The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
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Despite investing billions of dollars, US continues to rely heavily on China and others for its supply of critical minerals. The 2024 edition of U.S. Geological Survey's annual Mineral Commodity Summaries shows the United States has made little headway in breaking its reliance on China and other overseas nations for the minerals and metals critical to the nation's clean energy ambitions, economic well-being, and defense. "Our mineral import dependence continues to be a gaping...
GM-backed tech, battery materials company ships initial iron-based cathode samples to global EV and battery makers. One month after closing a $60 million Series B round of financing led by General Motors, Mitra Chem has already shipped multiple samples of commercial-grade lithium-manganese-iron-phosphate (LMFP) cathode active material to major global electric vehicle manufacturers and battery makers. Led by Vivas Kumar, an engineer who previously served as a senior manager on...
The Salton Sea geothermal reservoir in Southern California could produce up to 3.4 million metric tons of lithium, which is plenty to make batteries for enough electric vehicles to replace all cars currently on U.S. highways, according to a comprehensive analysis carried out by the U.S. Department of Energy. The analysis, funded by the Geothermal Technologies Office and conducted by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, confirms the region's significant potential to...
Explores critical mineral potential across large area of southeast AZ; extends a similar survey of copper belt in SW NM. In its ongoing nationwide search for minerals critical to America's economy, security, and green energy transition, the United States Geological Survey is investing more than $3.1 million into an Earth MRI scan over a more than 10,000-square-mile area of southeastern Arizona known for rich deposits of copper and other minerals. "The Arizona porphyry copper...
Hoping to reinvigorate its area and promote economic growth in the form of next-generation battery manufacturing, the city of Marion, Indiana, has issued $44.9 million in incentives for American Resources Corp. to construct its state-of-the-art commercial-scale lithium, critical minerals, and rare earth elements refining facility utilizing its ReElement chromatography technology. American Resources subsidiary ReElement Technologies carefully analyzed and examined several...
Setting the bar for battery materials, American Resources Corp.'s ReElement Technologies announced that it has achieved an ultra-high purity of 99.96% battery-grade lithium carbonate from its unique technology developed in partnership with Purdue University. American Resources is a next-generation and socially responsible supplier of raw materials to the new infrastructure and electrification marketplace. Utilizing its patented multi-modal chromatography technology, developed...
Commences domestic supply of critical battery materials at new Nevada facility in less than a year. Working tirelessly and expeditiously toward commercialization, American Battery Technology Company excitedly announced the operational start-up of its commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Nevada, implementing its first-of-a-kind lithium-ion battery recycling technologies at industrial scale. "We are excited to have achieved this major milestone and to now...
The growing list of critical minerals and conflict elements like cobalt are drawing intense focus and demand for alternative sources. Investors and consumers are increasingly focused on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials, provenance, and indirect emissions of these supply chains. If done right, prioritizing urban mining – specifically moving recycled materials upstream in supply chains – could provide cheaper domestic supply with a lower emissions foo...
Rio Tinto, Fortune Minerals team up to recover critical minerals at Nico refinery in Alberta. To bolster the North American supply of critical minerals, global mining giant Rio Tinto and Canadian mine developer Fortune Minerals Ltd. are working together to improve the recovery of bismuth and cobalt from ore and waste streams. "We are committed to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs to grow and decarbonize," said Rio Tinto Kennecott Managing Director Nate...
Based on the success of its battery recycling trial, which showed improved recoveries of critical battery elements, higher metal content, and reduced use of reagents, thus paving the way for a higher-quality final product for its customers, Electra Battery Materials Corp. is extending processing of black mass at its refinery complex in Ontario, Canada. "Results from our plant-scale black mass trial continue to exceed our expectations," said Electra Battery Materials CEO Trent...
As part of its Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office, the Department of Energy announced the selection of eight projects to receive a combined $2 million to drive innovation in lithium-ion battery rejuvenation, recycling, and reuse for the future of clean energy. Administered through the ReCell Center at Argonne National Laboratory, AMMTO will form cooperative research and development agreements between national labs and industry partners to perform...
With significant funding from the Department of Energy toward its Tonopah Flats lithium project, visits from representatives from the White House, and a partnership with TechMet-Mercuria, American Battery Technology Company has added yet another milestone to its skyrocketing success – a new agreement with German chemical giant BASF to develop a regional closed-loop solution for lithium-ion battery recycling for the North American market. "The establishment of a true closed-loo...
Grants DPA Title III funds to support Albemarle lithium, Tamarack nickel projects in the US. Continuing its mission to establish domestic lithium-ion battery supply chains, the U.S. Department of Defense is investing more than $110 million to support lithium and nickel projects in the United States. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Industrial Base Policy, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP), announced on Sept. 12 that...
