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Cobalt, Critical, Strategic and Rare Earth Minerals and Metals

Canada can be global critical minerals ‘supplier of choice,’ say feds – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 12, 2021)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Natural Resources Minister releases list of essential and strategic minerals that will drive the digital and clean-tech economy

On the last day of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s virtual mining show, federal Natural Resources Seamus O’Regan announced the release of a nationally significant list of 31 critical minerals.

These minerals are deemed essential in the manufacturing of batteries, magnets, solar panels, wind turbines and various other renewable energy and clean-tech applications.

Many of these minerals are also used in defence, aerospace and security technologies, consumer electronics, agriculture, healthcare, telecommunications, medical applications and critical infrastructure.

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

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Federal government makes critical minerals push, but no funding commitments – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – March 11, 2021)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

The federal government unveiled a list of minerals it deems critical to Canada’s economy and energy security on Thursday, but stopped short of making any funding commitments to help the private sector get new mining projects off the ground.

The list of 31 minerals includes those needed for the electric-car industry, such as lithium, cobalt and copper; key inputs for Canada’s food security, such as potash used in fertilizers; uranium for the nuclear-power industry; and various raw materials used in metals production, such as chromite, a key stainless-steel input.

Canada’s renewed focus on rare earths comes amid a North America-wide push to bolster supply chains. The United States has been particularly vocal about the need to boost its production of critical minerals, as fears of a Chinese stranglehold on supplies intensify.

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OPINION: Canada’s North: By China for China – by Jessica M. Shadian (Globe and Mail – March 12, 2021)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Hey Canada, remember early in the pandemic when China “participated in the pragmatic co-operation” with us to make a vaccine? Well, it is about to happen again in the Arctic.

Last week, China released its 2021-25 strategic plan to engage in “pragmatic co-operation” to build its “Polar Silk Road,” a smaller piece of its overall Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

You know, the one where all global supply chains, infrastructure, trade logistics and resources lead to Beijing, underpinned by Huawei and Alibaba?

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Ontario announces plan for critical minerals strategy – by Matthew Parizot (CIM Magazine – March 10, 2021)

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

Ontario will be developing a plan to promote the development of critical minerals projects in the province, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford announced on Mar. 10.

During a livestreamed press conference put on as part of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention, Rickford was joined by Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli, Frontier Lithium president and CEO Trevor Walker, First Cobalt president and CEO Trent Mell and Indigenous Community Engagement president Michael Fox.

There, Rickford unveiled that the province has released a discussion paper for public consultation to help develop the critical minerals strategy.

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NEWS RELEASE: Canada Announces Critical Minerals List (Natural Resources Canada – March 11, 2021)

OTTAWA, ON, March 11, 2021 /CNW/ – Global demand for critical minerals is increasing to support the transition to a low emissions global economy. Canada can leverage its mining and processing expertise and world leading environmental, social and governance credentials, and become the global supplier of choice for clean and advanced technologies.

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., today announced the release of a Canadian critical minerals list during the virtual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC) 2021 Convention.

The list includes 31 minerals considered critical for the sustainable economic success of Canada and our allies—minerals that can be produced in Canada, are essential to domestic industry and security and have the potential to support secure and resilient supply chains to meet global demand.

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Ontario wades into critical minerals sector but curbs enthusiasm on major investments – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – March 11, 2021)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Ontario is taking baby steps into the critical minerals sector, but a government minister cautioned that the province’s financial commitment will be small and measured.

Greg Rickford, Ontario’s Minister of Energy, Mines, Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs, said the province is starting a public consultation period on critical minerals, with a goal of reducing red tape and attracting more investment into the sector.

The consultation will be open to a range of stakeholders, including the mining industry, Indigenous land owners and investors.

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Ontario wants to be on world stage of critical minerals supply – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – March 10, 2021)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Province invites feedback in launching supply strategy to feed electric vehicle market

The explosion in exploration and discoveries of strategic critical metals has placed Northern Ontario on the forefront of being a global supplier to the new sustainable energy and low-carbon economies.

Energy, Northern Development and Mines Minister Greg Rickford wants to boost Ontario’s status as a “leading player” in the world’s electric vehicle, stainless steel and high-tech supply chain.

In releasing a discussion paper toward establishing a Critical Mineral Strategy, Rickford said it’s time to “seize this opportunity” to showcase Ontario’s mineral opportunities, attract investment, support the global shift toward reducing greenhouse gases, and reducing the risk in supply chain disruptios of these minerals.

