Greenland is increasingly recognized as a strategically significant source of rare earth minerals, which are essential for high-tech applications, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and defense technologies.

The global demand for rare earth elements (REEs) is projected to rise dramatically, with estimates indicating a sixfold increase by 2030, driven by their critical role in green technologies and the accelerating transition to renewable energy and electric mobility .

This surge in demand positions Greenland’s mineral resources as a potentially lucrative investment opportunity, especially as Western nations seek to diversify supply chains away from China, which currently dominates over two-thirds of global rare earth mining and nearly all refining capacity .

Greenland is believed to host substantial reserves of rare earth minerals, alongside other valuable resources such as gold, iron ore, and uranium .

While precise monetary valuations for Greenland’s rare earth reserves are not specified in the available data, the global rare earth elements market was valued at approximately $2.66 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $3.91 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% .

The International Energy Agency (IEA) further estimates that demand for critical minerals, including rare earths, could increase sevenfold by 2050, underscoring the strategic and economic significance of Greenland’s mineral endowment .

The most prominent rare earth mineral deposit in Greenland is the Kvanefjeld project, located in southern Greenland near Narsaq .

Kvanefjeld is considered one of the largest undeveloped rare earth deposits globally, with significant quantities of neodymium and praseodymium—elements essential for manufacturing high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines .

In addition to Kvanefjeld, the Nanortalik Gold belt in South Greenland is highlighted as a key site for mineral exploration, with companies like AEX Gold holding extensive licenses and focusing on both gold and rare earth mineral potential .

These southern regions are favored due to their relatively developed infrastructure and supportive legal frameworks, which facilitate mining operations .

Extracting rare earth minerals in Greenland presents a complex mix of opportunities and challenges.

The country offers a favorable legal and regulatory environment, with the government actively supporting mining initiatives to boost economic growth and move toward greater independence from Denmark .

South Greenland, in particular, benefits from existing infrastructure and a relatively mild climate compared to the rest of the island, which can ease some logistical burdens .

However, extraction is complicated by several factors: - **Environmental Concerns:** Mining rare earths is environmentally sensitive, often generating toxic and radioactive waste.

For example, the process can produce up to 1.4 tonnes of radioactive waste per tonne of rare earth material mined, as well as large volumes of acid-containing sewage water .

Greenland mandates rigorous environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for mining projects, requiring detailed studies of potential impacts on ecosystems, wildlife, and local communities before permits are granted .

These regulatory requirements, while ensuring environmental stewardship, can lengthen approval processes and increase operational costs .

- **Technical and Logistical Challenges:** Greenland’s Arctic and sub-Arctic climate, remote geography, and limited infrastructure in some areas complicate transportation, supply chains, and operational efficiency .

The melting of Greenland’s ice sheets due to rapid Arctic warming is exposing new mineral deposits but also destabilizing traditional transportation routes and increasing operational risks .

Thawing permafrost and unpredictable weather can affect the stability and accessibility of mining sites, further complicating extraction .

- **Cost and Complexity:** The extraction of rare earth elements is generally expensive and technically complex, requiring advanced technology and significant investment .

Traditional extraction methods often involve toxic solvents and high temperatures, generating substantial waste and environmental risks .

Regulatory hurdles and the need for comprehensive environmental and social impact assessments add to the cost and complexity of mining operations .

To address these challenges, technological advancements are being developed globally and may be applicable to Greenland’s context.

For example, researchers have engineered bacteria such as *Vibrio natriegens* and *Shewanella oneidensis* to biosorb and selectively bind rare earth elements, offering greener alternatives to conventional chemical extraction methods .

The Idaho National Laboratory has pioneered a new separation technology using dimethyl ether for fractional crystallization at ambient temperatures and pressures, significantly reducing energy consumption and waste generation .

Companies like Aclara Resources are adopting circular mining approaches, aiming to produce no solid or liquid waste and recirculate up to 95% of used water .

These innovations, while not yet widely implemented in Greenland, represent potential pathways for more sustainable and efficient rare earth extraction in the future .

Greenland’s rare earth mineral sector has attracted significant interest from both countries and corporations seeking to secure alternative supply chains and reduce dependence on China.

The United States is particularly focused on securing critical minerals, working with allies such as Australia to develop procurement chains and expressing interest in partnerships involving Greenland .

The European Union is also actively seeking to reduce its reliance on China for critical raw materials, exploring partnerships with Greenland as part of its broader strategy to develop alternative supply chains .

Australia and Canada are exploring opportunities in Greenland, reflecting a broader geopolitical trend to diversify rare earth sources .

On the corporate side, several companies are actively exploring or developing mining projects in Greenland.

AEX Gold is a notable player, holding extensive exploration licenses in South Greenland and focusing on both gold and rare earth mineral potential .

Greenland Minerals Limited, an Australian company, is leading the development of the Kvanefjeld project and has attracted international investment interest, including from stakeholders in the U.S.

and Europe .

Other major mining companies such as BHP and Rio Tinto are exploring opportunities in Greenland, particularly for lithium and other critical minerals essential for green technologies .

Lynas Rare Earths and MP Materials, both major players in the rare earth sector, are seeking to diversify supply chains away from China and have shown interest in alternative sources like Greenland .

Additionally, LKAB, a Swedish state-owned mining company, is investigating the extraction of rare earths from mining by-products, reflecting regional efforts to secure alternative sources .

China has also shown significant interest in Greenland’s mineral resources, reflecting its dominant role in the global rare earth market .

The involvement of international investors, including Chinese entities, has raised geopolitical considerations, as Western countries seek to ensure that Greenland’s resources contribute to diversified and secure supply chains .

The Greenlandic government is supportive of mining initiatives, providing grants and maintaining a legal framework conducive to attracting international investment .

The government recognizes the sector’s potential to boost the local economy, create jobs, and increase tax revenues, supporting Greenland’s aspirations for greater independence from Denmark .

However, the government is also aware of the environmental and social concerns associated with mining, particularly the impact on indigenous Inuit communities, who constitute about 90% of Greenland’s population .

The government enforces strict environmental regulations, requiring comprehensive EIAs and community consultations to balance economic development with environmental protection and social responsibility .

Greenland is increasingly recognized as a strategically significant source of rare earth minerals, which are essential for high-tech applications, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and defense technologies.

Greenland is increasingly recognized as a strategically significant source of rare earth minerals, which are essential for high-tech applications, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and defense technologies.

Greenland is increasingly recognized as a strategically significant source of rare earth minerals, which are essential for high-tech applications, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and defense technologies.

The global demand for rare earth elements (REEs) is projected to rise dramatically, with estimates indicating a sixfold increase by 2030, driven by their critical role in green technologies and the accelerating transition to renewable energy and electric mobility .

