Le lithium, le prix en baisse aprés la flambée.

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 19 fev 2023 viewtopic.php?p=2363187#p2363187

Vulcan signs deal with Nobian for €161m investment in lithium plant
Nobian will acquire a 50% stake in Vulcan's main lithium plant.

Vulcan Energy Resources has signed a deal for chemicals producer Nobian to invest €161m in the former’s main lithium plant in Germany.

Under the agreement, Nobian will also acquire a 50% stake in the project.

In the first phase of the project, Vulcan aims to produce 24,000tpa of lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) from the plant.

The agreement will also see Nobian fund 50% of the project’s expenditure and the remaining will be funded via debt financing.

In addition, the deal also divides Vulcan’s LHM project into two special-purpose vehicles (SPVs).

SPV1 will include lithium extraction facilities, land, wells, pipelines, and geothermal power plants, along with the infrastructure needed to produce both lithium chloride (LiCl) and renewable energy.

The first entity will sell its LiCl output to SPV2, which includes the central lithium plant that will convert LiCL into LHM.

Nobian will be acquiring 50% of SPV2, whose LHM output will be bought by Vulcan’s parent company, which will then sell it to offtakers.

Vulcan managing director and CEO Francis Wedin said: “After 15 months of collaboration, Nobian and Vulcan have developed a very positive relationship, and we welcome this step towards Nobian’s equity investment into our central lithium plant (CLP) in Germany, to assist us with providing secure, sustainable and carbon neutral lithium chemicals into the European electric vehicle market, helping to enable the transition to fully electrified transport.”

Vulcan said it talking to “strategic counterparties” to finance SPV1, where it plans to use a similar approach to SPV2 to attract project-level equity investment.

https://www.mining-technology.com/news/ ... nvestment/

Nobian ne sort pas de nulle part, c'est une boite de plusieurs milliers d'employés en Europe, dans des produits de la Chimie. Je connaissais pas.
https://www.nobian.com/en/about-us

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 15 janvier 2023 viewtopic.php?p=2360971#p2360971

Grosse augmentation de la ressource en Lithium du projet Rhyolite Ridge dans le Nevada, suite à de nouveaux forages.

Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron resource in Nevada soars by 168%

Blair McBride | April 28, 2023

A leap in the estimated resources at Ioneer’s (NASDAQ: IONR; ASX: INR) Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project in Nevada could give the site enough lithium to charge more than 50 million EVs, as the company eyes first production in 2026.


An updated resource estimate, released on Thursday, puts the South Basin deposit at the project at 360.2 million tonnes at 1,750 parts per million (ppm) lithium and 6,850 ppm boron for about 3.4 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and 14 million tonnes of boric acid equivalent (BAE).

A 2020 feasibility study pegged the resource at Rhyolite at 146.5 million tonnes of LCE and 11.9 tonnes of BAE in a 3 sqkm area.

“We are extremely pleased with the significant increase in the South Basin Mineral Resource estimate,” said ioneer executive chairman James Calaway. “It highlights Rhyolite Ridge’s optionality and multi-generational scale potential to provide a secure, sustainable and reliable domestic source of lithium for the growing electric vehicle battery supply chain.”

About 80% of the resource is classified as measured and indicated. Inferred resources total 65.7 million tonnes for 630,000 tonnes LCE at 3,550 ppm and 1.8 million tonnes BAE at 14,600 ppm.

Cut-off grades of 1,090 parts per million (ppm) lithium and 5,000 ppm boron, remain unchanged.

The increased resource takes into account drilling and assays from all four stratigraphic layers underneath the lake-bed sedimentary rocks of the Cave Spring Formation in Nevada. The 2020 resource analyzed just two layers. All four layers remain open to the north, south and east, with further potential for resource growth.

The Sydney, Australia-headquartered company said it estimates the Rhyolite site now holds enough lithium carbonate to power more than 50 million electric vehicles. It added that once the project is permitted and construction is complete it is expected to quadruple current lithium chemical output in the U.S.

It is currently going through its final phase of permitting and anticipates starting construction of the mine in 2024, with production beginning in 2026.

