This week Zimbabwe’s government banned the export of unprocessed lithium ores, citing concerns over increased trade by artisanal miners. Beyond artisanal mining, the ban will also encourage lithium developers in the country to process the raw lithium ore into a concentrated form before exporting it to China or elsewhere to produce battery-grade lithium chemicals. All […]
> Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, specialising in battery supply chain research and insights, reports that 12.7GWh of new operational capacity entered operation in October 2025. Operational Capacity The grid-scale BESS market saw 12.7GWh of new capacity enter operations globally in October 2025, a y-o-y increase of 29%. China led new operational capacity with just under 8.8GWh of […]
> 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 […]
> Zimbabwe’s government will ban lithium concentrate exports from 2027, as it pushes for greater domestic downstream development. There are five operating lithium mines in Zimbabwe, all operated by Chinese companies: Chengxin Lithium, Sinomine Resource, Huayou Cobalt, Yahua Group and Tsingshan Group. Combined these assets have a total designed capacity of 290 ktpa LCE (lithium carbonate […]
> 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 […]
> Indonesia has issued a ban on the issuance of new smelter permits for nickel matte, mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), and nickel pig iron (NPI), in a bid to curb overcapacity and incentivise value‑added investment in the battery supply chain. The policy marks the latest chapter in the Indonesian government’s strategic pivot in its nickel industrialisation […]
> 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 […]
> Building out Africa’s energy infrastructure is vital for achieving economic growth on the continent and battery energy storage is a key platform technology enabling this. Companies around the world are beginning to recognise the size of the opportunity presented by Africa’s energy storage markets. “We see Africa not only for its resources, we also see […]
> Global mined rare earth supply in 2024 was six times higher than in 1994, according to an analysis by Benchmark’s Rare Earths Forecast and the United States Geological Survey. Back then, China and the US constituted the majority of supply. However, repeated spills of toxic wastewater into the Mojave National Preserve from the Mountain Pass […]