US President Donald Trump issued a new Executive Order (EO) expediting the process of exploring and mining for valuable minerals found on the deep ocean seafloor, in both US and international waters. According to the EO, is the policy of the United States to advance United States leadership in seabed... Read more →

Barrell Energy launched a Series A funding round for its portfolio company, Barrell Lithium LLC. The capital raised will fuel significant expansion of the company’s strategic acreage position within the highly prospective Smackover lithium brine play in East Texas. This initiative follows a successful seed funding round for Barrell Lithium... Read more →

Wood Mackenzie's latest analysis shows a significant shift in capital allocation strategies within the mining sector, as production growth has become a primary focus amid increasing competition for capital investment. According to Wood Mackenzie’s Metals and Mining Corporate analysis, three key factors are driving this shift: Increasing non-discretionary capital expenditure... Read more →

Mining development company Critical Metals released an independent Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on the Tanbreez Project in Southern Greenland, one of the largest rare earth deposits in the world with a 4.7 billion metric ton mineralized kakortokite unit. Agricola Mining Consultants Pty Ltd conducted the PEA. The results of the... Read more →

Automotive technology company Luminar will collaboratewith Caterpillar to integrate LiDAR technology into Caterpillar’s next generation autonomous solution. LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is used for navigation and obstacle detection in autonomous machines. LiDAR uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to continuously scan the surrounding... Read more →

The USGS released projections for world production capacity for seven critical minerals and helium for the next five years in the first World Minerals Outlook, a forward-looking assessment that is part of a larger effort to provide forecasts and scenarios for global mineral supply chains. The world’s capacity to produce... Read more →

Angola has set a target to become a key exporter of value-added critical minerals in the next 10 to 15 years. Angola has identified 34 of the 54 critical minerals recognized by the European Union across its mineral-rich basins and is ramping up exploration, production and downstream projects to unlock... Read more →

To implement the green transition according to the scenarios developed by the European Commission, Europe will require between 15 and 60% of the world’s supplies of critical metals according to a study conducted by researchers at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and Uppsala University, as part of the Fairtrans research... Read more →

LANXESS is offering a new solution for the rapidly growing battery industry. The Lewatit MK 51 ion exchange resin from LANXESS selectively removes boron from metal concentrates, thus enabling the extraction of high-purity raw materials for use in batteries. In contrast to solvent extraction, ion exchange technology does not employ... Read more →

Rio Tinto has completed its acquisition of Arcadium Lithium plc for $6.7 billion, following the sanctioning of the Scheme of Arrangement by the Royal Court of Jersey on 5 March. Rio Tinto is now the ultimate parent company of Arcadium Lithium, which will become Rio Tinto Lithium, and will also... Read more →

The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario have signed letters of intent (LOIs) to support Frontier Lithium’s planned Lithium Conversion Facility in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The LOIs are non-binding and serve as an initial step in ongoing discussions with the respective government agencies. The LOIs express an interest... Read more →

Rio Tinto will invest $1.8 billion to develop the Brockman Syncline 1 mine project (BS1), extending the life of the Brockman region in the West Pilbara of Western Australia and sustaining production from the company’s world-class iron ore operations. The project has now received all necessary State and Federal Government... Read more →

Among the many executive orders coming from the White House, President Trump signed an executive order to investigate copper imports into the US, citing “significant vulnerabilities” and “increasing reliance on foreign sources”. The United States has ample copper reserves, yet our smelting and refining capacity lags significantly behind global competitors.... Read more →

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. is acquiring a 40% interest in the Rhodes Ridge iron ore project in Australia (RRJV). (Earlier post.) The acquisition is composed of the two transactions stated below, with the total acquisition price for both transactions of US$5,342 million (approximately 800 billion JPY). A definitive sale and... Read more →

IperionX Limited has been awarded a contract for up to US$47.1 million in funding by the US Department of Defense (DOD) to strengthen the US Defense Industrial Base by accelerating development of a resilient, low-cost, and fully-integrated US mineral-to-metal titanium supply chain. This partnership represents a combined investment of US$70.7... Read more →

Canada Nickel Company has been selected for funding of $3.4 million from the Government of Canada to support the development of Canada Nickel’s proprietary In-Process Tailings (IPT) Carbonation process at the pilot plant level. The IPT Carbonation process transforms nickel mining tailings into a permanent carbon storage solution and Canada... Read more →

Cummins has acquired assets of First Mode, a developer of retrofit hybrid solutions for mining and rail operations. The acquisition includes hybrid mining and rail product lines, and the full IP portfolio which includes hydrogen and battery powertrain solutions. This technology represents the first commercially available retrofit hybrid system for... Read more →

