The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
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While the recent call from conservationists and sportsmen for the Trump administration to block permits has cast a shadow of doubt on the development of a mine at Pebble, there is no denying the controversial Alaska project encompasses a world-class store of precious, industrial and critical minerals. A recent recalculation of the Pebble resource shows the deposit hosts roughly a third of the world's known rhenium, an extremely rare metal that lends its exceptional heat... Full story
Mercedes-Benz says it will follow its supply chains all the way back to the mines, if that is what it takes to ensure that the lithium and cobalt going into its rapidly expanding line of electric vehicles is produced with high environmental and human rights standards. "Our aspiration is very clear – we want our products to contain only raw materials that have been mined and produced without human rights violations," said Renata Jungo Brüngger, a board member of both Me... Full story
Mercedes-Benz is investing in Chinese developer and supplier of lithium-ion batteries, Farasis Energy, in accordance with the German automaker's goal to become carbon-neutral automotive company. The renowned luxury car manufacturer has invested a purported 13 million euros into Farasis, giving parent company Daimler the option to nominate a representative for a seat on the supervisory board of the battery cell manufacturer. Present contracts with Farasis have been amended and... Full story
Mitsubishi Power Ltd., a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, is heralding a future of 3D metal printing with AM-Zone, a facility that utilizes world-leading technology and materials to promote greater utilization of additive manufacturing technologies. Renamed earlier this year from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Ltd., the new Mitsubishi Power has been rebranded to enhance its reputation as a world leader in enabling the decarbonization of electric power through...
American Manganese Inc. Dec. 8 reported that sampling of the United States government's manganese ore stockpile near Wenden, Arizona is now underway. In October, the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency awarded American Manganese a grant to investigate the viability of using its patented process to efficiently produce electrolytic manganese metal, which is used in stainless steel and lithium-ion batteries designed for electric vehicles, from the ore in the stockpile. "Manganese has b...
Syrah Resources Ltd. has taken another major step toward scaling up production of natural graphite anode material at its facility in Vidalia, Louisiana to help meet the demands of rapidly expanding lithium-ion battery production in the United States. In order to power electric vehicles and store renewable energy, annual lithium-ion battery production capacity in the U.S. is expected to climb to at least 226 gigawatt-hours by 2030. This production output, however, could top...
The Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Center in Technology Metals, one of five new centers recently announced by the United Kingdom government, aims to revolutionize how technology crucial to clean energy and digital technologies are used and recycled in the country. Funded as part of a 22.5 million pound government investment, the idea is to explore how to create a circular economy for technology metals such as cobalt, rare earths and lithium that are essential to... Full story
Volkswagen of America Nov. 10 broke ground on a US$22 million battery engineering lab that will test and validate electric vehicle cells at its Chattanooga Engineering and Planning Center in Tennessee. The new battery lab, which will test and validate lithium-ion battery cells for the North American market, will join Volkswagen's 564,000 square-foot EV production expansion and 198,000 square-foot battery pack assembly facility to form Volkswagen's hub for EV production and...
Ottawa and the Quebec provincial government are contributing nearly C$3.6 million to support Propulsion Québec's efforts to advance electric haul trucks, battery technology, and fast charging infrastructure for Canada's mining sector. "We're helping mining companies lower their emissions by investing in onsite emissions reduction technologies, and they're helping us by powering the clean technologies we'll need to reach net-zero by 2050," said Canada Minister of Natural...
Seeking to alleviate the United States' heavy reliance on China for its supply of the rare earth elements needed for a broad range of high-tech applications, Ucore Rare Metals Inc. has rolled out a strategy to begin producing REEs in Alaska in three years. Dubbed Alaska2023, this business plan aims to build the Alaska Strategic Metals Complex, a commercial-scale RapidSX rare earths separation and purification plant in Southeast Alaska, by 2023. This processing facility is the...
Sandvik has added its name to a group of Swedish mining, equipment, and technology companies working together to create the digitized, autonomous, and carbon dioxide-free mine of the 21st century. Already leading the global charge when it comes to the development of autonomous and electric powered underground mining equipment, Sandvik has join Sustainable Underground Mining, a collaboration put together by Swedish iron miner LKAB in 2018. LKAB put together this group known as... Full story
Towards its strategic transformation into a premium mining technology products and services company, Weir Group PLC Oct. 5 announced it is selling its entire oil and gas division to Caterpillar Inc. for US$405 million in cash. Combined with its sale of its downstream oil and gas division in 2019, the Caterpillar transaction will complete Weir's strategic exit from the petroleum sector. "We are pleased to have reached this agreement that delivers a great home for the oil & gas...