Rhyolite Ridge is located about 60 km southwest of Tonopah, in southwestern Nevada. It is the only known lithium-boron deposit in North America and one of only two known such deposits in the world.

https://www.mining.com/ioneers-rhyolite ... rs-by-168/

[energy_isere]

Un prospect de Lithium au Pérou : Macusani

The world’s second largest copper producer, Peru currently has a lithium exploration project in the region of Puno, on the border with Bolivia, run by Macusani Yellowcake, a subsidiary of Canada’s American Lithium Corp.

https://www.mining.com/web/peru-wants-t ... -minister/

Mais bizarrement ca fait 5 ans déjà que c'est connu pour être un gros prospect :https://www.rfi.fr/fr/ameriques/2018071 ... vert-perou

Peut être que de se situer à une altitude de 4 500 mètres , ca aide pas.

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 23 avril 2023 viewtopic.php?p=2367958#p2367958

Chile’s state lithium push emerges as test for Latam resource nationalism

Reuters | April 27, 2023

Chilean President Gabriel Boric’s pitch last week to enshrine greater state control over lithium is emerging as the latest test for the resource nationalism embraced by Latin America’s ascendant left but which has proven tough to implement in practice.


While the former student protest leader’s proposal to give the government a majority stake in all future lithium projects faces an uncertain path in Congress, its mere introduction shook one of the mining industry’s most lucrative corners.

SIGN UP FOR THE BATTERY METALS DIGEST


The push from Boric, 37, also highlights the long-running regional tension between governments’ hunger for control of coveted commodities and future profits versus their ongoing need for private sector capital and know-how.

“In Chile, its probably going to be the most significant case,” said Carlos Pascual, top energy executive with IHS Markit, referring to other regional efforts to exert more government control over the mineralseen as key to a greener future and citing Chile’s outsize role in the global metals market as the world’s top producer of copper and No. 2 in lithium.

“This is seen as an opportunity to ensure direct revenues to the state just as many countries decided to make the decision to nationalize oil in a different era,” he added.

Last year, Boric’s fellow leftist in Mexico, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, enacted a sweeping lithium nationalization and later ordered the creation of a new state-run lithium company, LitioMx, even though the country is still far from selling its first cargo of the ultra-light metal.

Lithium is in high demand for rechargeable batteries for future fleets of electric vehicles in the global transition to green energy.

Lopez Obrador, who reveres the country’s landmark 1938 oil nationalization, justified his policy as its logical extension. He invoked past abuses at the hands of colonial masters and more recent corporate titans, arguing that only the government can prevent exploitation and ensure broadly-distributed benefits.

Across the world, nationalizing oil industries in particular has proved attractive as a means of cashing in on valuable raw materials and boosting development, even as competitive commodity markets often see more output and innovation.

Illustrating the challenges of starting from scratch, a Mexican official knowledgeable about government plans for mining, however played down the possibility the new state lithium miner might achieve production anytime soon, instead touting a different option.

“LitioMx could drive the value chain by importing lithium,” the official told Reuters.

Asked for comment, a spokesman for Mexico’s energy ministry stressed that LitioMx remains focused on finding and extracting lithium, and while future imports could be considered “it’s too early for that.”

Unsurprisingly, mining companies are less than ecstatic about the statist tilt of Lopez Obrador and Boric, who stressed that under his plan private miners would be able to partner with a not-yet-created state-owned producer, but only as minority stakeholders.

“It’s a brave bet to ask an investor to prefer an uncertain marriage with a state company and a minority stake risking capital and technology as opposed to simply flying alone,” said Armando Ortega, who chairs the executive committee of Baramin, Mexico’s biggest producer of barite, a mineral used in oil drilling.

Statist trend
Chile and neighbors Bolivia and Argentina are believed to hold more than half of the world’s extractable lithium in otherworldly salt flats that typically employ evaporation pools to concentrate the metal, though new technologies are also being developed.

The ruling socialists of Bolivia have also insisted that the state take the driver’s seat in unlocking its huge but untapped reserves, although it is counting on the help of partners like Chinese battery giant CATL to do so.

Peru, a mining powerhouse best known for copper, might have pursued a similar approach to Boric to bolster its development of lithium had former President Pedro Castillo not been ousted late last year.

