Lithium – Page 46 – Republic of Mining

Electric cars are fueling the US’s lithium mining boom – by Michael J. Coren (Quartz.com – February 21, 2021)

February 23, 2021

Lithium, a silvery metal so lightweight it floats on water, has been dubbed “white gold.” The element is key to the future of the automobile industry, increasingly powered by powerful batteries that require the metal, and meeting climate deadlines to decarbonize the global economy.

After decades relying on imports, countries are now scrambling to secure their own domestic supplies of the crucial ingredient, also used in ceramics, glass, lubricants, and polymers.

“Lithium supply security has become a top priority for technology companies in the United States and Asia,” according to the US Geological Survey (USGS) (pdf). The US Interior Department listed lithium as a critical mineral in 2018, fast-tracking mine permits.

Canada could be top player in global EV battery market — report – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – February 22, 2021)

February 23, 2021

https://www.mining.com/

Canada has a sizeable opportunity to become one of the world’s leaders in the lithium-ion battery market, but that potential needs to be recognized and nurtured by regulators and miners, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence director Simon Moores told the House of Commons on Monday.

Moores, who joined a parliamentary discussion on Canada’s role in building a domestic and global lithium-ion battery ecosystem, said the combination of natural resources and a highly-skilled workforce should make it easy for the country to create a sustainable value chain for battery materials.

Canada is rich in lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, aluminum and manganese, key ingredients for advanced battery manufacturing and storage technology.

Sudbury lithium company talks of Great Lakes port-side processing plant – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – February 19, 2021)

February 19, 2021

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Frontier Lithium predicts 28-year mine life for its PAK project in northwestern Ontario

An emerging lithium producer is considering a chemical processing plant at a “Great Lakes port” as part of a US$685-million plan to bring an open-pit mine project into production in northwestern Ontario.

Frontier Lithium, a Sudbury company with two high-quality lithium deposits north of Red Lake, released a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) on Feb. 16 of its PAK Lithium Project, estimating a 26-year mine life.

The company has an ambitious goal of becoming a vertically integrated supplier of battery-grade lithium hydroxide to the North American electric vehicle market with a mining and milling operation and a downstream, value-added, processing plant.

These Metals Are Soaring on a Green Frenzy and Global Recovery (Bloomberg News – February 19, 2021)

February 19, 2021

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — Industrial metal prices are powering to the highest in years on bets an economic recovery from the pandemic and worldwide push for cleaner, greener energy will unleash vast amounts of pent-up demand.

From base-metal bellwethers to essential inputs for batteries and home electronics, post-crisis consumption threatens to outstrip near-term supply.

Governments and companies globally are announcing net-zero emissions goals, Europe is rolling out a package of environmental initiatives as part of its growth plan, and President Joe Biden has pledged $400 billion on clean energy research and development over 10 years.

Battery metals are critical over the next decade, Roskill says – by Carl A. Williams (Northern Miner – February 18, 2021)

February 19, 2021

https://www.northernminer.com/

The growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is driving the increasing demand for lithium, nickel and cobalt – critical metals used as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries in the automotive, energy and electronics industries.

According to Deloitte’s Electric Vehicle Trends, EV sales are forecast to grow from 2.5 million in 2020 to 11.2 million by 2025, and to 31.1 million by 2030. Analysts from Roskill, a commodity research firm and a leader in critical materials supply chains, provide an outlook on battery metals’ markets over the next decade.

Lithium

Global demand for lithium carbonate — one of two primary forms of lithium used in EVs — is expected to exceed one million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in 2026, according to David Merriman, an expert on EV and battery materials at Roskill.

WORLD BANK NEWS RELEASE: Mineral Production to Soar as Demand for Clean Energy Increases (May 11, 2021)

February 19, 2021

For Report: https://bit.ly/3bl6pkb

The more ambitious climate targets, the more minerals needed for a clean energy transition

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2020 — A new World Bank Group report finds that the production of minerals, such as graphite, lithium and cobalt, could increase by nearly 500% by 2050, to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies. It estimates that over 3 billion tons of minerals and metals will be needed to deploy wind, solar and geothermal power, as well as energy storage, required for achieving a below 2°C future.

The report “Minerals for Climate Action: The Mineral Intensity of the Clean Energy Transition” also finds that even though clean energy technologies will require more minerals, the carbon footprint of their production—from extraction to end use—will account for only 6% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by fossil fuel technologies.

The report underscores the important role that recycling and reuse of minerals will play in meeting increasing mineral demand. It also notes that even if we scale up recycling rates for minerals like copper and aluminum by 100%, recycling and reuse would still not be enough to meet the demand for renewable energy technologies and energy storage.

Legacy mine tailings present mineral recovery opportunity for junior miner – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – February 17, 2021)

February 18, 2021

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Avalon Advanced Materials acquires closed Kapuskasing mine, Matheson processing plant as part of $16-million property package deal

A lithium exploration company wants to dig into a mine waste pile to recover valuable critical minerals that are used in fertilizer applications.

Avalon Advanced Materials is picking up four industrial minerals properties in Northern Ontario, including a former phosphate mine near Kapuskasing and a processing plant in Matheson.

Toronto-based Avalon announced Feb. 17 that it has signed a binding letter of intent to acquire a privately owned numbered company, 2333382 Ontario Inc.

Li-Cycle rides excitement around surging EV sales with SPAC merger – by Gabriel Friedman (Financial Post – February 18, 2021)

February 18, 2021

https://financialpost.com/

Ajay Kochhar, co-founder and chief executive of Mississauga-based Li-Cycle Corp. sometimes refers to his company as akin to an urban miner — a subtle hint at how excitement around the electric vehicle industry is reshaping global industry.

