Cobalt, Critical, Strategic and Rare Earth Minerals and Metals – Page 43

Canada’s decarbonization plan mum on metals and mining – by Henry Lazenby (Northern Miner – April 13, 2022)

April 19, 2022

https://www.northernminer.com/

It is said that to produce any good, what cannot be grown must be mined. By this token, governments and the general public tend to conveniently forget that the energy revolution and, by extension, the global effort to reduce anthropogenic carbon emissions depend squarely on the abundant and reliable supply of critical metals mined from the ground.

With the recent release of the Canadian federal government’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, there was a distinct lack of language and focus on addressing key issues affecting the development of new mines that will be needed to meet demand stemming from the energy revolution.

The step by step process to get a road to the Ring of Fire – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – April 14, 2022)

April 14, 2022

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Environmental assessment work for Ring of Fire road can now begin as First Nation road proponents file terms of reference

Construction hasn’t started on the road to the Ring of Fire, but the Ontario government promises the environmental assessment process is well underway.

The provincial government and two remote First Nations near the remote mineral belt are calling the filing of the terms of reference of the Northern Road Link a “historic milestone to unlocking jobs and economic opportunities in the Ring of Fire region.”

NEWS RELEASE: Ontario and First Nations Celebrate Historic Milestone for the Ring of Fire (Office of the Premier/Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry – April 14, 2022)

April 14, 2022

Project Location & Study Area (CNW Group/Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation)

First Nations announcing the next step to build the Corridor to Prosperity

TORONTO – Premier Doug Ford and Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, joined Chief Bruce Achneepineskum of Marten Falls First Nation and Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation to celebrate a historic milestone to unlocking jobs and economic opportunities in the Ring of Fire region.

Today, Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations announced they will be submitting a Terms of Reference for the proposed Northern Road Link Environmental Assessment. This proposed road is the final piece of critical road infrastructure needed to ensure reliable, all season road access to potential mining sites in the Ring of Fire and connect both First Nations communities to Ontario’s highway network.

How Trudeau proposes to make Canada a key supplier of critical minerals – by Gabriel Friedman (Financial Post – April 8, 2022)

April 8, 2022

https://financialpost.com/

Billions earmarked in the federal budget to develop an industry crucial to the world’s energy transition

Few issues are as hotly debated as the costs of climate change, and the new federal budget is unlikely to cool the tenor of that discussion.

Chrystia Freeland’s second budget as finance minister proposes billions of dollars in new spending to incentivize more mining of critical minerals through investments in infrastructure, tax credits for exploration, and funding to help attract the downstream industries that turn those minerals into products such as electric vehicles and battery cells.

NEWS RELEASE: $3.8B Commitment in 2022 Budget Significantly Enhances Canadian Mining Industry’s Ability to Provide the Minerals and Metals Required to Reach Net-Zero (April 7, 2022)

April 8, 2022

Ottawa, April 7th, 2022 – The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) welcomes the government’s forward-looking vision for our sector as proposed in Budget 2022. With unprecedented support and extensive measures, Budget 2022 will position Canada’s minerals and metals industry for success as a partner in accomplishing Canada’s goal of a greener future while also enhancing greater supply chain resiliency, particularly in battery and advanced manufacturing materials.

Budget 2022 reinforces the government’s commitment to climate action and supply chain security goals by providing strategic funding and programmatic supports to Canada’s minerals and metals sector, underscoring a recognition that the world is better off on climate change when Canada wins on critical minerals. Specifically, the budget:

Rickford has some strong words for environmental groups: There’s no green economy without mining – by Len Gillis (Sudbury.com – April 5, 2022)

April 6, 2022

https://www.sudbury.com/

Northern Development minister challenges environmental groups to ‘get on board’ with Ontario mineral strategy, calling it the ‘single biggest environmental policy any jurisdiction has ever advanced the world over’

Northern Development minister Greg Rickford said environmental groups that continue to target Northern Ontario’s mining industry are missing the boat if they do not support the new Ontario critical minerals strategy.

Rickford recently made reference to Ontario environmental policy when he announced a $1.5-million grant to the Science North Go Deeper Project.