Critical Metals Corp., a mining development company focused on critical metals and minerals and producing strategic products essential to electrification and next generation technologies for Europe and its western world partners, entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing that is expected to... Read more →

The overall value of US mineral production edged up by $1 billion in 2024 to $106 billion, according to the US Geological Survey’s annual Mineral Commodity Summaries. Record prices for gold and silver buoyed the total, more than compensating for a 40 to 60 percent fall in the value of... Read more →

Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, and Ma’aden, the largest multi-commodity mining and metals company in the Middle East and North Africa region, signed non-binding Heads of Terms, which envisages the formation of a minerals exploration and mining joint venture (JV) in the Kingdom of... Read more →

Ioneer announced the closing of a $996-million loan from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) program to support the development of an on-site processing facility at the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The investment, part of... Read more →

In December 2024, Mali launched the Goulamina lithium mine, located in the Bougouni region, marking the country’s entry as a major producer of lithium. Benchmark recently projected that Mali is set to become the second largest lithium miner in Africa this year behind Zimbabwe. Accoding to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast, in... Read more →

Although oversupply and low prices have dominated discussions around battery raw material markets this year, significant deficits are forecast in the next ten years, according to Benchmark. The forecast deficits are substantially higher than the current surpluses. In 2034, the lithium and nickel markets are expected to be in deficits... Read more →

Canda-based Foran Mining Corporation (Foran) has been conditionally approved for an investment of up to $20 million through Canda’s Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF), a key program under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy. The funding will enable the construction of a hydro transmission line to connect to clean hydroelectricity, an... Read more →

BMW i Ventures invested in Phoenix Tailings, a metals production company dedicated to creating a zero-waste, zero-emission future. The Series B financing, which was led by Envisioning Partners and included additional participation from Yamaha Motor Ventures and Escape Velocity, will enable Phoenix Tailings to scale its rare earth processing operations... Read more →

As part of a research and development program, Rio Tinto is assessing the potential for extracting and valorizing gallium, a critical and strategic mineral already present in the bauxite processed in its alumina refinery in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, the only one in Canada. When the preliminary phase of technology development is conclusive,... Read more →

Rio Tinto has approved $2.5 billion to expand the Rincon project in Argentina, the company’s first commercial-scale lithium operation, demonstrating its commitment to building a world-class battery materials portfolio. Rincon’s capacity of 60,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate per year comprises the 3,000-tonne starter plant and 57,000-tonne expansion plant. Rincon’s... Read more →

The rare earths supply chain is poised for greater geographical diversification as new mines and processing plants outside of China are brought into production throughout the second half of the decade, as part of on-going derisking efforts by Western governments. According to the Benchmark Rare Earths Forecast, the supply of... Read more →

Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Metal Mining (SMM) have signed a term sheet for a joint venture to deliver the Winu copper-gold project, located in the Great Sandy Desert region of Western Australia. Under the Term Sheet, which includes exclusivity obligations to work towards a binding definitive agreement, Rio Tinto will... Read more →

The global transition to clean energy is gaining momentum, heavily relying on renewable technologies such as solar PV cells and wind turbines, alongside energy transition solutions like hydrogen, energy storage, and carbon capture. This shift has triggered an unprecedented surge in demand for critical minerals, posing significant challenges in achieving... Read more →

Piedmont Lithium, a North American supplier of lithium products, and Sayona Mining signed a definitive agreement to combine the two companies to create a leading lithium business, resulting in Sayona being the ultimate parent entity. The transaction will result in an approximate 50% / 50% equity holding of shareholders of... Read more →

US Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) celebrated the bipartisan House passage of his legislation to ensure parity between Critical Materials, as defined by the Department of Energy (DOE), and Critical Minerals, as defined by the US Geological Survey (USGS) to eliminate confusion, confer the same benefits to both lists moving forward,... Read more →

Rio Tinto has approved construction of a new 25-megawatt solar plant at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah, bringing the mine’s total solar capacity to 30MW. The new solar plant will be located next to Kennecott’s existing 5MW solar plant, which was completed in 2023. Together, the two solar plants... Read more →

Rio Tinto will partner with China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) to demonstrate battery-swap electric haul-truck technology at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia. Battery swapping technology allows a battery electric vehicle to exchange a discharged battery pack quickly for a fully charged one, instead of recharging the vehicle... Read more →

Despite the growth in metals supply over the last decade, BloombergNEF’s (BNEF’s) annual Transition Metals Outlook finds that there are still not enough raw materials to meet growing demand. This supply squeeze could slow the adoption of clean energy technologies. In order to meet the demands of a net-zero emissions... Read more →

