Nornickel announces first batch of certified carbon-neutral nickel

Nornickel, the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel, and a significant producer of platinum and copper, has announced its first batch of certified carbon-neutral nickel.

Nornickel achieved this through a joint strategy of upgrading its energy assets and introducing steps to cut CO₂ emissions all every stage of its production chain.

The announcement is the culmination of a concerted effort to become “one of the industry’s most advanced and environmentally responsible companies”, according to Vladimir Potanin, president and chairman of the management board of MMC Norilsk Nickel.

This announcement follows Nornickel’s comprehensive environmental and climate change strategy set out in 2020, aimed at reducing its environmental footprint, keeping total Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions under the GHG Protocol below 10mtpa, and maintaining its position in the bottom quartile of the global nickel industry for specific carbon dioxide emissions.

Myanmar Metals plans to divest Bawdwin project amid political unrest

Australian-based Myanmar Metals is planning to either divest its 51% stake in the Bawdwin project or sell the company as a whole, as a result of political unrest in the country.

The move follows the completion of Myanmar Metals’ detailed review of its assets and operations in the country, due to the state of emergency declared in February 2021 after a military coup.

Amid the unstable operating environment, the firm is said to have been facing difficulties in raising capital of more than $300m required to develop the Bawdwin silver, lead, and zinc project.

Since the declaration of the state of emergency, all the parties that had earlier expressed interest in funding the project have withdrawn, the firm said.

However, Myanmar Metals stressed that the possibility of a sale is still uncertain, as is the valuation and timeframe of any potential deal.

DeepGreen Metals launches new deep-sea research on battery metals

Canadian company DeepGreen Metals has launched a new deep-sea research campaign to meet the global demand for nickel and other battery metals.

The Environmental Expedition 4E research campaign will be conducted within the NORI-D contract area of the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean.

It follows the successful completion of the Environmental Expedition 5D research project on deep-sea food chains, biodiversity, geochemistry, and nutrient cycles in the site.

The two expeditions form part of a multi-year, $75m deep-sea research programme.

This programme is intended to establish an environmental baseline and assess the potential impacts of operations proposed by DeepGreen to source critical battery minerals from seafloor polymetallic nodules.

Alrosa introduces nanomarking technology to trace diamonds

Russian diamond miner Alrosa has introduced a new diamond-tracing technology using non-invasive laser marking to allow unique identification.

Unlike traditional laser engraving, this type of laser marking cannot be destroyed or polished off. It helps distinguish Alrosa’s diamonds from the rest, including lab-grown diamonds, and allows them to be identified, providing detailed information about the diamonds’ origins.

Tracing involves registering all stages of a diamond’s life from the mine to the jewellery store to guarantee its origin.

Alrosa’s non-invasive method for physically marking rough and polished diamonds has been developed with the help of scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as Alrosa’s Research Geological Enterprise and the Yakutniproalmaz Institute.

Cornish Lithium and SCI partner to develop trust mark for UK-mined lithium

British eco-technology company Cornish Lithium has collaborated with Australian firm Source Certain International (SCI) to identify the origin of UK-mined lithium in lithium-ion batteries.

SCI’s trust mark technology is designed to trace the origin of lithium within a battery, down to the specific Cornish Lithium-operated mine site.

The project is expected to support the UK’s supply strategies related to critical minerals, including cobalt and lithium, which are needed for technologies such as electric vehicles.

Austrade calls the development of the new lithium trust mark technology "timely" as the demand for lithium compounds used in lithium-ion batteries is anticipated to grow with the increase in electric vehicle production.

Cornish Lithium and a consortium of companies are currently working to enable the production of commercially viable battery-grade lithium in Europe.

Japan’s Itochu partners with Shell for decarbonisation of mining operations

Japanese investment firm Itochu has partnered with Shell International to help drive a reduced carbon footprint at its mining sites while increasing operational efficiency.

The collaboration is aimed at accelerating the digitalisation and decarbonisation of Itochu’s global mining operations.

By offering its expertise in decarbonisation and digitalisation pathways, Shell will enable the Japanese firm to find solutions that will help avoid, reduce, or offset emissions from its mining portfolio.

One of the solutions to be provided by Shell to Itochu is OREN, the business-to-business digital mining services marketplace launched by Shell and IBM.

The platform will offer digital transformation consultancy to Itochu and provide it with access to various digital and technology solutions for the mining sector.