Alphamin defies the lockdown blues
Covid-19 is actually assisting the African tin producer Alphamin Resources (TSXV:AFM) (JSE: APH) Located in the remote eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the pandemic has hardly affected operations at Alphamin’s mine in the North Kivu province. Although several workers were stranded in South Africa for a few weeks during the […]
Nickel: The future lies in batteries
With all major battery manufacturers looking to the future through the lens of EVs, it’s abundantly clear that the future of high energy batteries will converge on layered oxides increasingly rich in nickel. Nickel poised for a rebound There is growing confidence that nickel is heading back into boom conditions. A mid-year report by Forbes […]
Raw materials make up the lion share of NCM811 lithium cathodes’ costs
Earlier this week, we published an article on the circular economy and possible shortcomings. The European Union, as well as other economies stress the importance of recycling as an alternative to primary production of key raw material inputs for the lithium battery sector. Focusing on the EU in particular, if the EU Commission’s new […]
The shortcomings of the circular economy
We are rapidly tiring of the hype of the Circular Economy. This EU buzzword has started to get a life of its own and becomes more annoying as it is touted by more and more apparatchiks who have zero knowledge of how the metals and minerals industries actually work. Beyond industry-specific knowledge (i.e. mining) that they lack, […]
Analysis of lithium’s inclusion on the EU critical metals list
On 1 September, the EU revealed that it included lithium on its updated list of critical metals. Three days later, the European Commission announced the launch of a new industry alliance, with the aim of building a complete EU supply chain for raw materials like lithium which are considered critical for the region’s digital and […]
American Lithium Corp. benefits from location and shallow deposits
Ease of processing shallow, ingrained lithium provides scalability and cost advantage over other mines. Supply and demand location advantage: Tesla Gigafactory is 3-hours away, electricity is next door, acid rail heads a hundred miles away (natural gas), sulphuric acid (caustic soda) comes in from Wyoming. We will see an even bigger push towards a […]
“Low carbon product is of interest to battery manufacturers” – Giyani Manganese
Giyani Metals focusses on production of high purity electrolytic manganese metal for batteries. Chinese Manganese is typically not of the grade that is required for batteries and converting it into a selenium free manganese metal is very expensive. With European interest in promoting the trade of raw materials used in batteries, Giyani is […]
Alphamin’s Bisie ups the ante (TSXV:AFM) (JSE: APH)
Alphamin Resources (TSXV:AFM) (JSE: APH) has upped the ante at its Mpama tin complex in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Q1 of 2020 with a new mining method at Mpama North, plans to initiate exploration drilling at its adjacent Mpama South deposit, and a strong focus on increasing production and free cash […]
Trends in Lithium-ion Cathodes & Effect on Raw Material Demand
Trends in Lithium-Ion Cathodes was presented at the February 2020 African Mining Indaba in Cape Town. The presentation focuses on the reasons that scientists have focused on the lithium-ion cathode components of batteries, the advantages and drawbacks of each lithium ion cathode choice and the effect that these choices have on raw materials. The presentation […]
Cobalt Q&A with Lara Smith (MD of Core Consultants) and Metal Bulletin
Click on image to read the full article on Metal Bulletin