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Lithium

Mining the Northwest: Australian lithium player eyes former Thunder Bay paper plant site for chemical refinery – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – October 10, 2023)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Green Technology Metals on the fast track to become Ontario’s first lithium miner and refiner

Brownfield space in Thunder Bay’s north end is becoming a hot spot for the lithium industry. Green Technology Metals said the former Cascades paper plant is its leading property to place a lithium hydroxide conversion facility, potentially the second such facility slated for the city.

In posting its “mine-to-chemical” strategy for northwestern Ontario this week, the company said it has a letter of intent for a 25-hectare industrial port site at 550 Shipyard Drive, the location of the former Cascades Fine Papers mill, also known as Superior Fine Papers, which was demolished in 2015.

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Canada’s long-forgotten lithium province – by A.J. Roan (North of 60 Mining News – October 5, 2023)

https://www.miningnewsnorth.com/

Like many other northern regions, Canada’s North was settled because of its mineral resources. When the Canadian Dominion Government first purchased its arctic regions from the British Crown in the late 1800s, the Northwest Territories was seen as a vast stretch of cold, inhospitable land and was thus largely ignored at the time. However, due to the Klondike Gold Rush, the future of these northern lands would change forever. These days, a new rush has arisen, a white gold rush for lithium in Northwest Territories.

With the market for electric vehicles and battery storage technology predicted to skyrocket in coming years, demand for critical minerals continues to grow in turn. With this, lithium appears poised to recharge NWT’s exploration sector.

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Nevada lithium mine leads to ‘green colonialism’ accusations – by James Clayton & Ben Derico (British Broadcasting Corporation – October 8, 2023)

https://www.bbc.com/

In the high Nevadan desert near the Oregon border lies an enormous deposit of lithium, a metal that is essential in the production of electric car batteries. President Joe Biden wants to get it out of the ground. But its exploration is dividing communities which are usually on the same side of political arguments.

Environmentalists and native people cannot agree on whether a new rush for this “white gold” should be supported or fiercely opposed. “The entire environmental community is split on this thing,” says Glen Miller, who used to be on the board of local environmental charity Great Basin Resource Watch, which is opposed to mining.

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Slumping Lithium Prices Signal Angst Over China’s Demand Outlook – by Yvonne Yue Li and Annie Lee (Bloomberg News – October 1, 2023)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — Lithium prices are spiraling down toward the lowest level in two years on concerns over the strength of Chinese demand for the material, a key ingredient in electric vehicle batteries.

Prices of lithium carbonate in China fell to 166,500 yuan ($22,814) a ton last Wednesday, ahead of the Golden Week holidays, a loss of almost half from the recent peak in early June. The decline has been precipitous. Less than a year ago, the metal reached a record of 598,000 yuan a ton.

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Canada’s lithium is in Quebec – by Tamer Elbokl (Canadian Mining – October 2, 2023)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

While battling the biggest wildfire in its history for most of 2023, la belle province is ramping up mining of its key minerals required to manufacture electric vehicle batteries. Quebec plans to become a leader in the critical strategic minerals mining sector and a leader in the electric vehicle battery manufacturing sector for the North American automotive industry.

In its plan for the development of critical and strategic minerals 2020-25, the province identified four policy pillars to promote the development of critical strategic minerals to encourage investment in the province, meet the growing demand for these mineral resources, and play an active role in the global energy transition.

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Codelco in talks with Australia’s Lithium Power – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – September 28, 2023)

https://www.mining.com/

Australia’s Lithium Power International (ASX: LPI) confirmed on Friday it is engaged in talks with Chilean state-owned copper miner Codelco about a potential deal to jointly mine for the battery metal in the South American country.

Chile announced in April a new national lithium strategy, which calls for public-private partnerships for future lithium projects. Under the new model, the state takes a controlling stake in operations considered strategically significant, while private firms can retain control of projects in non-strategic areas.

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Exclusive: Brazil mineral rights dispute casts shadow on Sigma Lithium expansion -by Fabio Teixeira (Reuters – September 28, 2023)

https://www.reuters.com/

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 28 (Reuters) – A Brazilian court injunction is halting the sale or mining of two plots of land where takeover target Sigma Lithium (SGML.V) is planning open pits, according to court documents seen by Reuters.

Vancouver-based Sigma Lithium is one of the hottest names in Brazil’s budding lithium sector – a pioneer in sustainable mining practices and, according to the firm, a potential acquisition target for some of the world’s top carmakers.

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Questions linger a year after Canada placed curbs on foreign companies to protect critical minerals – by Naimul Karim (Financial Post – September 24, 2023)

https://financialpost.com/

Industry uncertainty remains with Ottawa’s divestment orders dominating discussions in the mining world over the past year

Canada shocked its mining sector a year ago with a policy that changed the way the industry viewed investment opportunities from foreign businesses. The policy, released in October, made it more difficult for foreign businesses, either owned or influenced by “non-like-minded” nations, to own or take a stake in Canada’s critical minerals sector, saying that such a situation could be considered “injurious to national security” under the Investment Canada Act (ICA) and, therefore, trigger an extended government review.