The leftist Castillo won a narrow victory in 2021, pledging to nationalize the ultra-light metal along with other minerals including copper, but later moderated his position, leaving the promise unfulfilled.

Ivan Merino, who was Castillo’s first energy and mining minister, said in an interview on Monday that Peru is for now watching from the sidelines as the resource nationalism trend gains steam.

“It’s now almost commonplace,” he said. “We will see history made, but without participating in it.”

That leaves the exception to the trend, Argentina, as an increasingly likely Latin American destination for new private capital for lithium.

“That’s not because Argentina is doing what needs to be done, but rather because of our neighborhood’s upheavals and the world’s spiking demand,” said Santiago Dondo, its former deputy minister for mining.

A strong pipeline of lithium projects in Argentina, the world’s No. 4 producer, are already close to coming online.

Dondo said the four political parties in the main opposition coalition to outgoing leftist President Alberto Fernandez recently voted to endorse private enterprise as the sector’s main motor ahead of elections later this year.

He noted that local control over mining in three key provinces in northwest Argentina managed to help thwart any moves toward lithium nationalization at the national level a couple years ago, boosting investor sentiment.

But Dondo still worries that lithium could be eclipsed by another battery technology.

“We don’t know how many years we’ll have this huge window of opportunity,” he said. “Change in the energy transition is getting faster all the time.”

https://www.mining.com/web/chiles-state ... tionalism/

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 3 novembre 2019 viewtopic.php?p=2291002#p2291002

Albemarle annonce une expansion de l'usine de traitement d' hydroxyde de Lithium de Kemerton en Australie. Ajout de 2 lignes de production, ajoute 50 000 tonnes de capacité. Cout de 1 milliard de dollars.

Albemarle announces $1bn expansion of Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant

By NS Energy Staff Writer 04 May 2023

With two additional trains, the production capacity of the Australian lithium hydroxide facility is expected to increase by 50,000mtpa


The Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant will be expanded with two additional processing trains. (Credit: Albemarle Corporation)

US-based Albemarle has announced its decision to expand the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant in Western Australia by building two additional processing trains.

The construction of trains three and four at the Kemerton plant will entail an investment of over $1bn.

With the additional trains, the production capacity of the lithium hydroxide facility is expected to increase by 50,000 metric tonnes per annum (mtpa).

Once operating at its full capacity, the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant is anticipated to generate up to 100,000mtpa of lithium hydroxide.

It is estimated to facilitate the manufacturing of nearly 2.4 million electric vehicles (EV) per annum.

The additional trains will be fully owned and operated by the speciality chemicals manufacturer.

Albemarle CEO Kent Masters said: “Australia is essential to the global supply chain for energy storage and an important part of our diverse portfolio.

“Our decision to expand was driven by our confidence in future demand and allows us to offer customers additional supply from Greenbushes, well known as one of the world’s best lithium mines.”

Located in the Kemerton Industrial Park, 160km south of Perth, the lithium hydroxide facility is fed by spodumene concentrate from the nearby Greenbushes mine.

The Kemerton plant is part of the MARBL joint venture (JV), which is owned by Albemarle and Mineral Resources with stakes of 60% and 40%, respectively. The first two trains at the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant are owned by the JV.

Construction of the expansion project is anticipated to commence soon, with the first product from the expansion expected in 2026.

Around 1,000 people are anticipated to be employed during the peak of construction.

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan said: “Albemarle’s lithium hydroxide plant in Kemerton is one of the best examples of what WA has to offer the world when it comes to battery and critical mineral supply chains.

“The expansion of the plant is great news for the region, the State and Australia.

“For years to come, Albemarle’s lithium hydroxide plant will support local jobs, grow advanced manufacturing in the South-West and deliver economic benefits for the whole State.”

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/a ... ide-plant/

[energy_isere]

Un nouveau projet de Hard rock Lithium au Brésil, le Neves project.