Governments ignore mining in electrification push – by Rick Mills (Ahead of the Herd/Mining.com – April 4, 2022)

April 5, 2022

https://www.mining.com/

The supply chain for batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, electric motors, transmission lines, 5G — everything regarding electrification and decarbonization that is needed for a green economy — starts with metals and mining.

A green infrastructure and transportation spending push will mean a lot more metals will need to be mined, including lithium, nickel, and graphite for EV batteries; copper for electric vehicle wiring, charging stations and renewable energy projects; silver for solar panels; rare earths for permanent magnets that go into EV motors and wind turbines; and silver/ tin for the hundreds of millions of solder points necessary in making the new electrified economy a reality.

Commodity prices increase as mining transitions to green energy – by Olivia Johnson (CIM Magazine – April 2022)

April 5, 2022

https://magazine.cim.org/en/

Nickel, cobalt and lithium continue to benefit from electric vehicle demand

A strong end to the year and accelerated prices in January have led to higher commodities forecasts, and metals such as copper, nickel and lithium are benefiting from “the red-hot EV market.”

In S&P Global’s State of the Market: Mining Q4-21 conference, Sean Decoff, senior analyst, metals and mining research at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said that in general, the industry is seeing positives. COVID-19 cases are dropping, many countries are completely scrapping restrictions and persistent inflation is benefiting commodity prices.

Exclusive: Canada to invest C$2 billion on mineral strategy for EV battery supply chain – by Steve Scherer (Reuters – April 4, 2022)

April 5, 2022

https://www.reuters.com/

OTTAWA, April 4 (Reuters) – Canada’s federal budget will include an investment of at least C$2 billion ($1.6 billion) for a strategy to accelerate the production and processing of critical minerals needed for the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain, two senior government sources said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, which is due to release its budget on Thursday, will make the investment to ramp up the extraction of processing of critical minerals including nickel, lithium, cobalt and magnesium, said the sources who are familiar with the matter but were not authorized to speak on the record.

US looks to increase metals imports for EV batteries – by Saul Elbein (The Hill – March 29, 2022)

March 30, 2022

https://thehill.com/

The United States will likely need to massively increase its reliance on imports of foreign metals if it is to meet the Biden administration’s goal of moving the country to mainly electric vehicles.

U.S. production of the key metals needed to make EV batteries is already only a small percentage of national demand, so increasing sales of electric vehicles to 50 percent of all new car sales by 2030 will require replacing one set of trading relationships — ones built on oil — for another.

INTERVIEW: Ontario ‘all in’ to develop full EV, battery supply chains: minister – by Nick Lazzaro (S&P Global – March 28, 2022)

March 29, 2022

https://www.spglobal.com/

Ontario aims to propel its leadership in automotive electrification by continuing to attract key industrial investments that will establish a complete electric vehicle and battery supply chain in the region, according to a government official.

“Quite frankly, we are all in with our chips on electric vehicle production in Ontario,” Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s minister of economic development, job creation and trade, said in an interview with S&P Global Commodity Insights.

US Security Requires Ending China’s Monopoly on Rare Earths: Experts – by Michael Washburn and David Zhang (The Epoch Times – March 26, 2022)

March 28, 2022

https://www.theepochtimes.com/

The United States will not be able to hold a competitive advantage or protect its national security as long as China maintains its dominance in rare earths production, according to experts.

Washingon must also do a better job of educating professionals for careers in the mining sector, three experts told EpochTV’s “China Insider” program. The three sources were Chadwick Hagan, an economist; Ann Bridges, author of the book “Rare Mettle”; and Rich Trzupek, a chemist and environmental consultant.

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.

Sudbury junior miner praises province’s new critical minerals strategy – by Jonathan Migneault (CBC News Sudbury – March 22, 2022)

March 22, 2022

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

Canada only supplies a small percentage of the word’s critical minerals

The president and CEO of a Sudbury-based junior miner says the province’s new critical minerals strategy presents an opportunity for Ontario to become more self-sufficient in that area. On Thursday, March 17, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled the province’s new five-year critical minerals strategy at a press conference at the Lac Des Iles mine, about 125 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont.

The strategy aims to help Ontario capitalize on growing demand for minerals like nickel, lithium and cobalt, which are key components in the batteries used for smart phones and electric vehicles.