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Canada's Warm Winter Disrupts Arctic Diamond Mines Ice Road, Signaling Climate Challenge

Canada's mild winter disrupts Arctic diamond mine logistics, showcasing the broader challenges of climate change on industrial operations.

Sakchi Khandelwal
New Update

Canada's mild winter has thrown a wrench into the operations of the vital ice road to remote Arctic diamond mines, underscoring the growing impact of climate change on industrial logistics. The delay in the ice road's opening not only poses immediate operational challenges for the mining sector but also highlights the broader infrastructural and environmental hurdles in the shift towards a sustainable future.

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Unseasonable Warmth Halts Winter Road Operations

The critical transportation link, known as the Winter Road, serves as the lifeline for several Arctic diamond mines, facilitating the transport of heavy equipment and supplies crucial for mining operations. Traditionally built during the colder months when the ground and water bodies freeze over, this year's uncharacteristically mild winter has delayed its construction. Experts attribute the warmer temperatures to a combination of climate change effects and the El Niño climate pattern, marking 2023 as a year of record heat. This unusual weather phenomenon has not only disrupted the mining industry's schedule but also raised concerns about the future reliability of winter roads amid global warming.

Impact on the Mining Sector and Climate Implications

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Mining companies reliant on the Winter Road are now facing significant logistical challenges. The delay impacts everything from the transportation of necessary mining equipment to the delivery of supplies for mine operations and maintenance. This situation serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of northern industrial activities to climate variability and change. Moreover, it underscores the urgent need for industries to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change, including reevaluating reliance on natural ice formations for transportation and logistics.

Looking Ahead: Adaptation and Sustainability

The disruption of the Winter Road due to mild winter conditions calls for a critical examination of how industries, particularly those in vulnerable regions like the Arctic, can adapt to the changing climate. It highlights the importance of investing in alternative, sustainable methods of transportation and infrastructure that are less dependent on seasonal changes. Additionally, this event emphasizes the need for continued research and dialogue on how to balance industrial activities with environmental preservation and climate change mitigation, ensuring the longevity and sustainability of operations in the face of an unpredictable climate.

As the world grapples with the realities of climate change, the incident of Canada's delayed ice road serves as a microcosm of the larger challenges ahead. It prompts a reflection on how industries and societies can evolve to meet the demands of a warmer world, ensuring economic activities do not come at the expense of the planet's health.

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Content: Oct 18, 2023

Bacteria could be the key to a safer, greener way of processing rare-earth metals

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Shewanella oneidensis could be used to expand the supply of rare-earth metals used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and other environmental technologies, according to Cornell’s Buz Barstow. China currently dominates the market for the minerals.

The word “bacteria” doesn’t exactly evoke positive images, but scientists at Cornell University recently discovered a novel way to replicate and use a bacterium from Oneida Lake in New York state.

It’s called Shewanella oneidensis, and it has a special affinity for the rare-earth elements — such as so-called lanthanides, metals that are important for clean, renewable energy technology.

The bacteria can be used to process rare-earth metals through a method called biosorption, which is considered safer and less taxing on the environment than current means of extraction.

Marketplace’s Lily Jamali discussed the findings with Buz Barstow, a professor of biological and environmental engineering at Cornell and a lead researcher on the project.

The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Buz Barstow: So it enables us to make, we think, [an] extremely scalable, environmentally friendly process for separating individual lanthanides — exactly the thing you need for electric vehicles, wind turbines, superconductors. And it lets you do it not just, say, in China or other sort of less advanced economies. This is a process that we think is good enough, is environmentally friendly enough, to let us do this in the more advanced nations with more stringent environmental regulations. So it avoids us getting into this — my program manager, he called it eco-colonialism, where we externalize the CO2 problem. We say, “We want to solve this environmental problem, so we’re going to create these other environmental problems over in this other country.” This technology and technologies like it let us avoid that dilemma.

Lily Jamali: And why is that a better alternative to how we process rare-earth elements today?

Barstow: That’s a great question. It doesn’t involve any harsh chemicals. So today, we rely on a solvent extraction process to purify them. So organic solvents, they have a tendency to be carcinogenic. They’re terrible for the environment in other ways as well. We also use what’s called an organophosphorus-based extractant as well. That’s a molecule, again, carcinogenic, that has a small preference for one or a small number of rare-earths. Because that doesn’t have an enormous preference for any one rare-earth, you have to do this sort of successive enrichment process. So you need gallons and gallons and gallons of it. And you need sort of incredibly long separation processes as well. So there’s loads of potential for leakage as well.

Jamali: So in addition to being more environmentally sustainable, is this approach that researchers are working on, is it also more scalable?

Barstow: I would like to think so. We’re not the only people who are working on biological approaches to separating rare-earth elements. I can think of at least two colleagues — Joey Cotruvo at Penn State, Cecilia Martinez-Gomez at [the University of California] Berkeley — who are also coming up with bio-approaches. And they’re taking sort of, you know, very different approaches to the one we are. I’d like to think Shewanella and biosorption, in general, it has a lower specificity than their approaches. But it’s easier to get the rare-earths off the surface of the absorbing agent. So it might make for a faster, more scalable process. Also, biosorption doesn’t require that you purify anything, either. All it requires is biomass. We just have to grow cells, that’s really easy, doesn’t require any purification.

Jamali: When do you think we could see this in real life, a test run, a pilot?

Barstow: You know, I think it’s like, where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’d like to think that there’s enough momentum behind these technologies, there’s enough interest to fund them. I’ll use this opportunity to give a plug for my grad student, Sean Medin. Sean was the first author on this paper. and he and Alexa Schmitz — Alexa was my first postdoc [researcher] in my lab — founded a company called Reegen to commercialize this technology and also technology for engineering microbes to dissolve rocks to get rare-earths out of them as well. What they’ve done is they have opened up the opportunity for sort of commercial investment in this.

More on this

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, China is the global leader in rare-earth metals, producing 70% of the world’s supply.

But a report from the Yale School of the Environment finds that has come at a cost to the country in the form of serious water and soil pollution issues.

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As part of a nonprofit newsroom, we’re counting on listeners like you to keep this public service paywall-free and available to all.

Support “Marketplace Tech” in any amount today and become a partner in our mission.

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Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

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https://prosyn.org/O2RPISg

This surge in demand positions Greenland’s mineral resources as a potentially lucrative investment opportunity, especially as Western nations seek to diversify supply chains away from China, which currently dominates over two-thirds of global rare earth mining and nearly all refining capacity .

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Content: Ultra-cyclist rides across entire Arctic to warn of climate change

As the Arctic warms three times faster than the rest of the world, a cyclist is travelling across the entire region to raise awareness about climate change.

Omar di Felice started his self-titled Arctic World Tour on Wednesday from the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the Russian Far East. He plans to travel 4,000 kilometres through eight countries that border the Arctic Circle.

