Battery Technology Innovation/Electric Vehicles – Page 117

Local battery material champions planning first-mover advances into new geographies – by Martin Creamer (MiningWeekly.com – March 15, 2021)

March 16, 2021

https://www.miningweekly.com/

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s team of local battery material champions are planning first-mover advances into new geographies.

Mining Weekly can today report that Thakadu Battery Materials, which is producing high-purity battery-grade nickel sulphate for export, has a pipeline of new projects in place that will involve the use of the locally developed intellectual property, proven process technology and first-mover advantage to fast-track other assets under development in Southern Africa and North America.

In what is a huge story of world-class local innovation, Thakadu, operating as a completely independent startup, has succeeded in turning platinum group metal- (PGM-) linked nickel solution into sought-after battery material that is helping to make the world a greener place.

Electric Cars Will Cost More Using Ethically Sourced Batteries – by Jonathan Tirone Yahoo Finance/Bloomberg – March 13, 2021)

March 16, 2021

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/

(Bloomberg) — The European Union’s efforts to ethically source a key battery metal face headwinds that could make it more expensive for automakers to go electric.

Cobalt is the battery metal at the highest risk of being exploited in ways that damage the health of people and the environment. Most of the world’s supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, with as much as a third of that supplied by small-scale miners who often work in dangerous conditions. Regulators have begun developing rules designed to help industry avoid damaging its reputation.

But those “ambitious requirements might currently be too difficult,” according to an assessment prepared by researchers advising the European Commission. The report, which will be published by Elsevier Ltd.’s Resources Policy journal in June, suggests a tightening market for responsibly-sourced cobalt.

Cobalt, nickel free electric car batteries are a runaway success – by Frik Els (Mining.com – March 11, 2021)

March 12, 2021

https://www.mining.com/

A year ago, Tesla surprised the electric car industry when it announced some Model 3s made in its Shanghai factory will be equipped with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries made by China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL).

While cheaper to manufacture, LFP seemed at odds with Tesla’s sporty, luxury image. Apart from buses and special purpose vehicles, LFP is associated with tiny (and probably tinny) city runabouts like Wuling‘s Hong Guang Mini EV (jv with GM) which this year overtook the Model 3 as China’s bestselling EV.

NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) and NCA (nickel-cobalt-aluminum) dominate the market for electric cars and LFP fares badly against ternary cathode batteries in terms of energy density – and therefore range and charging.

A solution to battery metals crunch awaits in ocean – DeepGreen, SPAC CEOs – Taylor Kuykendall (SP Global Market Intelligence – March 9, 2021)

March 11, 2021

https://www.spglobal.com/

A deal between a blank-check firm and a Canadian developer aims to tap into deep ocean resources to become the world’s largest producer of metals for electric-vehicle batteries while keeping its environmental footprint and costs low.

DeepGreen Metals Inc. announced March 4 that it will combine with Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, to create a combined entity called The Metals Co. with an estimated equity value of about $2.9 billion.

The deal with the SPAC offers DeepGreen the speed and certainty needed to move operations forward, DeepGreen Chairman and CEO Gerard Barron said in an interview with S&P Global Market Intelligence.

PDAC: Enormous opportunities to go green in Canada, says minister of industry – by Carl A. Williams (Northern Miner – March 2021)

March 11, 2021

https://www.northernminer.com/

Canada is uniquely positioned to become a “global leader in electric vehicle manufacturing,” says Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, in a fireside chat with Invest in Canada’s CEO Ian McKay at this year’s PDAC.

As countries worldwide begin to electrify their transportation systems, Canada offers unique advantages, the minister said. “Canada offers renewably generated electricity, a skilled workforce, a stable and predictable jurisdiction to operate in, the rule of law – a commodity very much in demand these days – and an abundance of the critical minerals needed for the batteries that power electric vehicles.”

He continued, the “mines to mobility” approach adopted in Canada means “greening” the entire value chain, including mineral extraction, the chemistry involved in processing minerals, battery production, vehicle assembly, and the end-of-life recycling of batteries.

BHP moves nickel and copper HQ to Toronto as Canada emerges as new clean-tech mining hotspot – by Gabriel Friedman (Financial Post – March 10, 2021)

March 10, 2021March 10, 2021

https://financialpost.com/

Both metals expected to see increased future demand due to electric vehicle industry growth

Australia’s BHP Group Ltd. is moving its exploration headquarters for nickel and copper — two metals expected to see increased future demand because of electric vehicle industry growth — to Toronto.

The company’s announcement Wednesday comes after a BHP subsidiary Rio Algom Ltd. struck a partnership in August with Canadian junior Midland Exploration Inc. to fund nickel exploration in northern Quebec.

The company has also been exploring for copper in Canada, on and off for years, Laura Tyler, BHP’s chief technical officer, told the Financial Post. But as climate change alters global commodity consumption patterns, she said nickel and copper demand are set to surge, leading the company to reevaluate where to put its people and resources.

Electric vehicles expected to boost Canadian mining growth, industry panel agrees (Canadian Press/Orillia Matters – March 10, 2021)

March 10, 2021

https://www.orilliamatters.com/

CALGARY — Mining industry insiders say opportunities for Canada are rising with world demand, technical advances and political support for electric vehicles.

But members of a panel at the online Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada’s 2021 convention also say support from government is needed to help the industry find the capital and develop a plan to bring on new mines and processing facilities ahead of competitors around the world.

Liz Lappin, a vice-president with E3 Metals Corp., says demand for minerals critical to making electric vehicle batteries is being boosted by U.S. President Joe Biden’s pro-environment agenda, coupled with strong European support and growing interest by North Americans in new models of electric cars and trucks.

