Nickel – Page 43 – Republic of Mining

Championing a Green Energy Revolution through High-Grade Cu-Ni-Co-Zn Projects in the World’s Best Mining Jurisdictions – by Stephen Mlot, P.Eng (June 2, 2021)

June 2, 2021

Murchison Minerals Limited (TSXV: MUR) is a company founded by industry veterans and following a plan for discovering and building resources for the Green Energy Revolution through high-grade Cu-Zn and Ni-Co projects in Canada’s best mining jurisdictions.

Murchison is operating in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Quebec, based on those provinces’ rich variety of metal deposits, as well as the positive fiscal and operational environment for mineral exploration and development. In its 2020 Annual Survey of Mining Companies the Fraser Institute ranks those jurisdictions as the top two in Canada and in the top ten globally.

The Green Energy future is not just about electric vehicles and battery power. Clean energy goes beyond this to include Wind, Solar, Hydrogen Energy Cells, Geothermal and even Nuclear. Other drivers of the future will be the electrification of everything, the 5G interconnection of devices (managed by AI systems), and energy-efficient systems.

Vale, Steel remain in talks as workers picket – by Jim Moodie (Sudbury Star – June 2, 2021)

June 2, 2021

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Vale workers took to the picket lines Tuesday for the first time in a dozen years after rejecting a tentative deal reached by their union and the company.

“Our membership spoke and they are bringing the message back that concessions are not acceptable,” said Kevin Boyd, vice-president with USW 6500. “And very clearly, a lot of it is in benefits.”

Among the more unpopular changes outlined in the new five-year contract are the removal of retiree health benefits for any new hire and the elimination of over-the-counter drug coverage (except for life-sustaining medication).

Norilsk could become Russia’s official Arctic capital – by Polina Leganger Bronder (The Barents Observer – May 31, 2021)

June 1, 2021

https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/

The city was built from the mid-1930s by Norillag prisoners forced to work in the mining and metallurgical copper and nickel plants under harsh climate conditions. In recent years, Norilsk is mainly famous for its devastating environmental situation with huge air pollution and oil spill to the tundra river systems.

Norilsk is part of Krasnoyarsk Krai, whose governor Aleksandr Uss now proposes the city should get the official status as Russia’s Arctic capital.

His proposition is part of a larger strategic plan, which is intended to be completed in the next few months. The plan’s main aim is to develop Norilsk. Once the plan is set in motion, it is expected the governor and his team will present the project to President Vladimir Putin.

Vale workers in Sudbury reject contract offer and go on strike – by Erik White (CBC News Sudbury – June 1, 2021)

June 1, 2021

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

Picketlines are up at Vale’s mines, mill and smelter in Sudbury as the union representing 2,400 workers have voted down a tentative agreement with the mining giant.

United Steelworkers Local 6500 says in a statement on its website that 87 per cent of members cast ballots in a ratification vote Monday night and 70 per cent rejected the deal the union bargaining committee was recommending.

“Thank you for your overwhelming support to return us to the bargaining table,” reads the statement. “We are newly energized with this result and are looking forward to bringing your message to the company to let them know our work is not complete.”

Trudeau’s EV ambitions need strategic shift, nickel CEO says – by Yvonne Yue Li and Stephen Wicary (Bloomberg News – May 31, 2021)

May 31, 2021

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

Canada needs a better strategy to build up an electric-vehicle supply chain and become a North American battery hub that takes advantage of a global push toward cleaner energy.

That’s the parting advice Sherritt International’s outgoing CEO David Pathe has for the Canadian government and an industry set to disrupt everything from mining to automaking.

“Canada as a whole, with some leadership from the federal government, needs to be more strategic about how we develop that industry from a national industrial policy perspective,” Pathe, 50, said in a Friday interview.

Noront suitor Wyloo Metals looks to spend $25 million to study viability of Ontario battery metals plant – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – May 31, 2021)

May 31, 2021

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Australian private equity firm Wyloo Metals Pty Ltd. says it intends to spend $25 million to study the viability of building a battery metals processing plant in Ontario, if it succeeds in its attempt to buy Ring of Fire operator Noront Resources Ltd.

Last week, Wyloo Metals, a subsidiary of Perth-based investment holding company Tattarang, said it was prepared to buy Toronto based Noront for $133-million in cash, or roughly a 31 per cent premium to its market value.

Toronto-based Noront has not responded directly to Wyloo Metal’s proposal yet, but it has moved to put a “poison pill” in place, that would temporarily prevent Wyloo from taking the company over.

Column: The human bottleneck in critical minerals supply chains – by Andy Home (Reuters – May 27, 2021)

May 31, 2021

https://www.reuters.com/

The road to decarbonisation will be paved with copper. As well as lithium, nickel, cobalt and a host of other minerals, all critical for electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels and wind farms.

Securing enough of these metals has become an overriding concern for many Western countries now looking to invest in green technology industries as a driver of broader pandemic recovery.

The European Union currently imports all of the refined lithium, platinum and silicon it needs to produce EVs, clean hydrogen and solar panels respectively. It also gets 98% of its rare earths from one supplier – China.