The 40-year-old will cycle 800 km “up and down, through a land of volcanoes, hot springs and wild landscapes” in Kamchatka before flying to Lapland. There, he plans to ride 1,500 km from Murmansk (Russia) to Tromsø (Norway), via Finland and Sweden.

Di Felice will then travel to the Svalbard Islands, the northernmost point of his journey. Next, he will fly to Iceland before reaching Greenland, where he will take the Arctic Circle Trail, a 200 km off-road trail from Point 66 (40 km east of Kangerlussuaq), on the edge of the ice cap, to the village of Sisimiut.

The last leg of his tour will be in North America, where he plans to travel from Whitehorse in Canada’s northwestern province of Yukon to the American state of Alaska.

I start for the arctic world tour aware that it will not be an easy walk: I will ride in difficult conditions, I will have fun, marveling at the colors of the Northern Lights, marveling at the animals I will meet and sometimes frightening me in the freezing cold of the polar night.Omar di Felice on Instagram

“Bike to 1.5 °C”

As part of his career of professional ultra-cyclist, Omar di Felice decided to launch the “Bike to 1.5ºC” project. The goal is to use his adventures to serve as a platform for sharing information about climate change.

“When I launched the “Bike to 1.5ºC” project, I had a clear idea of its purpose: to tell, inspire, spread”, writes di Felice on Instagram.

“Telling the beauty of the world seen from the saddle of my bicycle. Inspiring other people to get on the saddle, even if just to go to work.”

As part of his project, he partnered with the Italian Climate Network, and the Arctic World Tour will be the second ultra-distance ride. In October, Di Felice rode 2,000 km from Milan to Glasgow to the COP26 climate conference.

In addition to updates on weather, wildlife, and gear and equipment, di Felice will also broadcast conversations with scientists and climate experts he will meet along the way. He has actually started doing this on Facebook.

A love for Winter

A native of Rome, this is not the first time that the Italian ultra-cyclist has embarked on a winter expedition.

On his website, we can see that he has participated in several expeditions since the first one in 2013 when he rode Iceland’s Ring Road for four days in winter.

For his Arctic tour, Omar di Felice has worked with his sponsors to create special equipment for the extreme weather conditions he will face.

He plans to sleep in village accommodations, but if he can’t find any, the cyclist is also carrying a full winter camping kit and enough food to last the stretches without resupply. But he will also stop in villages for supplies.

People can track his progress online or check his Facebook and Instagram pages for updates.

Related stories from around the North:

World: 2021 one of seven warmest years on record, says U.N. agency, Eye on the Arctic

Canada: 30–50% of critical northern infrastructure could be at high risk by 2050 due to warming, says study, Eye on the Arctic

Greenland: Oldest Arctic sea ice vanishes twice as fast as rest of region, study shows, Eye on the Arctic

Norway: Thawing permafrost melts ground under homes and around Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, The Independent Barents Observer

Russia: City in Arctic Russia cooling ground to preserve buildings on thawing permafrost, The Independent Barents Observer

United States: Bering Sea ice at lowest extent in at least 5,500 years, study says, Alaska Public Media

Mathiew Leiser, Eye on the Arctic

Né dans le sud de la France d'une mère anglaise et d'un père français, Mathiew Leiser a parcouru le monde dès son plus jeune âge. Après des études de journalisme international à Londres, il a rapidement acquis différentes compétences journalistiques en travaillant comme journaliste indépendant dans divers médias. De la BBC à l'Agence France Presse en passant par l'agence d'UGC Newsflare, Mathiew a acquis de l'expérience dans différents domaines du journalisme. En 2019, il décide de s'installer à Montréal pour affronter les hivers rigoureux et profiter des beaux étés mais surtout développer son journalisme. Il a rapidement intégré Radio Canada International où il s'efforce de donner le meilleur de lui-même au sein des différentes équipes.

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Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

To continue reading, register now.

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Content: Rethinking The Defense Industry

Mar. 21, 2021 1:59 PM ETACLS, AMAT, CTVA, KLAC, LRCX, LYSCF, LYSDY, SMICY, MP20 Comments17 Likes
Henry Miles
2.22K Followers

Summary

  • We have historically defined the “defense industry” as Dwight Eisenhower did with the expression, “military-industrial complex”.
  • However, given geo-political tensions, the term should be expanded to include companies critical to our global competitive position.
  • This adaptation has opened my eyes to US-centric supply-chain investing including, most recently, in MP Materials and Lynas Rare Earths.
  • The concept has near-equal relevance to investing in companies here at home upon which our international competitors depend.

When most of us think about the “defense industry” we zero in on the major contractors to the Pentagon including the likes of Boeing (BA), General Dynamics (GD), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Northrop Grumman (NOC), and Raytheon Technologies (RTX). However, in our interdependent world, this frame of reference is inadequate.

Those that follow me know that I am a globalist having invested throughout the world including in North and South America, Europe and Eurasia, Africa, the Orient/East Asia, and Australia. That said, I am not naïve to geopolitical tensions and the implications they hold for businesses between competing nations.

Rare Earth Metals

Against a broader definition of the “defense industry”, significant investment opportunities reveal themselves around these issues. I am talking about, for example, the “rare earths”, seventeen elements/metals (REMs) most of us have never heard of but brief descriptions of which point to their critical importance.

  1. Scandium: Atomic weight 21. Used to strengthen aluminum alloys.
  2. Yttrium: Atomic weight 39. Used in superconductors and exotic light sources.
  3. Lanthanum: Atomic weight 57. Used in specialty glasses and optics, electrodes, and hydrogen storage.
  4. Cerium: Atomic weight 58. Makes an excellent oxidizer, used in oil cracking during petroleum refining and is used for yellow coloring in ceramics and glass.
  5. Praseodymium: Atomic weight 59. Used in magnets, lasers and as green color in ceramics and glass.
  6. Neodymium: Atomic weight 60. Used in magnets, lasers and as purple color in ceramics and glass.
  7. Promethium: Atomic weight 61. Used in nuclear batteries. Only man-made isotopes have ever been observed on Earth, with a speculated 500-600 grams naturally occurring on the planet.
  8. Samarium: Atomic weight 62. Used in magnets, lasers, and neutron capture.
  9. Europium: Atomic weight 63. Makes colored phosphors, lasers, and mercury-vapor lamps.
  10. Gadolinium: Atomic weight 64. Used in magnets, specialty optics, and computer memory.
  11. Terbium: Atomic weight 65. Used as green in ceramics and paints, and in lasers and fluorescent lamps.
  12. Dysprosium: Atomic weight 66. Used in magnets and lasers.
  13. Holmium: Atomic weight 67. Used in lasers.
  14. Erbium: Atomic weight 68. Used in steel alloyed with vanadium, as well as in lasers.
  15. Thulium: Atomic weight 69. Used in portable x-ray equipment.
  16. Ytterbium: Atomic weight 70. Used in infrared lasers. Also, works as a great chemical reducer.
  17. Lutetium: Atomic weight 71. Used in specialty glass and radiology equipment.