Newmont Corporation commissioned its first battery-electric large mining truck at the Cripple Creek and Victor (CC&V) mine in Teller County, Colorado. The vehicle, dubbed the Early Learner Cat 793 XE, is an important milestone for Newmont, made possible through its strategic alliance with Caterpillar Inc. Currently, surface and underground mining... Read more →

Rio Tinto has completed the transition from conventional to renewable diesel for all heavy mining equipment at its Kennecott copper mine in Utah, giving the mine one of the lowest carbon footprints of any copper producer in the United States. Kennecott’s fleet of 97 haul trucks and heavy machinery equipment... Read more →

Ioneer Ltd received its federal permit for the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). With the positive decision, Rhyolite Ridge becomes the first US lithium project approved by the Biden Administration as part of its efforts to accelerate domestic critical mineral production and advances the... Read more →

Lithium Americas Corp., the Canada-based developer of the Thacker Pass lithium mining project in northern Nevada, and General Motors Holdings LLC entered into a new investment agreement to establish a joint venture for the purpose of funding, developing, constructing and operating Thacker Pass. The JV Transaction will deliver $625 million... Read more →

Rio Tinto and Arcadium Lithium announced a definitive agreement under which Rio Tinto will acquire Arcadium in an all-cash transaction for US$5.85 per share. (Earlier post.) The transaction represents a premium of 90% to Arcadium’s closing price of $3.08 per share on 4 October 2024, a premium of 39% to... Read more →

Rio Tinto confirmed that it has made an approach to Arcadium Lithium—a newly formed company from the merger of Allkem and Livent—regarding a potential acquisition of Arcadium Lithium by Rio Tinto. The approach is non-binding and there is no certainty that any transaction will be agreed to or will proceed.... Read more →

Scania, and Australian company Fortescue, have agreed to develop and validate jointly a fully integrated autonomous road train solution. The global mining industry is transforming, and autonomous solutions are receiving more attention. The autonomous solution will be developed, tested and validated in partnership at Fortescue’s iron ore operations in Christmas... Read more →

Rio Tinto will develop Pongamia seed farms in Australia as part of a new biofuels pilot. The project will explore the potential of Pongamia seed oil as a feedstock for renewable diesel. The pilot aims to determine if Pongamia seed oil can contribute to Rio Tinto’s renewable diesel needs while... Read more →

Research by AI-powered supply chain risk platform Infyos has identified that companies accounting for 75% of the global battery market have connections to one or more companies in the supply chain facing allegations of severe human rights abuses. Most major battery manufacturers and end batteries applications are exposed including many... Read more →

Spodumene prices fell to their lowest levels since August 2021 in early September, trailing the steep drop in prices of lithium chemicals in recent months, according to Benchmark. Spodumene FOB Australia prices have fallen 14.4% so far this year to $818 per tonne in the assessment period ending 4 September,... Read more →

SLB announced that it has proven its solution for sustainable lithium production at scale at its demonstration plant in Clayton Valley, Nevada. The proprietary integrated solution combines SLB’s subsurface expertise with surface engineering of advanced technologies that include direct lithium extraction (DLE). It produces lithium 500 times faster than conventional... Read more →

TMC the metals company Inc., an explorer of the undersea resources of critical battery metals, successfully produced high temperature material (calcine) during the first phase of a commercial-scale campaign to process a 2,000-tonne sample of deep-seafloor polymetallic nodules at its partner PAMCO’s Hachinohe Rotary Kiln Electric-Arc Furnace facility in Hachinohe,... Read more →

Tanzanian graphite developer Black Rock Mining signed several binding agreements with its strategic alliance partner, POSCO International Corporation (POSCO), in relation to POSCO investing US$40 million in Black Rock. In exchange, Faru Graphite Corporation Limited (Faru) (the 84% subsidiary of Black Rock and owner of the Mahenge Graphite Project will... Read more →

Arcadium Lithium will suspend Stage 4A waste stripping, and any expansionary investment beyond Stage 3, at its Mt Cattlin spodumene operation in Western Australia given the continued decline in spodumene prices. Benchmark reported that spodumene prices fell to their lowest levels since August 2021 in early September, trailing the steep... Read more →

Sibanye-Stillwater executed a €500-million green loan financing facility (Green loan) for its Keliber lithium project in Finland, through its subsidiary Keliber Technology Oy. The Green loan secures the final capital expenditure funding required for the construction and development of its lithium mining, processing and refining facilities in Kaustinen, Kronoby and... Read more →