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Commercial rare earth recovery to start in coming weeks – Energy Fuels (Mining Weekly.com – March 10, 2021)

https://www.miningweekly.com/

US-based uranium mining company Energy Fuels is on the cusp of starting commercial rare earth production in Utah.

The first shipments of natural monazite ore from Chemours have arrived at the White Mesa mill, in Blanding, marking the beginning of operations for what Energy Fuels expects will become a burgeoning supply chain.

“We believe Energy Fuels has done more to restore US rare earth production in one year than others have achieved in many years. Less than one year ago, Energy Fuels announced that we were entering the US rare earth space.

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News Release: Ontario Developing First-Ever Critical Minerals Strategy (March 10, 2021)

Initiative will generate investment, create jobs and opportunities in the mining sector

For Critical Minerals Discussion Paper: https://bit.ly/3bA3Trv

TORONTO – The Ontario government is developing its first-ever Critical Minerals Strategy to help generate investment, increase the province’s competitiveness in the global market, and create jobs and opportunities in the mining sector. It will also support Ontario’s transition to a low-carbon economy both at home and abroad.

“By developing this strategy, we will strengthen Ontario’s position as one of North America’s premier jurisdictions for responsibly-sourced critical minerals, including rare earth elements,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs.

“We are confident this will generate investment, reduce red tape, create jobs and advance Indigenous participation in the sector. Local and global markets, including Ontario-based industries, are looking for reliable, responsibly-sourced critical minerals and we are ready to capitalize on this growing market demand.”

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Canada positioning for post-Covid-19 recovery with critical minerals push – O’Regan – by Donna Slater (MiningWeekly.com – March 9, 2021)

https://www.miningweekly.com/

Canada is using its measures to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic to position itself as a haven for new technology and battery minerals, boasting a wealth of such minerals found in few other places around the globe, said Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan.

He gave the keynote address at the opening of the 2021 edition of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s (PDAC’s) yearly conference on Monday.

“A year ago, we said in Toronto that PDAC matters and that mining matters, perhaps more than it ever has before.”

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Prof says rare earth elements facility in Saskatoon could stabilize supply chain in North America – by Scott Larson (CBC News Saskatoon – March 4, 2021)

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

A new processing facility being built in Saskatoon could be part of the solution to a recent global shortage of computer chips and semiconductors for vehicles and electronics.

There are 17 rare earth elements: cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium and yttrium.

These naturally occurring minerals are key components in modern electronics. They are used in making everything from electric cars to cell phones and wind turbines.

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U.S. Needs a Strong Defense Against China’s Rare-Earth Weapon – by James Stavridis (Bloomberg News – March 4, 2021)

https://www.bloomberg.com/

James Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former supreme allied commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

You could be forgiven if you are confused about what’s going on with rare-earth elements. On the one hand, news reports indicate that China may increase production quotas of the minerals this quarter as a goodwill gesture to the Joe Biden administration.

But other sources say that China may ultimately ban the export of the rare earths altogether on “security concerns.” What’s really going on here?

There are 17 elements considered rare earths — lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium — and while many aren’t actually rare in terms of global deposits, extracting them is difficult and expensive.

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Biden’s Hopes for Rare Earth Independence at Least a Decade Away – by Joe Deaux and Stephen Lee (Bloomberg News – February 26, 2021)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — Joe Biden’s ambition to make the U.S. less dependent on other nations for rare earths and minerals critical to the clean energy transition will take years to accomplish.

A review of the U.S. critical minerals and rare earths supply chain that the president ordered this week is likely to show that even with sweeping changes the nation is at least a decade from becoming self sufficient.
That will mean turning to countries such as Canada, which has the the largest number of rare earth projects in the world, according to Gareth Hatch, managing director of Strategic Materials Advisors Ltd.

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China’s Weaponization of Rare Earths Is Bound to Backfire – by David Fickling (Bloomberg News – February 23, 2021)

https://www.bloombergquint.com/

(Bloomberg Opinion) — There was a time when China could cause the world to tremble by threatening its supply of rare earths. It’s long in the past.

That’s reason not to worry too much about news that Beijing is planning to ban exports of technology for refining the suite of minor metals. Such a move, if taken, is likely to backfire even more spectacularly than its previous attempts to weaponize the trade in rare earths itself.

In 2010, a dispute between China and Japan over which country owns a group of islands off the northeast coast of Taiwan caused Beijing to impose export restrictions on all 17 rare earths.

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