Battery Technology Innovation/Electric Vehicles – Page 78

Nickel turmoil is back as prices spike 15% again to hit limit – by Mark Burton and Jack Farchy (Bloomberg/Mining.com – March 24, 2022)

March 24, 2022

https://www.mining.com/

Nickel surged by the 15% exchange limit for a second day in London, putting the spotlight back on bearish position holders just two weeks since the market was roiled by an historic short squeeze.

Nickel futures remained locked at the price limit by Thursday afternoon on the London Metal Exchange, as the latest spike extends a period of unprecedented turmoil for the market. Prices soared over 250% over two trading sessions in early March during the short squeeze centered on China’s Tsingshan Holding Group Co., before the market was suspended.

Stellantis and LG announce $5-billion EV battery plant in Ontario – by Gabriel Friedman (Financial Post – March 24, 2022)

March 24, 2022

https://financialpost.com/

Plant would eventually create more than 2,500 jobs within a key segment of the auto supply chain

European automaker Stellantis N.V. and South Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution said on Wednesday they will invest $5 billion in a joint venture to build Canada’s first electric vehicle battery cell manufacturing plant, located in Windsor, Ont.

It would stand out as among the largest, if not the largest, investment in the Canadian auto sector in the country’s history and is expected to receive significant, if still undisclosed, financial support from the federal and provincial governments.

NEWS RELEASE: MINING IN GREATER SUDBURY REGION CONTRIBUTES $3.3 BILLION IN GDP (Ontario Mining Association – March 24, 2022)

March 24, 2022

Over 50% of the gross output by Ontario’s mining industry comes from Sudbury

SUDBURY MARCH 24, 2022: A new report, State of the Ontario Mining Sector, published by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA) in partnership with Ontario’s Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, demonstrates the majority of regional economic contributions from mining in Ontario occurs in the Sudbury region, with total annual economic contributions in 2019 of approximately $7.5 billion in gross output and $3.3 billion in GDP.

“The opportunities for the Ontario mining industry in Sudbury have arguably never been greater than they are now. As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, faces increasing geopolitical uncertainty and as the race to halt climate change accelerates, the region is primed to continue contributing meaningful solutions, while capitalizing on rising global demand for green and critical minerals,” stated Chris Hodgson, President of the Ontario Mining Association.

The world needs Sudbury’s resources more than ever – by Viviane Lapointe (Sudbury Star – March 22, 2022)

March 22, 2022

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Viviane Lapointe is the Liberal MP for Sudbury.

Nickel a critical mineral as world looks to decarbonize

Very quietly last November, the United States Geological Survey added nickel and zinc to the list of that country’s critical minerals, or minerals essential to the economic and national security of the U.S. and its supply chain.

The addition of nickel and zinc to the USGS critical minerals list is important for two reasons. And both of those reasons bode well for Sudbury, Northern Ontario and Canada.

LME Nickel market chaos clouds pricing, chills investment – by Camille Erickson (S&P Global Market Intelligence – March 21, 2022)

March 22, 2022

https://www.spglobal.com/

The London Metal Exchange’s two-week-long inability to facilitate the free flow of nickel trades has locked up the nickel market from investment and sowed uncertainty across the metal’s supply chain.

The LME provides crucial price transparency for nickel suppliers and buyers negotiating long-term nickel supply deals and gives critical signals to financers looking to back production capacity growth amid high prices.

How the War in Ukraine Could Slow the Sales of Electric Cars – by Jack Ewing and Stephen Gandel (New York Times – March 17, 2022)

March 18, 2022

https://www.nytimes.com/

The price of nickel, an essential ingredient in most batteries, has soared because of fear that Russian supplies could be cut off.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken the global market for nickel just as the metal gains importance as an ingredient in electric car batteries, raising fears that high prices could slow the transition away from fossil fuels.

The price of nickel doubled in one day last week, prompting the London Metal Exchange to freeze trading and effectively bring the global nickel market to a standstill.

Ontario releases critical minerals strategy; looks to position itself as global leader – by Ian Campbell (CTV News Sudbury – March 17, 2022)

March 17, 2022

https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/

Critical minerals — like nickel, cobalt and lithium — are worth $3.5 billion a year to the provincial economy. Toronto is also home to the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the TSX Venture Exchange, which raises capital for critical mineral exploration.

Ford has been eyeing further development in northern Ontario for some time with promises to open up the ‘Ring of Fire’ mineral deposit located north of Thunder Bay. The provincial government wants electrical vehicles made in the province and a lot of that plan depends on available minerals.

Nickel expert calls on Musk, Farley, others to demand Nickel sourcing in North America – by Joey Klender (Teslarati.com – March 16, 2022)

March 17, 2022

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Surging prices of nickel, a potentially major influence in the future of the global electric vehicle market, have encouraged one mining expert in the field to call on automotive CEOs to demand more attention toward sourcing the metal in North America.