Dependency on China

The reality of REM criticality hit home last year with China’s ’talk’ of cutting back their exports including to the United States. Why is this such a big deal? Because the production of the rare earths falls off quickly once outside China that produces 60-80% of the world’s supply. Indeed, “the Quad” – Australia, India, Japan, and the United States – agreed about the threat and have joined hands, “…to build a rare earth procurement chain to counter the dominance China plays in supplying these essential elements…”.

MP Materials & Lynas

There are two primary opportunities to invest into this situation: a) Here in the US, MP Materials (MP) that recently went public by way of a SPAC, and b) In Australia, Lynas Rare Earths (OTCPK:LYSCF) (OTCPK:LYSDY) that also operates in Malaysia. These companies are believed to be the largest miners/processors of rare earths outside China. So important are they to the defense of our supply-chain that the Department of Defense has entered into agreements with them concerning the mining of the ore, and separation of the metal.

MP Materials “de-SPACed” with its IPO on November 18, 2020. Only on Thursday did it issue its full year and fourth quarter financials. Its PowerPoint is somewhat more informative than its earnings release and shows a public company that is off to a great start with excellent Q4 year-over-year growth of:

  • Revenue, +100% to $42.2 million
  • Net Income, +2,240% to $24.1 million
  • EBITDA, +297% to $18.0 million

As importantly, MP raised $545 million through the SPAC/IPO process and is now running with $520 million cash on its balance sheet meaning it is exceedingly liquid and well capitalized. Management’s confidence in MP’s future comes through in their earnings call transcript.

As for Lynas, I will follow my preferred convention of looking down their P&L for second derivatives, that is the change of change. Companies that exhibit a pattern of acceleration interest me and we generally see it here added to the company’s conservative gearing (as in negligible financial leverage) and strong liquidity. Incidentally, if you want to read the most refreshing earnings call transcripts I have ever seen, check this one out by Amanda Lacaze, CEO, of Lynas Rare Earths.

Lynas / 2020

Q2/Q1

Q3/Q2

Q4/Q3

Total Revenue Change

+12%

+68%

+8%

Gross Profit Change

+14%

+176%

+8%

Operating Income Change

-13%

[div. over negative]

+8%

Net Income Change

-11%

[div. over negative]

+8%

In other words, on top of the overriding strategic ‘defense’ argument, MP and Lynas are growing and positioned to go further. So far, we have done very well on MP; now up 180% again since we bought in just over 4 months ago. Looking ahead, of the four professional investment analysts who cover the stock, 1 has it as a “hold” and 3 as a “buy” with a median price target of $48, 4% above its current price of $46. The stock is fully valued.

As to LYSCF, or the ADR’s as you prefer, four analysts cover it as well with 1 as a “sell" and 3 as a “buy” with a median price target of $6.40, 33% over where the shares currently trade. The comparative graphs below date to 11/18/2020 the date we first bought MP; we did not start buying into LYSDF until February 16th.

For the reasons cited, most prognosticators believe that the demand for REM’s will soar and with it, prices. Here is MarketWatch’s take on the subject as well as that of Barron’s. As if to underscore the point, Samsung (OTC:SSNLF) warned last week about a deepening shortage of semiconductors, a problem echoed by Toyota (TM) and Honda (HMC) who have scaled back their US operations. To be fair, we do not know if these issues, at this time, trace back through the supply-chain to rare earths but they could and, if not now, eventually, if we don’t address the challenge.

As to risks, the major one, IMO, is that mining is a dirty business subject to heavy regulation and no end of challenges from environmentalists. However, the competitive defense imperative is so compelling that I believe governments will ‘do what is necessary’ to secure adequate domestic supplies of the ores. Although not related to REM’s but, rather, to massive copper deposits in Eastern Arizona, toward such a goal, the government is facilitating the trading of land/rights between parties, in this case between the Apaches and Resolution Copper, a joint venture between Rio Tinto (RIO) and BHP (BHP).

Others Must Also Defend

Just as the United States must defend its supply-lines and industries, so must other countries friendly or not. For example, on March 5th SA published a blurb stating that the U.S. is granting export licenses for wafer fabrication equipment needed beyond our borders. This will bode well for American suppliers of this technology including Lam Research (LRCX), KLA (KLAC), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Axcelis (ACLS). However, it also stands to benefit China’s wafer foundry, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (OTCQX:SMICY). Meanwhile, a bipartisan bill is moving through the Senate that would, “incentivize US manufacturers to build or retool existing plants to make advanced energy parts like semiconductors and batteries and create good-paying jobs across the country”.

These ideas need not be confined to technology. On a completely different vein, it is conceivable that Corteva (CTVA) could benefit from a serious uplift in the sales of advanced, genetically modified seeds needed by countries to defend their food supplies from the mounting threats of climate change.

All said, the traditional definition of “military defense” is timeworn. It no longer aligns with global realities. Our countries, and we investors, need to start thinking more broadly about what it takes to defend our competitive advantage meaning our industries, companies, and jobs.

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Greenland is believed to host substantial reserves of rare earth minerals, alongside other valuable resources such as gold, iron ore, and uranium .

Title:

Content: RPT - ANALYSIS - US Faces Uphill Battle Against China's Rare-Earth Dominance

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd December, 2022) The US will be hard-pressed to break its rare earth dependence on China in the near future, a reliance the Biden administration has deemed a national security threat, due to steep regulatory hurdles along with a lack of capabilities and technologies, the types of which Beijing has been developing for more than three decades, experts told Sputnik.

China has a virtual monopoly on nearly all of the 17 rare earth elements (REEs) on the periodic table - critical minerals used in a wide-range of advanced applications, some of which are indispensable for developing green technology like electric vehicle motors. The US Geological Survey (USGS) listed sixteen of the REEs among 50 critical minerals - critical being defined as essential to US economic and national security and highly vulnerable to supply disruption.

The Biden administration has allocated or invested billions on developing critical mineral capabilities with demand for some metals expected to rise as much as 400% in the next two decades amid the green transition.

A US State Department official in early December said the US is looking at funding about a dozen mineral projects overseas to mine resources used in low-carbon technologies. The official said the United States will need an "exponential" amount of rare earths. The funding may come through a mineral security partnership program with about ten allies, including Australia, Canada, Japan, and the EU.

In terms of domestic production, the United States currently has one active rare-earth mine, owned and operated by MP Materials. However - the company must send 100% of the rare earth oxide (REO) mined to China for processing to deliver finished products.

Marina Zhang, an associate professor of research at the Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney, believes the Asian giant's edge will not be easy to overcome. Beijing, she added, has developed massive capacity and technical capabilities that have allowed China to control 90% of rare earth metallic production and 85% of refined production.