Canada considers 31 minerals, including lithium and copper, as critical due to the key roles they are expected to play in the gradual transition away from energy produced from fossil fuels.

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Tracking Quebec’s next lithium mines – by Blair McBride (Northern Miner – September 26, 2023)

https://www.northernminer.com/

As Canada’s emerging hotspot for lithium development, Quebec hosts almost half the country’s 409 active lithium projects and its most advanced projects. That includes Canada’s second producing lithium mine (outside Sinomine’s Tanco operation in Manitoba): Sayona Mining (ASX: SYA; US-OTC: SYAXF) and Piedmont Lithium‘s (NASDAQ: PLL; ASX: PLL) North American Lithium project, which started production in March.

The Northern Miner built an infographic comparing the progress of five top lithium projects in La Belle Province, tracking progress across key milestones from 2018. Quebec’s next producing mine looks to be a tie between Sayona and Piedmont’s nearby Authier project, and Livent (NYSE: LTHM) and Nemaska Lithium‘s (TSX: NMX; US-OTC: NMKEF) Whabouchi operation.

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Ontario Teachers’ Bid for Lithium Stake on Hold After Lawsuit – by Jacob Lorinc and Paula Sambo (Bloomberg News – September 27, 2023)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — A dispute between two mining firms has cast uncertainty on a Canadian pension fund’s bid to invest in one of the world’s largest lithium projects.

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan was nearing a deal to buy a bundle of battery metals royalties from New York-based Orion Resource Partners that includes a royalty on future revenues from the Thacker Pass lithium project in Nevada, according to people familiar with the matter.

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Lithium Americas and Ioneer Carrying the Weight of all Lithium Clay Deposits on their Shoulders – by Ryan D. Long (Linkedin.com – September 21, 2023)

https://www.linkedin.com/

Introduction

Sedimentary (clay) lithium deposits are formed from volcanic eruptions that deposit lithium bearing volcanic glass and ash (tuffs), which is gradually eroded and leached over time to create a lithium-bearing clay, called smectite. The smectite clays can then be subject to hydrothermal alteration, which increase the lithium content and alters the smectite to illite clay.

Surprisingly over 90% of sedimentary lithium exploration/development projects are located in the US, with an incredible 75% found in Nevada. In general, sedimentary lithium deposits are lower-grade than igneous (hard rock) lithium deposits but higher grade than lithium brine deposits, and in terms of scale (contained LCE) they tend to be larger than igneous lithium deposits but smaller than lithium brine deposits.

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Canada a ‘decade or two’ ahead of West in battle for climate change, says Rio Tinto CEO – by Naimul Karim (Financial Post – September 20, 2023)

https://financialpost.com/

Jakob Stausholm says he hopes to further invest in Canada’s critical minerals sector

Canada is a “decade or two” ahead of other western countries when it comes to addressing climate change, Rio Tinto Ltd.’s chief executive Jakob Stausholm said. The head of one of the world’s largest mining companies said he hopes to further invest in Canada’s critical minerals sector as the company tries to meet its goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030.

“We have to admit we have a significant carbon footprint, and we need to address that,” Stausholm said. “I just think Canada is an amazing opportunity. You have got, historically, a significant amount of renewable energy. You have a very high content of green energy in your electricity. That’s interesting for us.”

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Canadian lithium miners in ‘prime position’ as EV battery race accelerates – Jeff Lagerquist (Yahoo Finance – September 20, 2023)

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

Two Canadian lithium producers are top prospects as mining and automotive giants hunt for deals to supply the silvery-white metal for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, according to a CIBC Capital Markets analyst.

Earlier this month, Mohamed Sidib initiated coverage on TSX Venture-listed Rock Tech Lithium (RCK.V) and Frontier Lithium (FL.V) issuing “outperformer” ratings. Sidib also published a lengthy primer on the alkali metal, calling for rising prices due to tight supply as more consumers buy EVs.

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Avalon announces bigger plans for lithium plant site – by Ian Kaufman (TB News Watch – September 18, 2023)

https://www.tbnewswatch.com/

The company behind a planned lithium processing plant in Thunder Bay says it intends to attract partners for a wider ‘industrial park’

THUNDER BAY – The company behind a plan to build Ontario’s first lithium processing plant in Thunder Bay says it’s upsizing its aspirations, eyeing an industrial park that would also be home to a battery recycling facility and an innovation centre.

Leaders with Avalon Advanced Materials discussed the plans during a visit to Thunder Bay this week. for the Central Canada Resource Expo. President Zeeshan Syed called the visit a chance to “unveil Avalon and our plans for Thunder Bay,” while meeting with mining industry players, local politicians, and academic institutions.

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Rio Tinto’s stealth moves in WA lithium grab – by Brad Thompson (Australian Financial Review – September 18, 2023)

https://www.afr.com/

Rio Tinto has quietly entered the lithium land grab unfolding in Western Australia as it looks to secure its future in battery minerals, racking up exploration tenements spanning more than 145,000 hectares in the red-hot jurisdiction that has minted billionaires and fanned takeover battles.

The Australian Financial Review can reveal that Rio has claims covering more than 61,000 hectares close to the Kathleen Valley lithium project being developed by $6.6 billion takeover target Liontown Resources.

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