Mark Selby lays out the big picture for a stainless steel industry in Timmins – by Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – May 28, 2021)

May 29, 2021

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Canada Nickel CEO says base metal project capable of generating downstream processing possibilities

Since touching down in Timmins a year and half ago, Mark Selby has been trying to put the world-renowned gold district on the map as an emerging global nickel camp.

Twenty months after Canada Nickel Company punched its first drill hole at its Crawford nickel sulphide project, the CEO and chair of the Toronto-based junior mining company is sitting on a resource capable of delivering 1.9 billion pounds of nickel over a 25-year mine life.

Canada Nickel posted a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) this week on its flagship Crawford nickel sulphide project, 40 kilometres north of Timmins.

Clock ticking for Steel, Vale negotiators – by Jim Moodie (Sudbury Star – May 28, 2021)

May 28, 2021

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

The Steelworkers local representing Vale workers is hopeful a strong, multi-year deal can be obtained for its members as negotiations on a new contract continue this week.

“We’re looking for something to compensate us for the work we’ve done over the last year, which has created record profits in some areas,” said a union official who asked not to be named. “We’re expecting to be treated with the care and understanding they say they offer.”

The union agreed last spring to an unusual one-year contract, effective June 1, due to the economic uncertainties brought on by COVID-19.

Goodwill Ambassador impressed by Norilsk Nickel’s environmental initiatives (Modern Diplomacy – May 27, 2021)

May 28, 2021

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A group of different speakers at the Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel’s sustainability event were delighted with the Nordic manufacturer’s environmental initiatives.

UN Goodwill Ambassador Vyacheslav Fetisov noted the large volume of investments in the fight against climate change and environmental initiatives.

“Nornickel was one of the first to embrace the modern challenges of climate change and start working in this direction. I often visit Norilsk, most recently a couple of months ago. Once again, I am convinced that the Company has a long-term business vision. And it is already being implemented.

Timmins nickel project could be a 25-year producer – by Staff (Northern Ontario Business – May 26, 2021)

May 26, 2021

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Canada Nickel releases preliminary economic assessment of Crawford property

Canada Nickel Company said its Crawford project has enough resources in the ground, north of Timmins, to be a globally important open-pit mining player for at least 25 years.

The Toronto junior miner released a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for a proposed US$1.9-billion operation involving two separate pits with a scalable processing plant that could grow to a 120,000-tonne per day operation.

They’re also talking about using electric and autonomous vehicles and equipment to reduce the amount of diesel consumed and minimize their carbon footprint.

Forrest in $142m takeover bid for Canadian nickel player – by Brad Thompson (Australian Financial Review – May 26, 2021)

May 25, 2021

https://www.afr.com/

Andrew Forrest has launched a takeover bid that will give him control of a high-grade nickel project in Canada as he looks to establish himself in the region and become a major force in battery metals independent of his multi-billion dollar iron ore interests.

The takeover bid, made through the Forrest family’s private investment arm Tattarang, values Noront Resources at $C133 million ($142.3 million) and comes six months after Dr Forrest grabbed control of a nearly 37 per cent stake in Noront through a deal with Resource Capital Fund.

Toronto Stock Exchange-listed Noront’s assets include Canada’s highest grade nickel discovery since Vale-owned Voisey’s Bay. The Forrest camp has signalled it is willing to bankroll development of the discovery along with other projects in a region known as the Ring of Fire.

Global Mining Symposium: Demand for nickel in EV batteries could lead to supply shortage in the next couple of years, says McKinsey’s Ken Hoffman – by Carl A. Williams (Northern Miner – May 22, 2021)

May 25, 2021

https://www.northernminer.com/

The growing market for electric vehicles is likely to see increased pressure for nickel, a critical component for the nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries used in EVs, Ken Hoffman, senior expert at McKinsey’s Basic Materials Institute, said during The Northern Miner’s Global Mining Symposium in May.

In an interview with Frik Els, executive editor of MINING.com, Hoffman said that sales of EVs reached over 3 million units last year, up from around 22,000 a decade ago.

“If it weren’t for a shortage of [micro]chips in 2021, you’d probably be looking at six to seven million EVs sold by the end of this year,” he said.

Steelworkers seek gains in new contract – by Staff (Sudbury Star – May 25, 2021)

May 25, 2021

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

This will be a critical week as negotiators for Steelworkers Local 6500 and Vale try to work out a new contract by May 31. That’s when the current labour contract expires.

USW Local 6500 represents more than 2,500 production and maintenance workers in mining, milling, smelting and refining at Vale’s Sudbury operations.

Vale, with almost 4,000 workers, is Sudbury’s largest employer. In Sudbury, it operates five mines, a mill, a smelter and a refinery from one of the largest integrated mining complexes in the world. Sudbury products include nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum group metals, gold and silver.

Canada has “right ingredients” to be EV battery leader – by Cecilia Jamasmie (Mining.com – May 19, 2021)

May 19, 2021

https://www.mining.com/

Canada has a “once-in-generation” opportunity to establish itself as a major player in the global battery sector, but it needs to act fast to seize the opportunity, a new report reflecting the views of stakeholders across the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain shows.

Clean Energy Canada’s study, compiling opinions of major actors in the sector, such as General Motors Canada, Lion Electric, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC), the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association and Unifor, concludes the country has the right ingredients for a successful battery sector.

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