Lithium – Page 21 – Republic of Mining

Lithium giant lifts forecasts by nearly 15pc on EV surge – by Petr Ker (Australian Financial Review – January 25, 2023)

January 25, 2023

https://www.afr.com/

Lithium giant Albemarle has raised its forecast for future lithium demand by more than 15 per cent and signalled it would expand its Australian mines to supply the lithium needed for the world to rapidly adopt electric vehicles.

But Mineral Resources swiftly provided a reminder on Wednesday that expanding mines in Western Australia is easier said than done, revealing that expansion of its Mt Marion lithium mine had been delayed by labour shortages and equipment delays, forcing a 17 per cent cut to this year’s export target.

Li-FT Power eyes Yellowknife for continent’s next big lithium resource – by Blair McBride (Northern Miner – January 23, 2023)

January 25, 2023

https://www.northernminer.com/

Yellowknife was founded on gold mining, and now lithium holds the potential of opening a new chapter for the Far North’s second largest city. Just a short drive east of Yellowknife and off the paved, all-season highway the Ingraham Trail, Vancouver-based explorer Li-FT Power (CSE: LIFT) is preparing to turn its drills on 13 targets it calls the Yellowknife Lithium Project.

“When you talk about the potential, it’s just really easy to see because the pegmatites stick out of the ground and you can fly over them, they go for 1.8 km, and you just see almost 100% exposure,” Francis MacDonald, CEO Li-FT said in an interview with The Northern Miner.

States see lithium rush for EVs as environmentalists urge caution – by Zack Budryk (The Hill – January 20, 2023)

January 23, 2023

https://thehill.com/

Nevada and other states are poised to rake in huge benefits from a boom in lithium mining for batteries pushed by federal incentives as U.S. demand surges for electric vehicles (EVs).

Environmentalists, however, are warning amid investments from the Biden-backed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that a heavy-handed approach to lithium mining could bring many of the same problems associated with fossil fuel extraction.

Zimbabwe joins wave of resource nationalism with ban on raw ore exports – by Isabeau van Halm (New Zimbabwe – January 21, 2023)

January 23, 2023

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In December 2022, Zimbabwe banned raw lithium ore exports to minimise the economic potential of artisanal mining and encourage investments in state-approved production facilities. Then in January 2023 another ban followed, according to the state-owned newspaper The Herald, this time for covering all base mineral ores.

“No lithium-bearing ores, or unbeneficiated lithium whatsoever, shall be exported from Zimbabwe to another country except under the written permission of the minister,” the country’s mining minister Winston Chitando said in December about the lithium export ban.

The Green Industrial Revolution: How Critical Mineral Mining Will Help Drive Canada’s Economic Growth and Reach Our Climate Goals – by Zayn Kalyan (January 20, 2023)

January 23, 2023

Zayn Kalyan is CEO of Infinity Stone Ventures

The Canadian Government announced the approval of Galaxy Lithium Canada’s James Bay Lithium Project in Quebec, a milestone in the development of domestic North American lithium production. The James Bay project is expected to produce approximately 5,480 tonnes of ore per day and employ 160 people on average once it’s in operation.

The approval is a significant win for the critical mineral mining industry in Canada and North America, and while clearly affirming the commitment of Canada to its climate change goals, it more importantly signals the critical nature of the energy transition in the fiscal and economic policies of western governments.

BDC leads US$50M funding round for Calgary-based lithium company – by Amanda Stephenson (Canadian Press/CTV News – January 18, 2023)

January 19, 2023

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/

A new fund launched in November by the Business Development Bank of Canada to help foster the growth of homegrown climate technology has made its largest investment yet.

The Crown corporation’s investment arm, BDC Capital, along with Vancouver-based Evok Innovations, recently co-led a Series A2 financing round that raised US$50 million in investment capital for Summit Nanotech, a Calgary-based lithium technology company.

After lithium mine approval, Ontario-based Cree want a seat at the table for environmental assessments of mining in the province – by Matteo Cimellaro (National Observer – January 18, 2023)

January 19, 2023

https://www.nationalobserver.com/

Lawrence Martin wishes the Cree nations on the western coast of James Bay had the same relationship with Ontario as the Eeyou Istchee have with Quebec.

Earlier this week, Ottawa approved a new lithium mine near the Eastmain Cree community in Quebec with caveats, including 271 environmental protections designed in conjunction with the project’s Indigenous neighbours.

James Bay lithium mine wins federal approval amid Trudeau’s push to make Canada an EV player – by Naimul Karim (Financial Post – January 17, 2023)

January 18, 2023

https://financialpost.com/

Quebec mine must adhere to 271 conditions, including measures to protect the environment

The federal government approved the construction of a lithium mine in northern Quebec, moving Brisbane, Australia-based Allkem Ltd.‘s project closer to the finish line, and moving Canada closer to being able to supply a highly sought metal that will be key to the energy transition.