Atlas Lithium secures $20 million from royalty sale to expedite Neves project in Brazil
Staff Writer | May 02, 2023

Atlas Lithium (NASDAQ: ATLX) shares exploded on Tuesday after securing significant funding for its hard-rock lithium project in Brazil, which comprises 64 mineral rights spread over approximately 304 km2 located primarily in the Lithium Valley area of Minas Gerais province...

https://www.mining.com/subscribe-login/?id=1116788

Atlas Lithium currently has 10 active drills working towards delineating the lithium resource at the Neves Project, which represents a cluster of four claims out of the Company's total of 64 mineral rights for hard-rock lithium. An initial mineral resource report for the Neves Project under the guidelines of Regulation SK 1300 (the "Resource Report") is expected to be released in mid-2023. The Company will continue its drilling campaign following the publication of the Resource Report and plans on releasing periodic updates to such report as further drilling data is obtained.

Atlas Lithium's drilling campaign is focused on its flagship pegmatite, "Anitta," a 1.1-kilometer formation which has been proven to contain high-quality spodumene, a key lithium-bearing mineral. Anitta remains open along strike and at depth; the current drilling campaign is intended to determine the pegmatite's dimensions. Recently, the Company reported that a drill hole within Anitta identified a spodumene intersect with a high geochemical reading of 4.40% Li2O. The drilling activity within Anitta has yielded multiple instances of fresh, high-grade spodumene intersects located near the surface, a characteristic that is conducive to the development of an open pit mine.

Recently, Atlas Lithium disclosed that it had received the final metallurgical report ("Metallurgical Report") from SGS Canada Inc. ("SGS") for studies performed over several months on a representative ore sample from the Neves Project. The metallurgical results obtained by SGS showed highly effective separation, high recovery rate, and negligible impurities using standard, environmentally friendly Dense Media Separation ("DMS") techniques. The Metallurgical Report will become a chapter in the forthcoming Resource Report. Following the completion of the Metallurgical Report, SGS will begin work on a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") which is expected to be issued approximately two months after the Resource Report.

https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/jun ... ction.html

[energy_isere]

Tesla va raffiner son propre lithium dans moins d’un an

9 mai 2023 Numerama

Annoncé en septembre 2022, le projet de raffinerie de lithium de Tesla est désormais lancé depuis ce lundi 8 mai. L’objectif pour Elon Musk est d’ouvrir cette raffinerie en moins d’un an et de produire assez de lithium de qualité pour les batteries d’un million de véhicules électriques d’ici à 2025.

Elon Musk n’avait pas vraiment envie de s’attaquer lui-même à la question du raffinage, il s’est exprimé plusieurs fois par le passé à ce sujet. Mais faute d’acteurs locaux sur le secteur, il a décidé de faire bouger les choses. Comme à son habitude, Elon Musk voit de nouveau les choses en grand en visant de raffiner un lithium de qualité pour produire l’équivalent d’un million de véhicules électriques.

Ce 8 mai 2023, au Texas, Tesla a donc officiellement lancé son projet de raffinerie de lithium, ce métal grandement employé dans la fabrication de batteries électriques. Au milieu des engins de chantier déjà en action, c’est au volant d’un Cybertruck avec le drapeau des États-Unis et du Texas bien en évidence, qu’Elon Musk a pris la parole.

Une raffinerie construite en un temps record ?

Elon Musk a déclaré que la fin de la construction de l’usine devrait survenir d’ici à un an et vise l’année 2025 pour un fonctionnement à plein régime de l’usine. C’est un délai plus long que celui de la Gigafactory de Shanghaï, en Chine : il n’aura fallu que 168 jours pour construire cette usine asiatique. Des délais qui tranchent avec le temps qu’il faut à Tesla pour concevoir ses nouveaux produits, sans cesse retardés.

Avec la construction de cette raffinerie, Tesla souhaite s’assurer un approvisionnement de lithium de haute qualité pour ses futurs véhicules électriques. « Si l’on se projette dans quelques années, on s’aperçoit que la disponibilité de lithium de qualité pour les batteries constitue un obstacle fondamental au développement des véhicules électriques », a déclaré Elon Musk, qui permettra donc à Tesla de devenir l’unique constructeur automobile majeur nord-américain à raffiner son propre lithium. À l’heure actuelle, c’est la Chine qui domine le marché des métaux utilisables dans la fabrication des semi-conducteurs et des batteries, créant une forte dépendance des acteurs du secteur à ce pays.

