Lynas on Monday provided an update on progress in the construction of its rare earth processing plant in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Production is now expected to begin in August, the mining group said in a press release, citing a shortage of staff and the late delivery of equipment for delays.
In the latest edition of the biannual Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI), Ernst & Young sees Germany overtaking China and securing second place for the first time in a decade. EY cites the reduction on Russian imports of fossil fuels and the German target of reaching 80 percent renewables in its energy mix as reasons.
American aerospace and defense corporation Lockheed Martin and fellow American chipmaker GlobalFoundries have announced a strategic partnership to secure a domestic supply chain for chips in national defense systems. The two companies will expand on GlobalFoundries technologies to advance chip production in the U.S.
Australian company Hastings Technology Metals could broaden the supply of rare earths for the European EV industry. This is made possible by a currently non-binding supply agreement with Canadian company Neo Performance. The technology metal firm already operates a rare earths separation plant in Estonia and is building another factory to produce magnets from these critical raw materials. Until now, Europe has imported these components mainly from China.
Big Four accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has published the 2023 edition of its annual review of the world’s largest mining companies, Mine. In the report, PwC argues that the advent of critical minerals presents significant changes to the mining industry. Additional challenges are government interest in supply chains and critical minerals, decarbonization efforts, and a tech skill shortage.
Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto and China Baowu, the world’s largest steel producer will explore multiple projects in China and Australia together that will help decarbonize the steel value chain, according to a joint press release.