NICKEL AND ITS APPEAL TO EVS

Nickel has been a significant talking point of many automotive CEOs for about two years as its wide availability could alleviate battery manufacturing bottlenecks for cells containing either controversial or hard-to-obtain rare earth metals. Tesla CEO Elon Musk first discussed nickel mining during an Earnings Call in mid-2020. Musk pledged a massive contract to any company that could supply nickel to Tesla, as long as it was sourced efficiently and sustainably.

Ontario’s Green party leader sees electric future – by Jim Moodie (Sudbury Star – March 16, 2022)

March 17, 2022

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

The leader of the Ontario Green Party toured the Nickel City on Wednesday to meet with researchers and mining innovators who are putting the city’s signature industry on a greener path.

“The minerals that Sudbury produces are vital to electrifying transportation and battery storage to make renewable energy systems lower-cost and more efficient,” said Mike Schreiner, following a stop at a vantage point overlooking the smelter stacks in Copper Cliff. “So Sudbury is going to play a critical role in the new climate economy.”

Doug Ford to unveil strategy for ‘critical minerals,’ worth $3.5B to Ontario economy – by Mike Crawley (CBC News Toronto – March 17, 2022)

March 17, 2022

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

EV batteries, smartphones and laptops drive growing demand for nickel, cobalt, lithium, platinum

Premier Doug Ford will unveil plans Thursday for Ontario to capitalize on the growing global demand for minerals that are crucial to technologies such as electric vehicle batteries, smartphones and laptops. The government provided CBC News with an advance copy of its “critical minerals” strategy, to be publicly released by Ford Thursday morning at a mine north of Thunder Bay.

Critical minerals — including nickel, cobalt, lithium, and platinum — are already a $3.5 billion-a-year industry in Ontario. They’re classed as critical because of their essential role in the production of specialized technologies. Their supply is also typically at higher risk than the rest of the mining sector because of geopolitics and market demand.

OPINION: Russia Can Hold Nickel Hostage – by Allysia Finley (Wall Street Journal – March 14, 2022)

March 16, 2022

https://www.wsj.com/

When Republicans talk about securing America’s “energy independence,” they mean pumping more oil. When Democrats do, they mean consuming less oil. President Biden said last week that the war in Ukraine is a reminder that “we need to become energy independent” and “should motivate us to accelerate the transition to clean energy.”

The left’s climate policies would render the U.S. more, not less, vulnerable to potentially hostile dictators. Last week’s surge in nickel prices offered a preview of the dangers of relying too much on renewables.

Lithium mining: ‘A new Bolivia’, says EnergyX CEO – by Amanda Stutt (Mining.com – March 14, 2022)

March 16, 2022

https://www.mining.com/

When EnergyX founder and CEO Teague Egan first arrived as a tourist in 2018 on Bolivia’s vast salt flats, and learned they contained the world’s largest untapped lithium reserve, the entrepreneur in him saw only blue-sky opportunity.

Bolivia has 9 million tonnes of identified lithium resources buried beneath its salt flats, the largest being the Salar de Uyuni, yet the country has had barely any production of lithium chemicals.

On the electric ‘Road to 2035’ without a map – by Terence Corcoran (Financial Post – March 16, 2022)

March 16, 2022

https://financialpost.com/

Roll up the windows and keep your eyes focused on the road ahead, the Road to 2035. That’s what Canadian auto industry associations call the new highway that aims to take car drivers into a future world where all passenger cars and light trucks sold will be zero-emission electric by 2035.

The industry’s EV project was announced last week by auto executives from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association and Global Automakers of Canada. But it was a rough start for Road to 2035, in the sense that the news received little media coverage at a time when the Ukrainian war and economic crisis had taken over the headlines.

Mining critical minerals for wind farms, solar panels and electric vehicles pose environmental challenges – by Damon Cronshaw (Northern Beach Review – March 14, 2022)

March 14, 2022

https://www.northernbeachesreview.com.au/

Mining for metals and rare earth elements will be a crucial part of a renewable energy future despite the environmental risks, University of Newcastle experts say. The need to eliminate the world’s dependence on fossil fuels means the benefits of mining for green technology outweigh the costs.

University of Newcastle Associate Professor Hao Tan said the mining of critical minerals would present environmental challenges. “But the scale of mining activities in relation to critical minerals is much smaller than those of other major resources in Australia, such as iron ore and coal,” Dr Tan said.

Ontario risks losing its auto crown as cheap, green power gives Quebec the EV edge – by Gabriel Friedman (Financial Post – March 12, 2022)

March 14, 2022

https://financialpost.com/

As both provinces race to woo automakers and battery makers, a new quandary could arise

Ontario Premier Doug Ford this past fall spoke at a provincial construction industry conference and told his audience that his province would be at the vanguard of the next revolution in automotive production. “We’re going to be the No. 1 manufacturer of electric cars anywhere,” he said.

Similar things are said next door in Quebec. Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon regularly brags about the powerful combination of his province’s rich mineral endowment and the cheap, low-emission electricity produced by Hydro-Québec.