Category: lithium

Appeals Court Denies Bid by Conservationists, Tribes to Block Nevada Lithium Mine

An effort by a coalition of conservationists and tribal leaders to block the construction of a lithium mine along the Nevada-Oregon border was denied by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 17. In its decision Monday (pdf), a three-panel judge of the San Francisco-based appellate ruled that the U.S. government did not…


10 Tonnes of Mining Needed for One EV, CEO Reveals True Cost of Net Zero

BRISBANE—Business leaders at the World Mining Congress have revealed the sheer scale (and urgency) of new mining activity needed to make net zero societies feasible. The climate change movement—supposed to be about protecting the environment—will, in fact, spur mining companies to go “deeper, bigger, and faster” to meet the demand for critical minerals like lithium…


Senate Votes Ratify US-Chile Tax Treaty, Securing American Lithium Access

It was a landslide final vote in the Senate on June 22, which favored ratification of the critical U.S.-Chile tax treaty. One day prior, the legislative body surpassed the two-thirds supermajority required to approve treaties at 95–2. The U.S.-Chile tax treaty has been in the works since 2010, but clearing the final legislative hurdles this…


Chinese Mining Company Sinomine Seeks to Build New Lithium Refinery in Manitoba

A Chinese mining company is planning to construct a new lithium processing facility in Manitoba and says it is looking to allay Ottawa’s concerns with both national security and China’s dominance in the critical minerals market. Sinomine Resource Group Co. Ltd., which owns the Tanco lithium mine in northeastern Manitoba, is planning to build a new…


Union Pushes Australian Government to Tax Critical Mineral Exports to China

One of Australia’s largest unions is calling on the federal government to impose a “punitive tax” on exports of unprocessed critical minerals to China to protect the country’s national interest. On May 16, Daniel Walton, the national secretary of the Australian Workers Union (AWU), warned of the risks of exporting raw materials to China without…


Lithium Batteries Are All Around You—And They Can Catch Fire

This might be the most important column I’ve written in my 30 years as a syndicated columnist. There’s a very high probability you have lithium-ion batteries in your home. They are now as common as ants at a summer picnic. You need to understand the danger to your home and to you and your loved…


Australian Lithium Company Enters into $15.7 Billion Merger with US Partner

A new global lithium giant will emerge from the $15.7 billion (US$10.6 billion) merger between one of Australia’s largest lithium producers and a U.S.-based company. On May 11, Brisbane-headquartered Allkem and New York Stock Exchange-listed Livent announced that the two companies would enter into a merger of equals. The result of which will be an entity…


IN-DEPTH: China’s Lithium Dominance Threatened by Industry Nationalism in Latin America

It’s been called “white gold” in the mining industry. Latin America’s lithium deposits have become a new El Dorado, a commodity conquest China is angling to control. Along with Australia and Chile, China is among the top three lithium producers in the world. The Asian nation also commands an estimated 80 percent of global electric-battery…


IN-DEPTH: China’s Bid to Control Lithium in Latin America May Not Be So Easy

It’s been called “white gold” in the mining industry. Latin America’s lithium deposits have become a new El Dorado, a commodity conquest China is angling to control. Along with Australia and Chile, China is among the top three lithium producers in the world. The Asian nation also commands an estimated 80 percent of global electric-battery…


IN-DEPTH: Chinese Firm Offers Taliban $10 Billion for Access to Lithium

A Chinese company has offered the Taliban $10 billion and a proposal to build key strategic infrastructure connecting north-south Afghanistan in exchange for access to the country’s lithium reserves. Some experts raised concerns that the offer would allow the Chinese regime to expand its influence in the region. The proposal was discussed between a representative…