"China has clear structural advantages over its competitors, if any, for the next 10-15 years," Zhang told Sputnik. "Such advantages include lower mine and factory permit and licensing costs and timelines, and relatively lower labor and environmental costs, as well as advantages in talent and patent accumulations."

The US is particularly concerned with reliance on imports of Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets used in critical products like electric vehicle (EV) motors and guided missile actuators. In September, the Commerce Department ruled that dependence on China for this product constituted a national security threat, but stopped short of imposing tariffs.

The Biden administration has invested at least $200 million to boost domestic production to close this permanent magnet gap. MP Materials, which secured $35 million of the funding, forecasted that it could produce the magnet - from cradle to grave - at a newly-built facility in Texas by the end of 2023.

Zhang, however, said even if MP Materials delivers NdFeB magnets, the US still lacks access and know-how to incorporate two key rare earth elements - terbium (Tb) and dysprosium (Dy) - which are necessary to ensure high heat resistance.

"Standard NdFeB magnets, without Tb or Dy, cannot be used in high-temperature applications such as EV drive motors, wind turbine motors, elevator motors, industrial robotics and advanced weapons systems," Zhang said. "No other country can make a high-temperature NdFeB magnet without Chinese inputs of separated Tb and Dy.

China is, so far, the only source for a guaranteed, uninterruptable supply of high-energy NdFeB magnets."

Zhang also pointed out that if the Americans close the capability gap, they at some point will again face a dearth of raw rare earths.

"Another hurdle: US regulatory and permitting process for opening a new mine typically exceeds a decade or more, which will limit MP Materials, for example, to explore new mine sites," Zhang said.

The MP Materials mine in California sits on top of a mere 2.1 million tons of rare earth reserves while China has at least 44 million tons. The company, in its most recent quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), conceded there is a risk environmental regulations will impede development of resources.

Zhang also underscored that, as the US takes steps to enhance capabilities, China will not stand idly by.

"China will not stay still for its competitors to catch up," Zhang said. "Instead, it continues to use industrial policy to support both state-owned and private enterprises to strengthen its entire RE value chain, including preserving its RE reserves and developing technological capabilities in applications for high-end RE products, such as high-energy NdFeB magnets."

In addition to minerals, the US has fueled a trade war with China on the microchip front by blacklisting over 30 entities last week in a bid to deny them advanced equipment needed to make high-end semiconductors.

Professor Sunitha Raju of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi told Sputnik that China could respond by indigenizing the entire microchip value chain and boosting its already-dominant position in the lower node chip domain. Moreover, a number of US tech giants might resist because they rely on China for a substantial portion of revenue, Raju added.

Raju also said China could "weaponize" its dominance in rare earth materials that are used for chip manufacturing. At that point, she warned, the US-Chinese trade confrontation could take an "ugly turn."

In addition to the economic and supply chain impact, Washington is also worried about more sinister threats posed by Chinese critical minerals - especially those that can be found on thousands of US weapons systems.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon halted delivery of F-35 jets upon discovery that a subcontractor used a Chinese-origin rare earth magnet on an engine part.

In October, the Defense Department issued a waiver allowing Lockheed Martin to resume deliveries of the jets while setting about looking for alternative sources. The Pentagon confirmed that the component was not transmitting sensitive information back to China and did not affect the safety or airworthiness of the fighter jets.

The crisis prompted lawmakers to introduce a bill in early December that calls for investing $1 billion to ensure the Pentagon secures "critical mineral independence" from China by 2027.

A member of the US Defense Policy board, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Michael O'Hanlon, indicated that although a full blown trade war with China is not necessary, caution should be taken with respect to security-related materials.

"It's not crucial that we decouple from China on basic commodities. I just wouldn't want exclusive sourcing from China," O'Hanlon told Sputnik. "On components, however, we don't want Chinese input in case it's doctored."

China has repeatedly pushed back against US anti-trade policies and rhetoric, accusing Washington of economic coercion, unfair market segregation, and hindering cooperation.

What does Greenland's Tanbreez mine contain?

What does Greenland's Tanbreez mine contain?

What does Greenland's Tanbreez mine contain?

While precise monetary valuations for Greenland’s rare earth reserves are not specified in the available data, the global rare earth elements market was valued at approximately $2.66 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $3.91 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% .

Title:

Content: Skip to content

The days of rare earth e-motors are numbered

The environmental impact of rare earth metals is prompting an evolution within e-motors. Megan Lampinen hears more

The quest for a truly sustainable vehicle extends far beyond the tailpipe. From battery materials to manufacturing processes, numerous aspects of the value chain are ripe for cleaning up. At Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), the focus is on the motors in electric vehicles (EVs). “The permanent magnet motors currently going into most EVs are a ticking timebomb for the environment,” asserts AEM Chief Executive James Widmer.

Today’s EV motors rely on rare earth metals for their performance, but the extraction and processing of those materials is fraught with environmental side-effects. A 2021 study from the Kleiman Center for Energy Policy found that every tonne of rare earth material mined produces up to 1.4 tonnes of radioactive waste, 200 cubic metres of acid-containing sewage water, 60,000 cubic metres of waste gas containing hydrochloric acid, and 27.6 tonnes of CO2.

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The International Energy Agency (IEA) further estimates that demand for critical minerals, including rare earths, could increase sevenfold by 2050, underscoring the strategic and economic significance of Greenland’s mineral endowment .

Title:

Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

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The most prominent rare earth mineral deposit in Greenland is the Kvanefjeld project, located in southern Greenland near Narsaq .

Title:

Content: Last week, China announced plans to merge three of its main rare earth metal companies, Minmetals Rare Earth, Chinalco Rare Earth & Metals Co, and China Southern Rare Earth Group Co into a yet-to-be-named company.

Rare earths are elements which are critical for the manufacture of electronic components and high-tech alloys necessary for civilian and defence applications. They are not rare per se, but they are often found in combination with other elements, with the extraction process being expensive and polluting.

Presently, China enjoys a near-monopoly of rare earths, as in 2019 it produced 90% of the world’s rare earths, alloys, and permanent magnets. Also, it has an estimated 36 million tonnes of rare earth reserves, which is around 30% of global reserves. In comparison, the US has estimated 13 million tonnes of rare earths reserves, which is 13% of the global total. Other countries such as Australia, Russia, India, and Brazil also have substantial reserves.

China was not always the world’s leading rare earths producer. Up until the 1980s, 99% of the world’s rare earths supply was provided by the US as a by-product of its mining operations for titanium, zircon, and phosphate. However, due to changes in US regulations, voluntary transfer of intellectual property, and absence of industrial policy, China was able to capture the rare earths market for itself.

Analysts believe that China’s near-monopoly of rare earth metals gives it a trump card in its rivalry with the US for global dominance, and it has shown a willingness to weaponize the trade. China can choose to ban the export of rare earth metals to countries or companies it deems a threat to its interests.