His business involves shredding lithium-ion batteries, and separating out the metals inside — mainly lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese — so they can be recycled for use in future electric vehicle or smartphone batteries.

On Tuesday, Li-Cycle announced a deal to combine with Peridot Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company or SPAC, which raised US$300 million in an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in September.

Explainer: Latin America’s Lithium Triangle – by Elizabeth Gonzalez (AS/COA.org – February 17, 2021)

February 17, 2021

https://www.as-coa.org/

The insatiable demand for the latest smartphone, along with a need to transition to clean energy, keeps driving demand for the lightest of metals.

Lithium, with its high electrical conductivity, is key to many rechargeable devices, such as cellphones, laptops, and energy storage systems, not to mention electrical vehicles, for which global sales are expected to rise 70 percent in 2021. All in all, the global lithium market is projected to quintuple over the next 35 years.

That bodes well for the countries of the Lithium Triangle—Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile—where 58 percent of the world’s identified lithium resources lies, per January 2021 data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Meet the company that’s looking to mine lithium from Alberta’s old oil and gas wells – by Gabriel Friedman (Financial Post – February 5, 2021)

February 8, 2021

https://financialpost.com/

Extracted lithium from brine in old wells could find its way into batteries that power electric vehicles

Chris Doornbos, chief executive of Calgary-based E3 Metals Corp, looks at Alberta’s vast depleted oil and gas reservoirs and sees only opportunity.

His company is testing technology that, if successful, would extract lithium from the brine in old wells, which eventually could find its way into the batteries that power electric vehicles.

“It’s a big opportunity for the province because producing lithium is very similar to producing oil and gas,” said Doornbos, a geologist who previously worked for Suncor Energy Inc.

Lithium miner back in the driving seat on electric vehicle rebound – by Nick Toscano (Sydney Morning Post – January 25, 2021)

January 25, 2021

https://www.smh.com.au/

For Australia’s miners of lithium, one of the critical metals to make electric batteries, last year started out like the one before it: with the same weakness in demand and pricing that has been forcing operators into survival mode.

The markets for battery ingredients lithium and cobalt, which soared from 2016-18, went from boom to bust after a rush of new projects tipped the industry into oversupply, and reductions in Chinese subsidy programs put a pause on the electric vehicle revolution.

The price of hard-rock lithium concentrate known as spodumene had crashed by nearly half already and the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to drive car sales even lower.

UK produces first-ever battery grade lithium carbonate in Cornwall – by Cristina Belda (Metal Bulletin – January 20, 2021)

January 22, 2021

https://www.metalbulletin.com/

Lithium carbonate has been produced for the first time in Cornwall in southwest England, the Li4UK consortium said this week.

Following an 18-month project, Li4UK confirmed that the purity of the lithium carbonate produced at Cornish Lithium’s Trelavour project Cornwall is “near battery grade,” the consortium said on Monday January 18.

“Li4UK (Securing a Domestic Lithium Supply Chain for the UK), is a consortium that comprises exploration firm Cornish Lithium, mining consultancy Wardell Armstrong International (WAI) and the UK’s Natural History Museum.

Lithium CEO sees ‘evolution’ in mining toward green, clean energy future – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – January 15, 2021)

January 18, 2021

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

The spread of the global pandemic and other geopolitical events have underscored the importance of international supply chains.

A new industry group engaged in the critical minerals side of the Canadian mining industry wants to promote value-added manufacturing opportunities by building a resilient national supply chain that feeds materials to the clean energy, electric vehicle, communications, medical and aerospace sectors.

The Canadian Critical Minerals and Materials Alliance (C2M2A), launched Jan. 14, contends Canada has enough mineral wealth in rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt, and graphite, combined with the intellectual know-how, to promote this country as a global clean technology manufacturing hub.

Timmins Mayor George Pirie highly optimistic about mining’s future – by Kevin Vincent (Mining Life – January 15, 2021)

January 18, 2021

https://mininglifeonline.net/

Ask the mayor of Timmins about the state and future of mining in Timmins and you are in for a lesson on global economics. Timmins is undergoing a huge boost to its mining sector and George Pirie couldn’t be happier for the entire region.

Pirie, the former President and CEO of Placer Dome Canada, played a pivotal role in early talks with Kirkland Lake Gold on their decision to move its Canadian Operations Centre and more than 120 jobs to Timmins, a project Pirie quietly initiated when he was first elected in 2018.

Add to that, the announcement of IAMGOLD’s billion-dollar Cote Lake Mine south of Timmins, and a massive uptick in exploration in the Timmins camp, and you have an extremely robust picture that any mayor would welcome.

Metals Behind EV Revolution to Resume Volatile Rally – Again – by Annie Lee and Eddie Spence (Bloomberg News – January 14, 2021)

January 15, 2021

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

(Bloomberg) — Battery metals are set to rebound this year as an electric-vehicle boom is bolstered by post-pandemic push for a green economic recovery.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has indicated the sector could get a boost, while China wants new energy vehicles to account for about 20% of total new car sales by 2025. Germany has extended subsidies on EVs for an extra four years, and the U.K. will ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.

The markets for metals such as lithium and cobalt, which soared in 2018 before slumping on concerns about oversupply, will be underpinned by a step change in battery demand. Global EV sales are projected to surge 60% this year, according to BloombergNEF.