From rare earths in Northern Maine to lithium in Southern California and graphite in Alaska, the U.S. Geological Survey is on a mission to discover minerals critical to the nation's economy and clean energy goals on American soil. Or, more accurately, under American soil. This nationwide endeavor is officially called the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, but is better known as Earth MRI, a clever moniker that reflects the earth penetrating scans that are providing...
Aluminum has been classified as critical by the United States, European Union, Canada, and even China. At first glance, one may wonder how such a ubiquitous metal could possibly be critical. The answer is simply that aluminum is so widely used that supply, if endangered, could devastate an economy. In 2020, the World Bank identified aluminum as a "high-impact" and "cross-cutting" metal in all existing and potential green technologies. In spite of this, due to high energy...
Powering nearly 10% of the world's energy needs and roughly 20% of America for over 50 years, nuclear energy is a highly controversial power provider that ticks all the boxes for zero-emission electricity. Much like most contemporary fuels, running these reactors takes something dug from the earth – uranium. In 2017, the United States Geological Survey was charged with identifying which minerals and metals are critical to the U.S. Its original list of 35 critical minerals, f...
As the cracks in the wall continue to chill the bones of an ill-prepared American clean-energy economy, attention has been paid to nearly every facet imaginable to obtain the minerals critical to fuel a zero-carbon future; however, all has seemingly been quiet on the unconventional front. Repeated time and time again during the ongoing transition, U.S. policymakers are becoming increasingly concerned about the overreliance on China for the minerals and metals essential to...
Separating your plastics, paper, metals, and food waste has generally been a personal choice throughout most of modern recycling history. However, current demand for resources predicts we won't have enough to support net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Hence, now is the best time for consumers to become educated and self-determined with their buying power, manufacturers to begin considering recycling as part of the initial design, and a new circular economy that resurrects a tr...
There is nearly a $1 trillion chasm between where the United States' lithium battery supply chain is today and where it needs to be by 2035 in order to build the envisioned green energy future where electric vehicles are charged with low-carbon energy. Roughly 40% of this investment will need to go toward ensuring there is a plentiful supply of cobalt, graphite, lithium, nickel, and other battery materials. Simon Moores, CEO of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence and one of the...
Still overshadowed by lithium but no less significant, cobalt falls within a unique category as a critical mineral not only for its properties but also for its controversial supply. As a fundamental component necessary for nickel-cobalt-manganese (NMC) lithium-ion batteries, cobalt warranted its place as a critical mineral vital to the zero-carbon transition due to the necessity of those batteries to power a clean, emission-free future. Its critical uses, however, go far...
Shining a spotlight on a provider of the metals needed for the lithium batteries powering America's clean energy technologies, American Battery Technology Company announced a visit from representatives from the White House. "We are proud to be part of the Nevada community that is at the forefront of working to build the domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain," said American Battery Technology Company CEO Ryan Melsert. Visiting ABTC's facility in Northern Nevada, National...
Collaborative investment of C$1.2 billion into future battery cathode facility. Coming out of the region that will hold one of the more prominent footholds for battery-related industries, Ford Motor Company announced an investment of C$1.2 billion (US$885,660) to build a battery cathode manufacturing facility in Becancour, Quebec, for future Ford electric vehicles. Becancour is a small town along the shores of the St. Lawrence River about halfway between Montreal and Quebec...
To further leverage its lithium-ion battery recycling expertise, American Battery Technology Company has entered into a strategic partnership with technology metals managing platform TechMet-Mercuria, which includes the manufacturing, sales, and marketing of ABTC-produced recycled metal products and a non-dilutive investment into the company for up to $20 million through the pre-purchase of future recycled battery metal products. TechMet-Mercuria SA is a Switzerland-based...
Automaker funds will support the production of green lithium in California; CTR plans to ship first batch in 2027. To support what will be an important American supply of green lithium for the batteries that will power its growing line of electric vehicles, Stellantis has agreed to invest $100 million to advance the development of Controlled Thermal Resources' Hell's Kitchen geothermal lithium project in the Salton Sea area of Southern California. "This substantial investment...
USA Rare Earth has entered a deal with Australian Strategic Materials to supply magnet rare earths for Oklahoma plant. With its sights set on producing rare earth magnets at its new Oklahoma plant next year, USA Rare Earth LLC has entered into a multi-year supply agreement with Australian Strategic Materials Ltd., a producer of metals for clean energy and high-tech devices. "Having a supply agreement in place with ASM plays a critical role in delivering on our vision of...