La Chine dans le viseur

Ce projet est une manière de se détacher de la Chine, ce qui plaît particulièrement aux politiques locaux. À l’image du gouverneur du Texas, Greg Abbott, lors de la cérémonie de lancement du projet de raffinerie, qui s’est montré assez ferme : « Le Texas veut pouvoir être autonome et ne pas dépendre d’une nation étrangère hostile pour obtenir ce dont il a besoin. Nous avons besoin de lithium », a-t-il déclaré. Une phrase forte pour ce gouverneur républicain qui, au cours de son discours sur l’état de l’État en février, avait rappelé que « le futur du Texas et des États-Unis ne doit pas dépendre de la Chine ».

Bien que lancé, le projet de raffinerie de lithium de Tesla n’est pas encore précis : Elon Musk n’a pas précisé le volume de lithium qui sera traité chaque année par l’usine. Par contre, il a indiqué que Tesla continuera d’acheter du lithium à ses vendeurs habituels. L’homme d’affaires n’a également pas spécifié d’où proviendront ses ressources de lithium sous sa forme la plus brute, le spodumène.

Réputé pour son aspect peu écologique au niveau de l’extraction, le lithium raffiné par Tesla ne suivra pas la voie traditionnelle de raffinage : au lieu d’employer divers composés chimiques nocifs pour l’environnement et la santé, le constructeur utilisera des matériaux alternatifs, moins nocifs pour l’environnement, comme du carbonate de soude. « Ce sont des opérations propres », explique Elon Musk, ajoutant qu’on « peut vivre en plein cœur de la raffinerie et de ne pas souffrir d’effets secondaires ».

Avec les récentes variations des coûts du lithium, Tesla pourrait se retrouver dans une bonne posture en raffinant soi-même son lithium. Et peut-être augmenter ses marges dans les années à venir.

https://www.numerama.com/vroom/1368936- ... un-an.html

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 28 mai 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2344121#p2344121

Namibie : Andrada recherche un partenaire pour exploiter le lithium à la mine d’Uis

Agence Ecofin 11 mai 2023

Selon un plan stratégique dévoilé en avril 2022, Andrada Mining (ex-AfriTin) prévoit de produire du lithium sous cinq ans à la mine d’étain d’Uis. La société a depuis lancé la construction d’une usine pilote pour produire du concentré de lithium et veut désormais passer à la prochaine étape.

Andrada Mining a annoncé le 11 mai la nomination de la banque d’investissement britannique Barclays comme conseiller stratégique. Cette décision intervient après les manifestations d’intérêt reçues d’entités internationales souhaitant participer à son projet d’exploiter du lithium à sa mine d’étain d’Uis en Namibie.

Barclays procédera à une évaluation stratégique permettant à Andrada d’explorer plusieurs variantes de financement. La banque d’investissement recevra à cet effet les différentes propositions des parties intéressées et aidera ensuite la société à sélectionner le partenaire idéal, disposant des capacités techniques et financières nécessaires pour le projet.

« La désignation d’un conseiller financier pour l’évaluation stratégique sera essentielle pour garantir un résultat bien structuré et fructueux. Barclays offre la combinaison optimale d’une vaste expérience en matière de conseil sur les partenariats stratégiques et d’un accès aux marchés financiers mondiaux », indique Anthony Viljoen, PDG d’Andrada.

Pour rappel, la mine d’Uis héberge 1,45 million de tonnes d’équivalents carbonate de lithium (LCE), selon une mise à jour publiée en février dernier. Une usine pilote de production de lithium est en cours de construction avec une entrée en service prévue au deuxième trimestre. Le concentré produit sera ensuite mis sur le marché afin d’intéresser de potentiels futurs acheteurs, pour l’exploitation à grande échelle.

https://www.agenceecofin.com/mines/1105 ... mine-d-uis

[energy_isere]

en relation avec ce post du 1er avril 2023 viewtopic.php?p=2366248#p2366248

Namibie : une compagnie chinoise perd le droit d’exploiter du lithium près d’Omaruru

Agence Ecofin 12 mai 2023

Le lithium est un métal d’avenir en raison de son utilisation dans la fabrication des batteries de véhicules électriques. Sa demande explose donc et attire de nombreux investisseurs en Afrique, continent dont les immenses réserves sont encore largement inexploitées.