This year, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last month proposed draft controls on the production and export of 17 rare earth metals that are crucial for the manufacture of US F-35 fighter jets and other high tech weaponry.

Last year, China considered a ban on rare earth exports to Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Raytheon due to US arms sales to Taiwan. Also, in 2010 China enacted a de facto ban on rare earth exports to Japan in response to maritime clashes over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. However, China’s de facto ban was ineffective, as Japan quickly established its own rare earths supply chain.

China’s approach to rare earths is largely driven by domestic factors. It aims to develop green technologies and renewable energy to compensate for environmental damage from rare earth mining. Further, China’s economic strategy to become a technological leader gives it an incentive to dominate the rare earths trade, thereby influencing downstream industries, and in the process strengthening the economic credentials and legitimacy of the ruling Communist Party.

However, China’s rare earth reserves are not infinite. Environmental pollution and increasingly scarce reserves are pushing Chinese rare earth companies to find alternative sources abroad. To that end, China has been increasing its geopolitical footprint for rare earths in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Developing countries with substantial rare earth deposits may find themselves in the position of Middle Eastern countries after the discovery of oil in their territories. However, as with oil such situation with rare earths may open a Pandora’s box for these countries.

First, the environmental and social consequences of rare earth mining can trigger further social and political instability in these countries. In Ecuador, China’s strategy of elite co-optation to sidestep social and environmental safeguards has led to protests among the country’s indigenous community.

Second, the revenues from rare earth metals can strengthen autocratic rule. In Myanmar, revenues from the country’s significant rare earth exports to China are allegedly used to fund pro-junta militias in the country’s ongoing insurgency.

Third, these countries can pursue an omni-balancing approach between China and other interested parties, such as the US, Japan, and Australia. Such strategy involves playing one side against the other to ensure that no major player takes control of these countries’ strategic rare earth industries. However, this strategy is inherently risky, as these major players may perceive such approach as duplicity, and eventually assert their interests heavy-handedly.

Kvanefjeld is considered one of the largest undeveloped rare earth deposits globally, with significant quantities of neodymium and praseodymium—elements essential for manufacturing high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines .

In addition to Kvanefjeld, the Nanortalik Gold belt in South Greenland is highlighted as a key site for mineral exploration, with companies like AEX Gold holding extensive licenses and focusing on both gold and rare earth mineral potential .

These southern regions are favored due to their relatively developed infrastructure and supportive legal frameworks, which facilitate mining operations .

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

favorable legal framework
robust infrastructure

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

favorable legal framework
robust infrastructure

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

favorable legal framework
robust infrastructure

Extracting rare earth minerals in Greenland presents a complex mix of opportunities and challenges.

Extracting rare earth minerals in Greenland presents a complex mix of opportunities and challenges.

The country offers a favorable legal and regulatory environment, with the government actively supporting mining initiatives to boost economic growth and move toward greater independence from Denmark .

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

South Greenland, in particular, benefits from existing infrastructure and a relatively mild climate compared to the rest of the island, which can ease some logistical burdens .

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

However, extraction is complicated by several factors: - **Environmental Concerns:** Mining rare earths is environmentally sensitive, often generating toxic and radioactive waste.

However, extraction is complicated by several factors: - **Environmental Concerns:** Mining rare earths is environmentally sensitive, often generating toxic and radioactive waste.

However, extraction is complicated by several factors: - **Environmental Concerns:** Mining rare earths is environmentally sensitive, often generating toxic and radioactive waste.

For example, the process can produce up to 1.4 tonnes of radioactive waste per tonne of rare earth material mined, as well as large volumes of acid-containing sewage water .

Title:

Content: EU unveils plans to lead in green industrial revolution

By Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS, March 16 (Reuters) - The European Commission presented one of the centrepieces of its strategy on Thursday to ensure its industry can compete with the United States and China in making clean tech products and accessing raw materials required for the green transition.

The EU executive's Net-Zero Industry Act and Critical Raw Materials Act, part of its Green Deal Industrial Plan, are designed to ensure the bloc is not just a frontrunner in cutting carbon emissions, but also ahead on the technology required to do so. There are signs it is lagging.

Global investment in the green transition is set to triple by 2030 from $1 trillion last year, President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament on Wednesday, declaring "the race is on".

The EU executive set targets for the region to mine 10% of the critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and rare earths it consumes, with recycling adding a further 15%, and increase processing to 40% of its needs by 2030.

The supply of minerals vital for the green transition is a challenge, with China processing almost 90% of rare earths and 60% of lithium, a key element for batteries.

The Commission said no more than 65% of any key raw material should come from a single third country.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has reinforced a lesson learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely that the EU cannot rely on a single supplier for essential materials.

The EU executive would recognise firm plans to mine or process raw materials as "strategic projects", which could benefit from streamlined permits and access to financing.

In trade, the EU would seek to expand its network of raw materials partnerships and free trade agreements, such as with Australia, Canada and Chile, and forge a global raw materials alliance.

The EU is also due to set a target of producing at least 40% of the clean tech products it needs by 2030, partly by streamlining the granting of permits for green projects and by fostering investment.

The Commission will propose simpler state aid schemes, allowing subsidies to promote green technology, with the possibility of offering tax breaks using existing EU funds. ($1 = 0.9488 euros) (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Christina Fincher)

EU unveils plans to lead in green industrial revolution

Greenland mandates rigorous environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for mining projects, requiring detailed studies of potential impacts on ecosystems, wildlife, and local communities before permits are granted .

Title:

Content: AEX Gold aims to invest in Greenland through its new gold mining project

Traditionally known for its fishing and hunting industries, Greenland is fast becoming the next significant area of exploration for mining businesses. The largest island in the world, Greenland remains one of the least populated areas worldwide with 56,000 citizens, and it has sought to attract local and foreign investment across a number of new projects.

The island’s current position remains complex. A sovereign government, it is positioned under the Danish kingdom who provide grants to support its local economy. To further its independence and bolster its economy to create increased tax revenue, Greenland has embraced the exploration of new mining projects as well as utilising all the renewable and local resources it has to offer.

Rich in rare-earth minerals, gold, iron-ore, uranium, in addition to hydro and wind power, Greenland’s favourable legal framework and robust infrastructure, particularly in South Greenland, have factored into AEX Gold’s vision to explore through its Greenlandic subsidiary, Nalunaq Gold Mine, situated in the Nanortalik Gold belt, Southern Greenland.

Acquiring an existing Exploitation Licence in 2015, the company is at the advanced exploration stage of its Nalunaq property, including the previously operating Nalunaq Gold Mine.   It also holds Exploration Licences at the early exploration stage Vagar and Tartoq properties.

