to reveal a list of the battery makers used in its 13 EV models, with Kia to follow suit. At the top of these headline-grabbing stories was a parked Mercedes-Benz EV that caught fire below a residential building in Incheon, South Korea. The fire caused a prolonged...
Company leverages decades of experience to offer sustainable mining equipment and technologies. With global mining companies focused on minimizing their environmental footprint while maximizing the efficiency and profitability of producing the minerals needed to build a sustainable future, Komatsu will be showcasing its latest electrification solutions at MINExpo 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Sept. 24 to 26. Put on by the National Mining Association every four years,...
Will now recycle Ultium cells for approximately 10,000 metric tons of material a year. Following suit as other vehicle manufacturers like Ford, Toyota, and Volkswagen, General Motors has seen the potential of the battery recycling capabilities of Redwood Materials Inc. and has announced a partnership with the Nevada-based recycling company. Working with Ultium Cells LLC – a joint battery cell manufacturing venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution – Redwood will re...
BHP, Rio Tinto, Komatsu, and Caterpillar forge an alliance to accelerate deployment of battery-electric haul trucks. With all paths to net-zero-emissions mining leading through the ability to move rock without emitting carbon, two global mining companies are teaming up with two of the world's largest heavy equipment manufacturers to accelerate the development and deployment of battery-electric haul trucks. This landmark collaboration between BHP, Rio Tinto, Komatsu, and...
Auto manufacturers take sides on the question facing the industry – are deep sea resources necessary to compete in the global EV race? A proposal to limit the use of minerals pulled from the seabed has been making its rounds in boardrooms from Tesla to GM, asking big names in the electric vehicle game to commit to a moratorium on minerals sourced from the deep sea. It lost in a landslide, with 78% of Tesla shareholders voting against the proposal and 6% in favor. While c...
Changing how the West approaches globalism will be the key to a circular economy the whole world can get behind. The Western world has found itself in a unique crisis that has brought systemic vulnerabilities into sharp relief. An overreliance on problematic imports has been exposed (especially post-COVID) as a rat's nest of potential supply chain disruptions, global inequality, deregulation and competition-killing corporate consolidation – all while leaving the power of marke...
Space miners develop Earth-friendly tech products as the first step to a future extraterrestrial economy. Plenty of space mining companies have boomed and gone bust in the last decade. In spite of this, "the field has exploded in interest," said Angel Abbud-Madrid, director of the Center for Space Resources at the Colorado School of Mines. The costs of space travel and exploration have been reduced dramatically due to the privatization of transport. With deep-sea mining still...
Company ramps up recycling facility, operates at over 115% capacity. In a triumph of innovation, American Battery Technology Company announced a groundbreaking milestone: its lithium-ion battery recycling facility has been operating steadily at over 115% of its designed capacity, showcasing the efficacy of its proprietary recycling technology. Established in 2011, ABTC began its journey with a handful of mining claims out of Nevada. Stemming from a former Tesla employee's ambi...
Without investors, the future of South Africa's rare earth elements enriched Phalaborwa site may depend on Washington support. Bordering South Africa's renowned Kruger National Park stands Phalaborwa, a mine sporting two rare earths-enriched phospho-gypsum waste piles that could mean over a billion in critical minerals for the U.S. – if the project can get enough support to run. To challenge China's near monopoly on rare earths, Washington has committed funds to a little-known...
Will use federal funds to establish the first fully integrated mine-to-magnets rare earths supply chain in the U.S. In support of the development of a complete mines-to-magnets rare earths supply chain in the United States, the Department of Energy has awarded MP Materials $58.5 million to help build a fully integrated rare earths metals and magnet plant in Texas. MP Materials, which operates the Mountain Pass Mine in California's Mojave Desert, is already a major global produ...
Long-term partnership will secure battery-grade lithium hydroxide for automaker and accelerate both companies' expansion into EV space. This week, Albemarle announced a long-term partnership with BMW to deliver battery-grade lithium hydroxide for the automaker's next generation of high-performance electric vehicles and to work together to develop technology for safer and more energy-dense batteries. "Albemarle is committed to building a more resilient world," said Albemarle...
Invests in Nouveau Monde Graphite and locks up 85% of the zero-carbon lithium-ion battery anode material to be made in Canada by NMG. General Motors and Panasonic Energy have entered into a deal with Canada-based Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) for a supply of low-carbon graphite anode material produced in North America for the lithium-ion batteries powering their electric vehicles. As part of a larger deal that spurred a total of $87.5 million in new investment and sent NMG...
H2 infrastructure - Nikola builds out, Shell pulls back, and passenger cars lag heavy vehicles. Shell's withdrawal from passenger-vehicle hydrogen refueling operations has ignited debates on the developing industry's overall timing and viability. However, automakers and governments are still backing hydrogen fuel cells due to growing concerns about the slow pace and environmental expense of new critical mineral mines needed for lithium-ion batteries currently powering most...