En Namibie, le ministère des Mines a retiré à Tangshan XingFeng Spodumene Mining sa licence pour exploiter du lithium à proximité d’Omaruru, région du pays riche en lithium et actuellement explorée par l’australien Prospect Resources. Cette décision intervient peu après des manifestations de la communauté locale, dénonçant l’activité du groupe chinois.

Selon les détails relayés cette semaine par le média local The Namibian, la société XingFeng est accusée d’avoir inclus des informations « trompeuses, fausses et incorrectes » dans sa demande de permis, de façon délibérée. La société a également manqué aux impératifs de préservation de l’environnement. Une évaluation réalisée par le Minerals Licensing Advisory Committee (MLAC) a notamment trouvé que les méthodes d’extraction et de traitement du minerai employées par la société ne sont pas conformes aux normes en vigueur.

XingFeng est donc tenue de cesser toute activité sur le site d’ici le 31 mai 2023 ainsi que de rendre à la même date le document physique de la licence. Pour le moment, la compagnie chinoise n’a fait aucun commentaire sur l’affaire et des interrogations émergent sur comment les inconformités de sa demande de licence ont pu échapper précédemment au MLAC.

Pour rappel, seul le Zimbabwe produit actuellement du lithium sur le continent africain grâce à la mine Bikita. La Namibie a pour ambition de lui emboîter le pas et peut pour cela compter sur plusieurs projets dont Karibib, piloté par l’australien Lepidico. Ses ressources peuvent être exploitées sur 14 ans selon des estimations datant de 2020, et permettre de produire annuellement 4 900 tonnes d’hydroxyde de lithium.

https://www.agenceecofin.com/gestion-pu ... -d-omaruru

[energy_isere]

Grosse fusion dans le monde du Lithium, la société US Livent et la société Australienne Alkem annoncent leur fusion.

Lithium producers Allkem and Livent agree to merge in $10.6bn deal

By NS Energy Staff Writer 11 May 2023

Upon closing of the deal, shareholders of Australia-based Allkem will own nearly 56% stake in the combined company, while Livent shareholders will hold the remaining 44% stake.

Lithium producers Allkem and Livent have agreed to an all-stock merger of equals that will value the combined company at $10.6bn.

Upon closing of the deal, shareholders of Australia-based Allkem will own nearly 56% stake in the combined company, while Livent shareholders will hold the remaining 44% stake.

Through the merger, both firms expect to combine their highly complementary portfolio of assets, expansion projects, and operational expertise in extraction and processing under a vertically integrated business model.

With headquarters in the US, Livent claims to have about eight decades of experience in the production of a wide range of lithium chemicals for energy storage and other speciality applications.

Livent president and CEO Paul Graves said: “As a combined company, we will have the enhanced scale, product range, geographic coverage, and execution capabilities to meet our customers’ rapidly growing demand for lithium chemicals.

“This transaction will capitalise on our highly complementary business models and our collective strengths, including our best-in-class technologies, assets, and people, to be a leading force in our industry driving growth in EV and energy storage applications.”

According to Allkem and Livent, the merger will create a global lithium chemicals producer with improved business-critical scale and increased capacity to address the rising customer demand.

Allkem’s portfolio includes a hard rock lithium operation in Australia, lithium brine operations in Argentina, a hard rock development project in Québec, and a lithium hydroxide conversion facility in Japan.

Allkem CEO Martín Pérez de Solay said: “The combination brings together teams with strong expertise in project development, product innovation, and marketing, and sets us up for a faster and de-risked delivery of the next phase of our growth.

“I believe Allkem shareholders will realise significant benefits from the Transaction as the business transforms into a truly global player with listings in the US and Australia.”

The new company is expected to have a primary listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and maintain a foreign-exempt listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

The transaction is expected to close by the end of this year, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals, along with approval from Livent and Allkem shareholders and other customary conditions.

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/l ... -6bn-deal/

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 12 fev 2023 viewtopic.php?p=2362700#p2362700

Sibanye-Stillwater launches Finland’s Keliber lithium refinery
The Keliber refinery is expected to begin lithium hydroxide production in 2025.

May 12, 2023

South Africa-based gold miner Sibanye-Stillwater has launched its Keliber lithium refinery at Kokkola Industrial Park (KIP) in Ykspihlaja, Finland.