Canada will power the electric vehicles revolution – report – by Vladimir Basov (Kitco News – March 8, 2021)

March 9, 2021

https://www.kitco.com/

(Kitco News) – Canada will play an essential role in the global green energy and electric vehicles (EV) revolution, said Philippe Ferland, a business analyst at Invest in Canada.

Monday, in his presentation during the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2021 virtual conference, Ferland said that Canada has what it takes to be a secure, sustainable and stable supplier for every stage of the supply chain from critical minerals needed to produce batteries to EV that they will ultimately power.

The components of this supply chain potential include Canada’s rich critical mineral deposits, robust environmental and regulatory framework, the widespread use of renewable energies, world-class battery R&D capabilities, major auto manufacturing ecosystem and expertise in battery recycling.

Has China shattered battery nickel’s supply chain bottleneck? – by Anthony Milewski (Northern Miner – March 5, 2021)

March 6, 2021

https://www.northernminer.com/

China has turned the nickel market on its head after the world’s biggest stainless-steel producer, Tsingshan Holding Group, this week agreed to supply about 100,000 tonnes of matte (containing approximately 65-75% nickel) to Huayou Cobalt and battery materials maker CNGR Advanced Material.

The news signals that the mainly Chinese-funded nickel pig iron (NPI) producers in Indonesia are now looking at making nickel matte, essentially giving the battery-materials manufacturers a new product to plug into their processes.

The market response was not pretty. London’s nickel prices fell nearly 9% on March 4 and in Shanghai dropped the most in nine months. The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange dropped as much as 8.5% to US$15,945 per tonne, its most significant intraday loss since December 2016.

Gold, battery metals exploration brisk in the Sudbury district – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 4, 2021)

March 5, 2021

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Winter drilling campaigns underway for properties with open-pit potential

The Sudbury Basin is known as one of the world’s most prolific mining camps for nickel and base metals. But on underexplored ground in the outlying areas many exploration-stage junior miners continue to actively drill and sample for gold and metals related to the electric vehicle battery revolution.

East of Sudbury, New Age Metals reported it’s found rhodium at its River Valley Palladium Project. The company is in the advanced stages of planning for an open-pit mine, 60 kilometres east of the city.

In a March 2 news release, New Age calls rhodium is the “rarest and most valuable” of all the platinum group metals. Recent spot prices have reached highs of more than US$24,000 per ounce, the company said.

Tesla partners with nickel mine amid shortage fears (BBC News – March 5, 2021)

March 5, 2021

https://www.bbc.com/

Tesla has decided to become a technical partner in a nickel mine – which is needed for lithium-ion batteries that power electric cars.

Elon Musk’s car firm will also buy nickel from the Goro mine on the small Pacific island of New Caledonia to secure its long-term supply. The move comes amid growing concerns about future supplies of nickel.

New Caledonia is the world’s fourth largest nickel producer, which has seen a 26% rally in prices in the past year.

EV metal producer DeepGreen to launch on NYSE in US$330-million SPAC deal – by Jaren Kerr (Globe and Mail – March 5, 2021)

March 5, 2021

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

DeepGreen Metals Inc., a Vancouver-based producer of minerals used to make electric vehicle batteries, will become a publicly listed company after being acquired by Sustainable Opportunities Acquisition Corp. (SOAC) in a US$330-million deal.

Founded in 2009, DeepGreen sources minerals known as polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor, which are used to power electric vehicle batteries.

The company has exploration contracts in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Hawaii and Mexico. DeepGreen estimates its exploration zone has the potential to power 280 million electric vehicles.

Rising EV-grade nickel demand fuels interest in risky HPAL process – by Henrique Ribeiro, Jacqueline Holman and Lucy Tang (SP Global – March 3, 2021)

March 3, 2021

https://www.spglobal.com/

As analysts and industry participants warn of a looming shortage of battery-grade nickel, there is an ample pipeline of projects employing high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) technology to produce nickel chemicals. But scrutiny of the process is also growing, after some facilities ran into difficulties or produced less than expected.

HPAL has its advantages, particularly given a lack of options to convert low-grade nickel laterite ore—the form that represents the larger share of the world’s resources.

However, several challenges—including high capital expenditure (capex) and environmental impact—may not only slow down its adoption, but also lead some projects to failure, sources said.

Vale returns to profit, eyes ‘dramatic opportunity’ for nickel – by Staff (Mining Journal – March 2, 2021)

March 3, 2021

https://www.mining-journal.com/

Adjusted EDITDA rose 20% to $4.2 billion, after $4.8 billion in expenses of which $3.9 billion was related to the R37.7 billion (US$7 billion) Brumadinho settlement reached in January.

Vale’s ferrous minerals division achieved its second largest adjusted EBITDA of $8.8 billion, thanks to a 17% rise in realised prices and 26% higher sales volumes compared with the third quarter.

It put its iron ore fines and pellets C1 cash cost ex-third party purchases up slightly, quarter-on-quarter, at $12.70/t, while the cash cost (ex-ROM, ex-royalties) FOB was $15.30/t.

To go electric, America needs more mines. Can it build them? – by Ernest Scheyder (Reuters – March 1, 2021)

March 3, 2021

https://www.reuters.com/

(Reuters) – Last September, in the arid hills of northern Nevada, a cluster of flowers found nowhere else on earth died mysteriously overnight.

Conservationists were quick to suspect ioneer Ltd, an Australian firm that wants to mine the lithium that lies beneath the flowers for use in electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

One conservation group alleged in a lawsuit that the flowers, known as Tiehm’s buckwheat, were “dug up and destroyed.” The rare plant posed a problem for ioneer because U.S. officials may soon add it to the Endangered Species List, which could scuttle the mining project.