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The Northern Territory (NT) Government in Australia has signed two memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) to bolster critical minerals and energy cooperation. 

These MOUs are also intended to strengthen economic and strategic trade ties between the two markets.  

The first MOU lays out a cooperative framework across various energy sectors including natural gas, carbon capture and storage and hydrogen production.  

The second MOU is committed to fostering collaboration within critical mineral supply chains. 

This partnership will promote joint efforts in the exploration, extraction, processing and supply of essential minerals such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, graphite and rare earth elements. 

The agreements underscore the NT's strategic significance in the shift towards renewable energy and critical mineral supply chains, both domestically and internationally.

Rio Tinto is planning to install the first carbon-free aluminium smelting cells using technology licensed from the Elysis joint venture at its Arvida smelter in Québec, Canada. 

This move marks a significant step towards the industrialisation of the Elysis technology, which aims to produce aluminium without direct greenhouse gas emissions. 

Rio Tinto will invest alongside the Government of Québec to establish a demonstration plant and own it under a JV. 

This plant will feature ten pots operating at 100 kiloamperes (kA). 

Rio Tinto and the Government of Québec, through Investissement Québec, have committed $179m (C$235m) and $106m, respectively, to the venture. 

The mining company plans to further develop the technology at the demonstration plant, which is expected to produce up to 2,500t of commercial-quality aluminium annually. 

Due to be commissioned from 2027, the facility will be located adjacent to the Arvida smelter and will utilise existing alumina supply and casting infrastructure.

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has secured an order to supply a fleet of mining equipment to Portuguese mining company Almina Minas do Alentejo. 

The order, facilitated through Portuguese distributor Cimertex, includes a 32-unit fleet of loaders, autonomous trucks and underground drills. 

Under the contract, Sandvik will deliver 20 Toro TH663i trucks, five Toro LH621i loaders, four Sandvik DS411 rock bolters and three Sandlink DL421 longhole production drills. 

The company plans to commence deliveries in the third quarter of 2024 and extend into 2025. 

This move is set to enhance Almina's operations within the Iberian pyrite belt, increasing its output to six million tonnes per annum (mtpa).

This agreement builds on a previous 2023 order from Cimertex for 18 Toro TH663i trucks, which have all been delivered.

Cimertex executive director Álvaro Bastos said: “Almina will soon operate one of the largest Sandvik fleets in all of Europe.”

Canada's G Mining Ventures (GMIN) has completed the first gold pour at its Tocantinzinho gold project in the State of Pará, Brazil.

The first pour offered around 440oz of gold, with the project remaining on time and within budget for commercial production in the second half of 2024.

This project is poised to become Brazil's third-largest primary gold mine after start of commercial production.

It estimates a mine life of 10.5 years, with an average annual gold production of 175,000oz and an initial capital cost of $458m.

Around 77,000 tonnes of ore have been processed through the Tocantinzinho process plant since the beginning of hot commissioning in June, and nearly 2.6 million tonnes (mt) of ore had been stockpiled by the end of June.

Sweden has become a member of the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance (SCMA), joining countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US. 

Established in December 2022 under Canada’s leadership, the SCMA aims to promote the adoption of responsible and sustainable practices in the global critical minerals supply chain. 

The alliance is in line with the G7 2030 Nature Compact’s goal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by the end of this decade. This goal focuses on a system-wide change to cut greenhouse gas emissions, fostering sustainable and inclusive development. 

Canadian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said: “Together, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, the US – and now Sweden – are putting human rights, sustainability and the highest environmental, social and governance standards at the heart of our supply chains, helping to build the prosperous, low-carbon economy of the future.”