A foundation stone was laid to mark the launch of the project. Earthworks on the lithium refinery began in March 2023.

The refinery is expected to supply the first integrated, regionally produced lithium into the European green energy ecosystem.

Entailing a €588m investment, the refinery is set to supply green primary lithium to the growing battery market in Europe.

Of the total investment, approximately €231m is to be invested this year.

The required funding for this year is in place and the remaining project capital is expected to be procured through debt.

Sibanye-Stillwater owns a 79% stake in the Keliber lithium refinery project while state-owned mining development company Finnish Minerals Group owns 20%.

Last month, Finnish Minerals Group invested €53.95m in the project and increased its stake from 14% to 20%.

Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman said: “It is a central part of Sibanye-Stillwater’s business ethos to create superior shared value for all our stakeholders. In addition to delivering critical green metals into the European ecosystem, the Keliber lithium project is expected to provide employment for over 300 people over its current expected life of 16 years.

“The project will also create new opportunities for local suppliers of goods and services, and is acknowledged as a significant contributor to the growth of the local economy in future.”

Keliber owns several mineral deposits in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland. The reserves at the location amount to 12.7 million tonnes.

The refinery secured a final environmental permit last August. It is expected to begin lithium hydroxide production in 2025.

https://www.mining-technology.com/news/ ... y-finland/

[energy_isere]

suite de ce post du 26 juin 2022 viewtopic.php?p=2346093#p2346093

Core Lithium announces first concentrate shipment from Finniss project
The shipment is part of sales agreements in place with Core Lithium’s long-term customer Sichuan Yahua.

May 12, 2023

Australian lithium miner Core Lithium has reached two milestones at its Finniss Lithium project, south of Darwin Port in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia.

The first milestone is the start of the loading of the first spodumene concentrate ship and the second milestone is securing approval from the NT government for the BP33 underground project.

The spodumene concentrate being loaded was produced at the Grants open pit and is scheduled to set sail within the coming days.

The approximately 5,500t shipment has .56% lithium oxide spodumene concentrate.

It was sold to a long-term customer Sichuan Yahua through sale agreements announced in March for cargoes weighing 3,500t and 15,000t.

These agreements were in addition to the existing agreements signed in 2019 to sell 300,000t over a four-year period.

The Finniss Lithium project hosts a mineral resource of 15 million tonnes at 1.2% lithium oxide.

As the flagship project for the company, it covers an area of more than 500km² and lies within one of the most prospective areas for lithium in the Bynoe Pegmatite Field.

The pre-production capital expenditure on the project stands at A$89m.

With strong cashflows and a capital payback period of two years, the project is expected to become one of the lowest capital-intensive lithium projects in the country.

The grant of the mining authorisation and mine management plan (MMP) for BP33 is the final step in the approval process for the BP33 deposit ahead of an investment decision by the company.

BP33 is located close to the Grants open pit, crusher and DMS plant and has a mineral resource of 10.1 million tonnes at a 1.48% concentration of lithium oxide.

https://www.mining-technology.com/news/ ... s-project/

pas terrible comme concentration ce 0.55 % !

[energy_isere]

Encore un prospect de Lithium au Canada

Spod announces initial exploration plan for Ontario lithium project
Spod Lithium’s North Nipigon-Niemi Lithium project contains 403 claims and was acquired in November last year.

May 12, 2023

Canada-based minerals explorer Spod Lithium has detailed plans for initial exploration at its North Nipigon/Niemi Lithium project in Ontario.

Fully owned by Spod, the North Nipigon/Niemi Lithium project is located on 8,679 hectares of land next to Rock Tech’s Georgia Lake Deposit and Imagine Lithium’s Jackpot project.

Spod selected DCX Geological Consulting for the design and implementation of an aggressive exploration programme at the project.

The exploration work includes a combination of prospecting, mapping and rock sampling, along with soil sampling and geophysical surveying.

Field crews have started detailed mapping and prospecting on the Niemi Claim Block.

The exploration activities occurring later this year will continue on Niemi Block, North Nipigon Block A, Block B and Block C.

