Miners lining up to take legal action against Mexico’s reforms (BN Americas.com – June 2, 2023)

https://www.bnamericas.com/en/

At least 10 mining companies are presenting or preparing to file injunctions against reforms to four Mexican laws that impact mining and took effect at the beginning of May, a legal expert with knowledge of the matter told BNamericas. The deadline to present the measures expires next week, according to the lawyer, who asked not to be identified.

“There are many companies that are already preparing their injunction requests. Initially, the injunctions are against those provisions that are called self-enforcing, which by the mere entry into force of the law are already applicable and, therefore, represent a grievance,” the legal expert said in an interview.

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How this tiny Ontario city became an important node in the global supply chain for critical minerals – by Aimée Look (Financial Post – May 29, 2023)

https://financialpost.com/

Kingston has become an unlikely hub for minerals recycling amid a talented labour pool, shipping access, and close proximity to auto manufacturers

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s first visit to Canada earlier this year included only two stops. The main one, of course, was Ottawa, where she met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and addressed Parliament.

Von der Leyen’s second stop was a bit of surprise. Dignitaries of her stature would normally add Toronto or Montreal to their itineraries. Instead, Trudeau and von der Leyen motored two hours southwest to Kingston, Ont., Canada’s 24th largest city, according to Statistics Canada, with a population of about 173,000 people.

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Sudbury company applies for lithium processing plant permit – by Aya Dufour (CBC News Sudbury – June 1, 2023)

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/

If the company obtains environmental approvals, construction could start in 2024

Lithium is one of the key ingredients of electric vehicle batteries, and while Ontario has promising deposits and manufacturing plants, it does not have any processing facilities for this mineral. But that could soon change.

Frontier Lithium, a Sudbury-based exploration company, has recently applied for permits to build a pilot lithium processing plant in the Township of Nairn and Hyman, west of Sudbury. Vice President of Operations Graeme Goodall says the proposed facility will be small-scale.

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The new Cold War is already here based on commodity supply strategies of major economies, says Liberum – by Anna Golubova (Kitco News – May 31, 2023)

https://www.kitco.com/

(Kitco News) Looking at the latest commodity supply strategies of major economic powers, a new Cold War has already begun, according to the investment bank Liberum. And the U.S., EU, and Japan have identified ‘critical’ commodities required to guarantee stable economic growth, Liberum analysts said in their latest commodity report.

“Now, they’re moving to secure the supply chains of these inputs, mainly by activating old trade alliances,” the bank’s analysts Tom Price, Ben Davis and Yuen Low wrote Tuesday.There are also a lot of new U.S.-led deals happening in the critical metals space.

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Global production of critical metals unlikely to meet EU demand – by Staff (Mining.com – June 1, 2023)

https://www.mining.com/

A recent study by Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology found that the current global production levels of raw materials will not match the demand of the European Union’s EV industry, not even when accounting for recycling.

The paper points out that the metals that are highly sought after, such as dysprosium, neodymium, manganese and niobium, are of great economic importance to the EU, while their supply is limited and it takes time to scale up raw material production.

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Exclusive: Frontier Lithium planning demonstration lithium chemical plant near Sudbury – by Emma Jarratt (Electric Autonomy – May 31, 2023)

https://electricautonomy.ca/

Frontier says the proposed facility, located in Ontario’s Township of Nairn and Hyman, will showcase its lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate processing capabilities, Electric Autonomy confirms

Ontario is on track to get its first lithium hydroxide facility courtesy of Frontier Lithium, Electric Autonomy can exclusively reveal, in the Township of Nairn and Hyman just 40 minutes west of Sudbury.

Public documents posted on Ontario’s Environmental Registry, confirmed by Frontier Lithium officials, detail how the Canadian mining company will operate the lithium processing facility.

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Sudbury conference on BEVs draws hundreds of delegates – by Len Gillis (Northern Ontario Business – May 31, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Delegates from various sectors including government, mining, automotive and battery development are in the city to plot the future of battery electric vehicles in the province

The second annual BEV In Depth conference kicked off in Sudbury on May 31 with hundreds of delegates from across Ontario joining the effort on how to continue bringing battery electric vehicles (BEVs) into the mainstream for mining and general automotive purposes.

Greater Sudbury is working to find ways to improve the city’s role in developing local industries — not only to serve the automotive battery electric market, but also to promote and enhance the role of the mining industry for the large industrial BEV market.

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Stellantis says it awaits ‘official answer’ from Ottawa amid report there’s a tentative deal to save EV plant – by Robert Benzie and Tonda MacCharles (Toronto Star – May 1, 2023)

https://www.thestar.com/

Auto giant Stellantis says it is still awaiting a formal offer from the federal and provincial governments in order to keep its massive new battery factory in Windsor.