Environment Minster Steven Guilbeault said Allkem’s Galaxy Lithium, which owns the project situated about 100 kilometres east of James Bay, and the Eastmain Cree community will need to adhere to 271 conditions, including measures to protect fish, birds, bats, wetlands, as well as lands and resources used by the Cree.

Lithium’s Next Big Risk is Grand Supply Plans Falling Short – by Annie Lee and Mark Burton (Bloomberg News – January 15, 2023)

January 16, 2023

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — Electric-vehicle makers are hoping that an imminent wave of lithium supply will bring relief for their expansion plans after a two-year squeeze, but the battery metal’s die-hard bulls warn of more pain to come if producers fail to deliver.

Rampant lithium demand has caught many forecasters by surprise, with booming global EV sales causing consumption to double over the past two years. With suppliers unable to keep pace, a blistering price rally sent the total spot value of lithium consumption rocketing to about $35 billion in 2022, up from $3 billion in 2020, according to Bloomberg calculations.

OPINION: Trudeau’s real North America agenda is reacting to Biden’s industrial strategy – by Campbell Clark (Globe and Mail – January 11, 2023)

January 11, 2023

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

It was nice that U.S. President Joe Biden and his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, tacked a Three Amigos summit with Justin Trudeau onto meetings about Mr. Biden’s more pressing issue: the Mexican border.

The idea of a common North American agenda seems a distant thing for the Mexican and U.S. presidents, both of whom are so wrapped up in domestic politics that there hasn’t been a lot of room for continental friendship.

Ruling in Thacker Pass lithium mine case expected within months – by Ernest Scheyder (Reuters – January 5, 2023)

January 11, 2023

https://www.reuters.com/

(Reuters) – A U.S. judge said on Thursday she will rule “in the next couple of months” on whether former President Donald Trump erred in 2021 when he approved Lithium Americas Corp’s (LAC.TO) Thacker Pass lithium mining project in northern Nevada.

The timeline further delays the company’s plans to build North America’s largest lithium mine even as Washington pushes to boost domestic production of metals crucial to the green energy transition and wean the country off Chinese supplies.

This $136m lithium deal may be just the start of something big – by Peter Ker (Australian Financial Review – January 9, 2023)

January 9, 2023

https://www.afr.com/

They are the majority owners of Australia’s best lithium address, but now IGO Group and Chinese company Tianqi want to spend $136 million muscling into a second lithium province in Western Australia.

The companies, which have acted in partnership on lithium matters since late 2020, agreed to pay $136 million to acquire lithium explorer Essential Metals under a plan to get a foothold in the lithium production zone between Kalgoorlie and Norseman.

Fate of Thacker Pass lithium mine permit to be decided soon, with 1872 Mining Law a focus – by Daniel Rothberg (Nevada Independent – January 8, 2023)

January 9, 2023

https://thenevadaindependent.com/

The interpretation of a 150-year-old mining law could be a part of whether a U.S. District Court judge upholds the federal government’s approval of a massive lithium mine — a project that has faced challenges from a local rancher, environmental groups and Native American tribes.

In legal briefs over the past two years, the mine’s opponents have challenged federal permitting of the planned Thacker Pass mine north of Winnemucca. Federal land managers, they argued, fast-tracked the project and did not adequately consider a number of issues in its environmental review — the mine’s footprint on wildlife habitat, groundwater, air quality and Indigenous sites.

Business leaders urge Three Amigos to move past trade disputes, embrace ‘Team North America’ approach – by Steven Chase (Globe and Mail – January 9, 2023)

January 9, 2023

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Mr. Volpe said there is not yet sufficient infrastructure in place –
lithium production and battery production – to meet the earliest targets
for zero emissions without buying from China. “If we’re actually going
to meet those targets, we’re gonna meet them with Chinese batteries.
Maybe Chinese vehicles,” he said.

Business leaders are urging Justin Trudeau and his U.S. and Mexican counterparts to adopt more of a “Team North America” approach when they meet in Mexico City this week: to move beyond a growing list of disputes including energy, autos and dairy, and craft a continental plan for industries such as electric vehicles.

The Prime Minister, U.S. President Joe Biden and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador will get together for the North American Leaders’ Summit on Tuesday to talk about boosting trade and investment and building a better supply chain to fuel the continent’s electric-vehicle production. It’s the 10th such meeting – also known as the Three Amigos summit – since they began in 2005.

Tesla faces higher lithium prices as supplier amends deal – by Yvonne Yue Li (Bloomberg News – January 3, 2023)

January 5, 2023

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

Tesla Inc. is set to pay more for the lithium that powers its electric vehicles after a supplier amended their deal amid a relentless price rally of the metal.

Piedmont Lithium Inc. will now supply an increased 125,000 metric tons of lithium concentrate to the EV giant starting in the second half of this year through the end of 2025, according to a statement Tuesday. Unlike prior agreements where prices are locked in, Piedmont’s deal with Tesla relies on a floating mechanism based on market prices, according to the statement.