Spod Lithium CEO Chris Cooper said: “It is very exciting to start up our exploration activities on our 100% owned North Nipigon-Niemi property. We are very encouraged that our imminent exploration programme will add to our already confirmed LCT-type pegmatites on our project.

“The recently flown geophysical survey on our North Nipigon-Niemi Project has outlined high-priority targets areas for our geological mapping and prospecting. We are also encouraged by our neighbours to the west of our Niemi claim block, Imagine Lithium, who recently reported drill intercepts of 1.21% Li₂O (lithium oxide) over 25.46m. We are optimistic that our exploration strategy will lead to new lithium-bearing pegmatite discoveries.”

The North Nipigon-Niemi project has Archean metasediments and granites and Keweenawan age diabase.

Pegmatites found in the region are located close to and within the granitic plutons.

The project is located next to RockTech Lithium’s Georgia Lake project and Imagine Lithium’s Jackpot Lithium project.

RockTech’s project is claimed to have an indicated resource of 10.6 million tonnes at 0.88% and an inferred resource of 4.2 million tonnes of 1.00% of lithium oxide.

Spod Lithium acquired the project last November.

The project has 403 mineral claims and was acquired for C$65,000 ($48,899.9) and four million issued shares at C$0.225 per share.

https://www.mining-technology.com/news/ ... o-lithium/

[energy_isere]

en relation avec ce post du 30 avril 2023 viewtopic.php?p=2368440#p2368440

American Lithium unit gets green light to explore new area in Peru

Reuters | May 11, 2023

The Peruvian arm of Canadian miner American Lithium Corp said on Wednesday it received authorization from the South American nation’s authorities to carry out additional explorations near its current lithium project.


The new exploration will allow the firm to expand its existing resources in the southern Puno region, bordering Bolivia, said Ulises Solis, chief executive of the subsidiary, known as Macusani Yellowcake SAC.

Along with Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, Peru forms part of the “lithium triangle,” which is believed to contain more than half of the world’s resources of the metal across extensive salt flats.

Solis said in a speech during an industry event that the company received authorization last Friday to develop exploration activities in the Quelcaya area, located a few kilometers from the company’s Falchani project.

Last month, Peru’s economy minister, Alex Contreras, said “conditions were being established” to develop lithium mining projects in the country, a week after Chile launched a plan to boost state control of the industry.

https://www.mining.com/web/american-lit ... a-in-peru/

[energy_isere]

Le fabricant de batterie Sud Coréen LG investit dans le projet Seymour lithium en Ontario.

Green Technology Metals, LGES sign offtake deal for Seymour lithium project

By NS Energy Staff Writer 19 May 2023

The South Korean battery manufacturing firm has agreed to make an equity investment of A$20m ($13.3m) in Green Technology Metals at A$0.92 ($0.61) per share

Australia-based lithium development company Green Technology Metals (GT1) has signed an offtake term sheet with LG Energy Solution (LGES) for its Seymour lithium project located in Ontario, Canada.

Besides, the South Korean battery manufacturing firm has agreed to make an equity investment of A$20m ($13.3m) in Green Technology Metals at A$0.92 ($0.6) per share.

Through the investment, LGES will subscribe to nearly 21.7 million new shares of the lithium development company.

Under the offtake agreement, LGES will purchase 25% of Green Technology Metals’ spodumene concentrate production from the Seymour lithium project for a period of five years from the start of commercial production.

Furthermore, Green Technology Metals will supply the equivalent lithia content to LGES in the form of lithium hydroxide should the former develop a lithium hydroxide conversion facility during the period.

LGES chief procurement officer Myung Hwan Kim said: “We have always been committed to expanding our supply chain in North America, as a steady supply of critical minerals, including lithium, is key to ensuring reliable and timely delivery of our innovative power solutions to our customers.

“Thanks to partnerships with competent local suppliers like GT1, we will continue our devotion to expediting the EV transition in North America, through our product competitiveness and operational excellence.”

Located near the township of Armstrong, the Seymour lithium project is currently in the exploration phase.

Commencement of commercial production at the project is subject to further indigenous and community consultation, attainment of project finance, and completion of technical and engineering studies.

Both companies expect to enter into a full form offtake agreement consistent with the terms outlined in the offtake term sheet by the end of August 2023.
......................

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/g ... m-project/