Hosting a high-grade NI 43-101 compliant gold resource estimate of 263k oz (inferred) at 18.7 g/t and a number of regional exploration targets, AEX Gold has undertaken three years of exploration at Nalunaq, developing an updated geological model and an extension of the main vein strike length up to 1km.

“The government is very supportive, so it's about having a sound exploration strategy. We are very much focused on that, as we have an asset package that we think we can grow and create a lot of value,” explains Chief Executive Officer, Eldur Olafsson.

Originating from Iceland, Olafsson has gained extensive experience of the local geography. Focusing on mining projects in Greenland since 2012, he has analysed the country’s potential against the backdrop of environmental responsibilities and associated legalities with partner SRK Exploration Services. Through this process, the business has turned its attentions solely towards gold exploration.

“The known gold deposits in Greenland are in an area where the climate is mild and, given our experience, logistics are relatively easy. Gold opportunities are easier to finance than larger base metals projects and our perception was that we could fully fund projects like these through our support here in Iceland and in the UK market,” he explains.

“We started looking for opportunities in the South Greenland Gold Province and became aware of this historically producing mine. We were attracted by the extremely high-grade potential of the resource and the fact that the project had significant infrastructure in place.  We believed there were significant opportunities to materially improve the mining operation that had been run by previous operators.”

Extensive exploration

Throughout the exploration of high-grade resources, Olafsson is proud to remain hands on and is regularly seen on site. By undertaking various technical studies, AEX has gained the ability to comprehensively analyse similar types of assets with potential.  After acquiring the Nalunaq project in 2015 the company has continued to expand its portfolio. Whilst Nalunaq encompasses the required licence to explore and recommence production at the old gold mine, they own the larger Vagar exploration licence, situated a few kilometres to the west of the mine, where AEX believes the ground is prospective for the discovery of further Nalunaq-type deposits.  In addition, they also own the early stage Tartoq Project to the North West of Nalunaq. Each licence area is at a different stage of exploration which supports AEX’s aim of having a continuous pipeline of projects being brought into production.

“We have a total of 690sqkm of licences in south Greenland and we're the only active listed gold company in Greenland. Previous operators undertook very little forward-looking exploration once the mine was in production.  It's a very under-explored region so we intend to recommence production within the next two years at Nalunaq in order to support our exploration in the larger licences in the next 5-10 years,” he says.

“Iceland is a short distance from Greenland, so logistically it’s good for us. Additionally, in Iceland you need to be really self-sufficient, and the same can be said for those in Greenland. We don't have as many people or the multitude of services that you would have in other countries which encourages you to think creatively,” he adds.

Consequently, the company has sought to maximise efficiency whilst keeping costs down, yet all the time adding increased value across its operations.

By acquiring a high-grade deposit, less material is needed to be broken down, lowering AEX Gold’s carbon footprint. Everything taken out of the mine from underground will be processed and shipped out to a different processing facility, or processed on site adhering to the current environmental guidelines. Historically, electricity has been generated through the use of traditional fossil fuels, something which is steadily changing throughout Greenland.

“We're using oil to put in generators or to power mobile mining equipment which is high cost both in monetary and environmental terms.   Greenland currently has five hydroelectric power plants and they are looking at building more in south Greenland,” says Olafsson.

Seeing huge opportunities, he explains that the use of hydropower and wind power would complement AEX Gold’s operations, not only in its existing exploration activities, but with the implementation of an electric mining fleet with electricity being obtained from local renewable resources.

Providing local opportunities

In the future, it will be essential for Greenland to gain further revenue to unlock opportunities and services for its citizens. This is something Olafsson believes that AEX Gold can help with due to its knowledge of Iceland as it has many similarities to Greenland and has been through a period of comparable change.

“Greenland is in a similar position to Iceland not so long ago. Iceland didn't have a high education rate and wasn’t wealthy compared to other European countries, with economic and cultural activities that were very insular. We are now at the highest level of all parameters in terms of education, wealth per family, etc. and this has stemmed from improving the breadth of schooling and creating opportunities for people to grow and develop outside of the traditional areas of agriculture and fisheries.

“Our aim is that the majority of employees will be Greenlandic, but it will take time. Greenland has a large number of people competing for jobs in the fisheries and tourist centres. It is important that Greenlanders are able to access programmes that will allow them to consider other career options. In Iceland we are importing a lot of people to work in different industries in our country because we don't have enough people. This might be the case for Greenlanders as well if the anticipated growth of the Mining Sector materialises but we want to ensure that, where possible, we use local people first before looking elsewhere.

“The Greenlandic Government provides good support for those who seek education.  There are an increasing number of Greenlandic students attending Danish Universities so that now, for example, we are seeing well qualified Greenlandic geologists available for employment.  There has been a Mining School at Sisimiut for the last 10 years which provides local qualified labour who can take advantage of opportunities in the Mining sector.  You need skilled labour and as we own a mine that was in production for 10 years previously, there is a fair bit of local knowledge that we have been able to use during our exploration work and which we are keen to utilise going forward,” he says.

“We are creating revenue for local communities, creating highly skilled jobs, and are providing benefits where local communities can live better lives and grow as individuals. We need to create opportunities for young people.”

Additionally, by working with local businesses as well as those who have been operating in Greenland for some time, AEX has made a conscious effort to hire companies which can support its growth. AEX have therefore acquired a longstanding relationship with Cartwright Drilling, due to the company’s extensive experience in Greenland and subsequent knowledge of the island’s government systems, processes and practices.

Planning to mine high-grade resources using significant infrastructure already in place, AEX Gold holds extensive licences managed by an experienced team. Previous operations produced between 50,000 to 100,000 ounces a year at 15.4 grams/ton produced and this has provided a benchmark for the company, who will utilise this cash flow to explore the wider region in the long-term.

“We have a five-year plan where we want to get into production at Nalunaq and use the cash generated to fund exploration in the wider district.   We envisage investing a significant amount in exploration assets to provide a portfolio of different deposits that we can bring into production. We are creating a company that has a long-term mission in Greenland to build up local know how to support our aim of ramping up to very profitable production across a number of projects,” notes Olafsson.

“It will create a dramatic effect on the local community and hopefully be a springboard for unlocking much larger potential in Greenland. There are plenty of deposits that have been found, but you have to be able to develop them. You can only do that that with support and cooperation from the local people who believe in your vision.”

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Eldur Olafsson

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Content: Skip to content

The days of rare earth e-motors are numbered

The environmental impact of rare earth metals is prompting an evolution within e-motors. Megan Lampinen hears more

The quest for a truly sustainable vehicle extends far beyond the tailpipe. From battery materials to manufacturing processes, numerous aspects of the value chain are ripe for cleaning up. At Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), the focus is on the motors in electric vehicles (EVs). “The permanent magnet motors currently going into most EVs are a ticking timebomb for the environment,” asserts AEM Chief Executive James Widmer.