Just a week after Tesla Battery Day 2020, where CEO Elon Musk unveiled the electric automaker's massive lithium-ion battery ambitions, the iconic electric automaker has cut a deal to buy some of the lithium it will require for this plan from a mine in North Carolina and has begun moving ahead with a Texas refinery to transform the raw lithium concentrates into the form needed for its batteries. These two moves will shorten Tesla's North American mines-to-electric vehicle...
From electric loaders with self-swapping battery packs to complete autonomous mining systems, Sandvik is reimagining the future of underground mining. The Sweden-based leader in underground mining equipment unveiled their avant-garde vision for mining at the Innovation in Mining Virtual Event on Sept. 29. During this online event, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology introduced AutoMine Concept, a fully autonomous and operational electric-powered underground loader that is...
Tesla Inc. has joined a growing effort to address artisanal cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo, not by boycotting this much maligned source of the lithium-ion battery metal but by investing in it. The iconic electric automaker has joined the Fair Cobalt Alliance, an organization with a vision of making the small but often dangerous cobalt mines in DRC a better place to work for men and women who have few other livelihood options. Artisanal mining in DRC has... Full story
Best known for its contribution to advancing the Round Top rare earths and critical minerals mine project, Texas Mineral Resources Corp. is now leading a group targeting the development of a plant capable of recovering rare earths from Pennsylvania coal byproducts. The Texas-based mineral explorer is teaming up with Penn State University; Jeddo Coal Company, a family-run mining company with a Pennsylvania operation; and H22OS Consulting, an engineering and construction firm...
While rising gold prices are dominating the headlines, silver is quietly experiencing its own explosion in demand. The growing appetite for the lustrous, white metal stems in part from its use in components needed in rapidly evolving technologies, led by the voracious appetite of fifth generation (5G) telecommunications and related electronic applications and systems. But silver, long valued for its beauty and rarity, has been around for millennia. Other than in currency and a...
Taking a big step on its path to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, Canadian miner Teck Resources Ltd. has entered into a long-term power purchase agreement with The AES Corp., a global power company that provides sustainable and affordable energy in 14 countries, for 100% renewable power for its Carmen de Andacollo copper and gold mine in Chile. Under the arrangement, Teck's Carmen de Andacollo is sourcing 72 megawatts, or 550 gigawatt hours per year, of wind, solar and hydroel...
Tesla wants low-carbon nickel from a future mine at Giga Metals' Turnagain nickel-cobalt deposit in northern British Columbia, Canada, according to Reuters. Citing three unnamed sources, the global news agency said Tesla is in discussion with the Canadian miner to advance development of a mine that would produce nickel and cobalt, both vital ingredients in the lithium-ion batteries that power its electric vehicles. These reports have not been confirmed by either company....
With the goal of selling more than 1 million electric cars per year by 2025 and having 75 all-electric models by 2029, Volkswagen Group is taking steps to ensure that the array of battery metals and rare earth elements needed for this e-mobility transition are sourced responsibly. The German automaker is also taking steps to minimize the carbon footprint of manufacturing its expanding line-up of EVs. Convinced that a sustainable supplier network is vital to long-term...
The European Union is taking action to ensure it has the critical minerals and metals needed for the coming "transition towards a green and digital economy" over the coming decades. "A secure and sustainable supply of raw materials is a prerequisite for a resilient economy," said European Commission Vice President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maroš Šefčovič. Since 2011, the European Commission has been assembling a list of raw materials, predominately min...
A pair of Texas congressmen, Republican Lance Gooden and Democrat Vicente Gonzalez, have introduced the Reclaiming American Rare Earths Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing America's dependence on China for rare earth elements and other critical minerals. The United States depends on foreign countries for more than 50% of its supply of 31 of the 35 minerals considered critical to the nation's economic wellbeing and national security, including 100% import-reliant for...
It is estimated that upwards of US$13.8 billion of rare earth magnets are imported into the United States each year, which is creating a stockpile of some of the most widely used rare earth elements. These powerful REE magnets are used in a wide variety of applications – high-performance motors in electric vehicles, wind turbines and generators, medical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and high-fidelity speakers to name a few. Canada-based Geomega Resources Inc. has d...
Long before Tesla CEO Elon Musk called on miners to produce more of the nickel needed in the lithium-ion batteries powering a rapidly expanding electric vehicle sector in an environmentally sensitive way, Giga Metals Corp. was working toward that very goal at its Turnagain nickel-cobalt deposit in northern British Columbia, Canada. "Further to Elon Musk's specific call to nickel producers to pursue environmentally friendly nickel in high volume made during Tesla's latest...
Providing the ability to traverse mountain trails or urban landscapes at blazing speeds and with less leg power, electronic bikes are now more than just a simple recreational activity, or even a low-cost and green transportation option for commuters. While the overall concept of a bicycle has not changed much, today's e-bike manufacturers are advancing new technologies and groundbreaking materials to produce the fastest and smartest cycles ever made. App-customizable... Full story
