The US Department of Energy has allocated $680 million in awards to five battery recycling initiatives as part of a second round of funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Aligning with the Biden Administration’s vision of reducing reliance on Chinese-dominated supply chains, extracting battery minerals from spent lithium-ion battery cells is seen as a […]
> China has postponed the implementation of its expanded rare earth export controls announced in early October following high-level US-China trade negotiations in South Korea this week. It marks a temporary easing in what had become an escalating front in the tit-for-tat US–China trade confrontation. The announcement follows extensive economic and trade consultations in Kuala Lumpur, […]
> Black mass markets in Q3 2025 were largely shaped by China’s lifting of import restrictions on 1 August, which re‑routed trade flows. Outside of China, this has created a two-tier market divided by compliance with Chinese custom’s quality controls. Compliant material commanded high premiums (79%–84%), while producers of non‑compliant batches struggled to clear material, trading […]
> The mining industry accounted for ~5% of global carbon emissions last year, with roughly half originating from mining vehicles. Electrifying mine sites offers an opportunity for miners to cut emissions while also reducing costs. With 30%–50% of a mine’s energy costs attributed to diesel, replacing internal combustion fleets can deliver significant savings. “Mining electrification is […]
> The US is progressing efforts to build out a domestic nickel supply chain, as the Department of Energy (DoE) last week selected Revex Technologies (Revex) for an award of up to $145 million to advance its Michigan-based REV nickel project. “The grant demonstrates that the US government is getting serious about boosting its domestic nickel […]
> US President Donald Trump this week secured major investments in US-based projects from Japan and South Korea covering critical minerals, stationary storage, and other high-priority sectors, as part of trade agreements to lower US tariff barriers. The trade deals come ahead of a high-level meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping – the […]
> Following the continued evolution of the lithium ion battery supply chain, and as part of its rolling methodology review process, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence announces the opening of the 2025 annual public consultation period, for comment on Benchmark’s market-leading price assessment methodologies for lithium, nickel, cobalt, natural graphite, synthetic graphite, anode, cathode, black mass and rare […]
> Since electric vehicles (EVs) began moving into mass adoption, questions have persisted about what happens to their batteries at the end of life (EoL). Recycling remains the obvious answer, but there is a growing interest exploring the intermediate step of giving used EV batteries a “second life” in stationary energy storage before they head to the […]
> US Senator Joe Manchin said he is “ready to go” on permitting reform for mining and infrastructure projects during a keynote on the second day of Benchmark’s Giga USA event in Washington DC. “We’ve got a bill written,” said Manchin, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “I’m working with my Republican colleagues […]