Albemarle to boost Nevada lithium output as EV demand increases

US company Albemarle has announced that it will expand capacity at its lithium production facility at Silver Peak, in the US state of Nevada.

The latest move comes as demand for the ultralight battery metal is expected to increase as automobile companies across the world are racing towards producing more electric vehicles.

Lithium is a critical mineral and major component in advancing green mobility as well as more sustainable future.

Starting from this year, Albemarle intends to invest between $30m to $50m to double the current lithium production at the mine by 2025.

The company will also begin a programme to evaluate clay resources and other available resources in Nevada for commercial production of lithium.

Albemarle Lithium president Eric Norris said: “As a leader in the lithium industry, our priority is to optimise our world-class resources and production. This includes Silver Peak, a site uniquely positioned as the only lithium-producing resource in the US."

BHP and Toyota to trial light electric vehicles at WA nickel operations

Mining major BHP and Toyota have collaborated to trial light electric vehicles (LEV) at the Nickel West operations in Western Australia.

Nickel West is BHP’s fully integrated mine-to-market nickel business.

All nickel operations at BHP’s Nickel West asset, including open-cut and underground mines, concentrators, as well as a smelter and refinery are in Western Australia.

The collaboration has already seen the conversion of a LandCruiser 70, which runs on diesel, to fully electric through onboard battery power.

BHP Minerals Australia president Edgar Basto said: “This partnership is another step in our ongoing studies into how we can reduce the emissions intensity of our light vehicle fleet.

“It builds on other LEV trials underway in South Australia and Queensland. Reducing our reliance on diesel at our operations will help achieve our medium-term target of reducing operational emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.”

Codelco to spend $1.38bn on overhaul of Salvador mine in Chile

Chile’s copper miner Codelco has received approval from its board to spend $1.383bn for the overhaul of its Salvador mine, a combined open pit and underground copper mine.

As per the plan, the state-owned miner will initiate the construction of the Rajo Inca project to convert Salvador to an open-cast mine from an underground one.

The move is expected to extend the productive life of the aging operation and boost its production to 95,000 tonnes per annum as of the H1-2023.

Codelco noted that the cost of the Rajo Inca project will be 33% lower than the original 2014 estimate.

Rajo Inca project construction will start this year. According to the company, the project includes an initial 22-month job involving stripping of rock covering the deposit.

In a press statement, Codelco stated: “When it enters operations, Rajo Inca will require between 25 and 30 300-ton capacity trucks, hydraulic shovels and large tonnage front loaders, most of the equipment coming from other Codelco divisions.

“Following the favourable Environmental Qualification Resolution obtained in February 2020 and the approval of the funds by the board of directors, the Structural project will mean a rebirth for Salvador, as it will become an operation with more modern, technologised, sustainable, and productive operating methods, which will add 47 more years of life to the last mining city-camp in Chile.”

Codelco expects the start of operations from the overhauled mine in the second half of next year.

Oxbotica raises $47m for autonomous mining software

Oxbotica has announced that it has raised $47m in investment for new autonomous software to be deployed at mines across the world, with energy major BP and investment firm BGF among the backers.

The company, which began as a spin-out from Oxford University, is developing what it calls an “open autonomy software platform for the mining industry”, which will enable vehicles of all sizes and functions to communicate with one another and operate without human input.

The company also offers a companion cloud-based vehicle and data management platform, which can integrate with all of the vehicles operated by the autonomous platform, creating a holistic approach to vehicle management and maintenance.

“We are very excited about the amazing endorsement we have received from new and existing investors,” said Oxbotica CEO Ozgur Tohumcu. “This round of investment marks a key chapter in Oxbotica’s continued growth and pushes us forward in commercialising our autonomous software today, through key strategic go-to-market partnerships. The high-quality and global footprint of our investors cements our position as a leader in autonomy.

“We will use funds raised to accelerate the global deployment of our transformative technology.”

As the software can be installed on a range of vehicles and machines, older vehicles and those not designed specifically for automated work can be upgraded to function autonomously, ensuring that legacy machines are not left behind as the mining industry continues to embrace autonomous operation.

Asiamet secures key approval for BKM Copper Project in Indonesia

Asiamet Resources has secured a key approval for its flagship BKM Copper Project located in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The Provincial Government Environmental Agency in Central Kalimantan has approved the company’s revised AMDAL, an environmental impact assessment of the project.

The company has already secured the Governor’s Recommendation, another key milestone that involved demonstrating technical and commercial viability to the local authority.

The latest approval will enable Asiamet to advance to the final step that involves securing a forestry borrow-to-use permit (Pinjam Pakai or IPPKH-OP) from the Government of Indonesia as the project.

Asiamet executive chairman Tony Manini said: “Achieving these important permitting milestones during Covid-19 where we have had considerable restrictions in the movement of personnel and government officials is a terrific achievement by our local teams in Jakarta and Palangkaraya.

“Receiving conditional approval for the Pinjam Pakai permit is a key milestone in the development path of the BKM copper project and each interim approval is an important de-risking step in achieving that major permitting objective for the project.

“We look forward to keeping stakeholders informed as we continue to progress the BKM copper project towards development at a time of stronger copper prices and investor appetite for new copper opportunities.”

Last year, the company released a full feasibility study on the BKM project that highlighted total proved and probable ore reserves of 51.5Mt at 0.6% Cu for 303kt of contained copper and 0.39% total soluble Cu for 206kt of contained soluble copper.

China to accelerate work on iron ore projects in Australia and Africa

China is reportedly planning to build at least two ‘globally significant overseas iron ore mines’ by the year 2025 to boost supply.

The move is part of the country’s plans to boost the metal’s supply and increase its price capacity, reported Reuters citing the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

According to a five-year plan for the steel sector published by the MIIT, equity output from interests held by Chinese companies in overseas mines should constitute for over 20% of iron ore imports by 2025.

The five-year plan will await public feedback until 31 January.

The plan also calls for more supply of other steelmaking resources such as chrome and manganese.

China is the world’s biggest steel producer. 

Currently, the country relies on imports for nearly 80% of its iron ore. However, there is no certainty on how much of that is from overseas mines in which the country owns stakes.

China has domestic iron ore mines with a much lower grade compared to top producers like Brazil and Australia. The country owns a stake in Guinea’s Simandou mine.