Auto giant Stellantis says it is still awaiting a formal offer from the federal government in order to keep its massive new battery factory in Windsor. The Star reported Wednesday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford reached a tentative deal on subsidies to ensure the plant’s survival.

But the parent company of Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat said Thursday it has not received anything in writing from Ottawa. “Stellantis doesn’t confirm what has been reported and hasn’t yet received any official answer to its letters,” said Stellantis Canada communications head LouAnn Gosselin.

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Glencore said to prepare sweetened Teck bid – by Thomas Biesheuvel, Dinesh Nair and Jacob Lorinc (Bloomberg News – May 30, 2023)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

Glencore Plc is getting closer to increasing its offer for Teck Resources Ltd., in a move aimed at ending weeks of limbo in the battle over the Canadian miner’s future.

The Switzerland-based commodities giant is working on a potential improvement to its bid that could be announced as soon as the coming weeks, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. By raising its offer and ratcheting up shareholder pressure, Glencore is seeking to force Teck to the negotiating table, the people said.

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Decarbonization ambitions ignite debate over mining, permitting – by Robert Zullo (Iowa Capital Dispatch – May 31,2023)

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The decarbonized, electrified future envisioned by the Biden administration, state governments, automakers, utility companies and corporate sustainability goals depends to a huge degree on minerals and metals.

Lots more lithium will be needed for car and truck batteries, as well as the big banks of batteries that are increasingly popping onto the electric grid to balance the intermittency of wind and solar power. Those batteries, as well as wind turbines and solar panels, also need copper, cobalt,, nickel, zinc and “rare earth” elements used in electric car motors and other clean technologies, among other materials.

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Quebec and Ontario signalling major lithium production developments – by Mehanaz Yakub (Electric Autonomy – May 30, 2023)

https://electricautonomy.ca/

As Canada races to solidify its EV supply chain, Quebec and Ontario are vying for investments and development of their lithium sectors

The Ontario government is aiming to establish an end-to-end electric vehicle supply chain in the province. This, it says, will help position Canada as a global contender in the rapidly expanding market for EV production and battery manufacturing.

To date, the province has successfully attracted automakers Volkswagen and Stellantis (along with LG Energy Solutions) to establish two battery cell manufacturing plants. Additionally, Belgium-based Umicore has invested $1.5 billion in setting up a cathode active material facility near Kingston.

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Tensions with China not impacting this Chinese-owned lithium mine in Manitoba – by Naimul Karim (Financial Post – June 1, 2023)

https://financialpost.com/

The Tanco mine, one of Canada’s two lithium producers, hopes to expand against the odds

Ottawa surprised the mining world with its decision in November to bar three Chinese companies from buying stakes in Canada’s lithium businesses due to national security concerns.

Since then, investments from Chinese miners into Canadian companies that own properties containing minerals, such as lithium, copper or nickel, that are in high demand and needed for the energy transition away from fossil fuels have been unheard of.

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SQM and Codelco begin talks over lithium partnership in Chile – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – May 29, 2023)

https://www.mining.com/

SQM (NYSE: SQM), the world’s second largest lithium producer, and Chile’s state-owned copper miner Codelco, have formally begun talks aimed at setting up a public-private partnership to extract the battery metal in the Atacama salt flat.

The negotiations between the firms are part of the new national lithium strategy President Gabriel Boric announced in April. The plan identifies the Salar de Atacama as a strategic asset because it contains the country’s largest known lithium resources as well as the only active operations.

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[Mali] Goulamina: A lithium sleeping giant – by Tom Parker (Australian Resources and Investment – May 29, 2023)

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Mali has long been a gold mining hotspot, but two companies are looking to establish the country’s critical minerals credentials with the Goulamina lithium mine.

Leo Lithium and Ganfeng Lithium Group – China’s largest lithium chemicals producer – are joint venture (JV) partners in the Goulamina lithium project, which is set to begin spodumene concentrate production in the second quarter of 2024 ramping up to a Stage 1 production capacity of 506,000 tonnes per annum (tpa).

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Australia Sees ‘Enormous Market’ for its Battery Metals in US – James Fernyhough and Eric Martin (Bloomberg News – May 28, 2023)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden’s signature climate policy is helping drive a “golden age of mineral exploration” in Australia, as the US rushes to catch up with China on clean energy technologies, the Australian trade minister said.

Deals between Australian miners and US carmakers had already spurred increased investment in exploration and refining of battery metals, and the Inflation Reduction Act is accelerating that, Trade Minister Don Farrell said in an interview while visiting Detroit over the weekend.

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