Sibanye-Stillwater this week received a €500 million (US$557 million) green loan for its Keliber lithium mining and refining project in Finland. The loan completes the full financing requirements for the project in addition to the €250 million (US$278 million) previously raised through equity financing. This comes as the European Union is looking to boost its […]
> G7 nations and the European Union (EU) are reportedly examining a proposal to introduce price floors for rare earth elements, as they seek measures to reduce strategic vulnerabilities and break China’s dominance over the supply chain. China has built a monopoly on global rare earth production and accounts for 91% of global refined rare earth […]
> The world’s second largest producer of anode materials, Ningbo Shanshan, is under severe financial strain amid falling profits and missed debt repayments. The Chinese company is expected to account for 14% of global anode active material production in 2024, according to Benchmark’s Anode Forecast. “After record-breaking profits in 2021, Shanshan aggressively expanded into the new […]
> Sibanye-Stillwater plans to re-purpose the Sandouville nickel refinery in northern France to produce battery precursor (pCAM), progressing the company’s strategy of increasing its downstream exposure to Europe’s battery supply chain. Acquired from Eramet in 2022, the Sandouville refinery’s hydrometallurgical flowsheet was due to be upgraded to produce battery-grade nickel sulphate from nickel matte, but has […]
> In the third quarter of 2025, 18 of the largest 25 copper miners reported quarter-on-quarter decreases in their output, including the top four miners. The total Q3 copper production reported by the top 25 miners hit 3.72Mt. “In the third quarter, many companies saw lower production compared to the previous quarter. However, most did not […]
> South Korean steel and chemicals giant POSCO has taken a 30% stake in Australia’s Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) 50% stakes in the Mt Marion and Wodgina mines for US$765 million. Structured as a joint venture, the deal would see MinRes and POSCO hold an overall 35% and 15% of the operations, as well as corresponding rights […]
> The UK currently has no operating lithium extraction facilities. However, there are ambitious plans to develop this industry, with 97,000 tonnes LCE per year of nameplate capacity in the pipeline at various stages of funding and development. Direct lithium extraction (DLE) from geothermal brines accounts for 60% of this pipeline, according to Benchmark’s Lithium Forecast. […]
> The battery recycling industries in both Europe and North America are skewed towards black mass production through battery waste pretreatment, leading critical minerals to leak into Asia where there is an abundance of black mass refining capacity, primarily in the form of hydrometallurgy. Although both recycling industries are at similar levels of maturity, there are […]
> Escalating unrest in Mali, as jihadi groups target fuel convoys around the capital Bamako, has led several governments including France and the US to advise their citizens to leave the country. The attacks have created fuel shortages, and raised serious concerns around the military government’s ability to maintain its rule in the country. Mali is […]