Today’s EV motors rely on rare earth metals for their performance, but the extraction and processing of those materials is fraught with environmental side-effects. A 2021 study from the Kleiman Center for Energy Policy found that every tonne of rare earth material mined produces up to 1.4 tonnes of radioactive waste, 200 cubic metres of acid-containing sewage water, 60,000 cubic metres of waste gas containing hydrochloric acid, and 27.6 tonnes of CO2.

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Title:

Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

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Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

These regulatory requirements, while ensuring environmental stewardship, can lengthen approval processes and increase operational costs .

- **Technical and Logistical Challenges:** Greenland’s Arctic and sub-Arctic climate, remote geography, and limited infrastructure in some areas complicate transportation, supply chains, and operational efficiency .

The melting of Greenland’s ice sheets due to rapid Arctic warming is exposing new mineral deposits but also destabilizing traditional transportation routes and increasing operational risks .

Title:

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05.10.2022 15:05:00

Environmentally friendly technology allows for efficient separation of REEs, transition metals from waste

Researchers at the US’s Idaho National Laboratory have taken a water treatment technology and adapted it for selectively separating rare earth elements and transition metals.This chemical process, recently described in a Nature Communications article, reduces both the energy and product consumption involved with rare earth element recovery.The new method involves the use of dimethyl ether, a gaseous compound that served as one of the first commercial refrigerants. The compound drives fractional crystallization—a process that divides chemical substances based on their solubility—to separate rare earth elements and transition metals from magnet wastes.“This process begins with a magnet that’s no longer useful, which is cut and ground into shavings,” Caleb Stetson, the experimental lead for the project, said in a media statement. “The magnet shavings are then put into a solution with lixiviants, a liquid used to selectively extract metals from the material. Once the desired metals are leached from the material into the liquid, we can then apply a treatment process.”The dimethyl ether-driven process uses far less energy and pressure than traditional methods, typically conducted at very high temperatures. Fractional crystallization, on the other hand, can be carried out at ambient temperatures and requires only slightly elevated pressures of around five atmospheres. In comparison, the pressure in an unopened 12-ounce can of soda is 3.5 atmospheres. These lower energy and pressure needs also save money.Little wasteAccording to the scientists involved in the project, competing technologies also use added chemical reagents to drive precipitation and other separations, which inevitably become additional waste products with financial and environmental consequences. This is not the case with dimethyl ether-based fractional crystallization.In their paper, the researchers point out that they selected dimethyl ether for its ease of recovery, overcoming a shortcoming of prior attempts to use solvents to drive critical material separations. By dropping the pressure and then recompressing the gas at the end of the experiment, the team is able to recover the solvent and reuse it in future cycles.The process has other advantages as well. “It can be difficult to adjust temperatures for evaporative crystallization, but this fractional crystallization process eliminates all those challenges,” Stetson said. “For the process to separate distinct fractions from a metal-bearing solution, we only need to adjust the temperature by 10 degrees.”When developing this solvent-based process for zero-waste metal recovery, the team worked closely with some of the electrochemical rare earth metal recovery processes already in place at the lab. This includes the E-RECOV effort, which uses an electrochemical cell to efficiently recover metals from discarded electronics.In the scientists’ view, reducing the energy intensity and waste profile of critical material recovery is expected to not only have environmental benefits but also inspire developed countries to carry out these processes locally instead of offshore.
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Content: Sweden's new rare-earth metal find likely big deal for Western consumers

Sweden has discovered what is billed as Europe's biggest deposit of rare earth minerals - a crucial component of electronics and clean energy technology - giving a significant boost to the continent's hunt for trade security.

LKAB, the Swedish state-owned mining company, announced Thursday that it found deposits of more than 1 million tonnes of rare earth metals in the country's far northern Lapland province.

Products ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles and even military jets require these rare earth elements, which are not currently mined in Europe, the company said. Much of the world's supply comes from China, which has used them as a geopolitical tool.

LKAB president Jan Mostrom said in a statement that the find could be a "significant building block" for Europe, which faces a "supply problem." But the company also said that it would take at least a decade before the rare earth minerals discovered hit the market.

READ MORE:
* GM reaches supply deals for electric vehicle motor magnets
* Why rare earths are a Five Eyes hot topic
* The race against China's 'rare earths weapon'
* Rare earth could be common in NZ

Here's what to know about this major discovery and what it means for Western consumers.

What are rare earth minerals and where are they found?

Rare earths are not actually that rare. They are a group of 17 chemical elements, composed of scandium, yttrium and lanthanides, according to the US Geological Survey.

But mining rare earth minerals is complex, as supply is not concentrated in one location. Mining them also affects the environment, since their ores can be laced with radioactive materials such as thorium and uranium. Refining the minerals can generate toxic and radioactive waste, which poses environmental and health risks if not properly disposed of.

China hosts the majority of the world's reserve of rare earth minerals and is the world's leading supplier. (The United States was the largest producer several decades ago.) While Brazil and Vietnam have significant reserves, they lag far behind in mining them.

Access to the minerals became an issue in the trade war with China during the administration of US President Donald Trump. Beijing threatened to cut off exports to the United States in 2019 to retaliate against Trump's measures, pushing prices up and prompting Trump to sign an executive order increasing domestic production. The Biden administration has also pushed for investments in that supply chain.

Other countries have also moved to reduce their reliance on China. Australia is spending millions to develop a rare earths mine and processing plant in its Northern Territory.

What are rare earth minerals used for?

Multiple household goods, including televisions, computers, smartphones and lighting use rare earth minerals. Yttrium and europium, for instance, light up iPhone displays and allow them to vibrate.

They are also key elements of US-made defence systems, including night-vision technology, jets and armoured-vehicle alloys.

Rare earth minerals are critical for the global clean energy transition, as they are components of the magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines - although recently some companies have developed motors for electric vehicles that do not require rare earths.

What does Sweden's discovery mean for the climate?

LKAB's find was welcomed in Europe, which has faced energy challenges amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The European Union also has a goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.

In September, a senior EU official said Europe's climate ambitions were at risk without reliable supply chains. "Take China, with its quasi-monopoly on rare earths and permanent magnets and prices rising by 50-90% in the past year alone," wrote Thierry Breton, an EU commissioner. "Supply of raw materials has become a real geopolitical tool."

The European Raw Materials Alliance notes that while the European Union has a massive electric-motor manufacturing sector, "it is almost fully import dependent" when it comes to rare earth permanent magnets.

Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch said Thursday that Europe's independence from Russia and China would begin with this mine.

Political leadership in the continent, she said, "must give the industry the conditions to switch to green and fossil-free production."

The Washington Post

Thawing permafrost and unpredictable weather can affect the stability and accessibility of mining sites, further complicating extraction .

- **Cost and Complexity:** The extraction of rare earth elements is generally expensive and technically complex, requiring advanced technology and significant investment .

Title:

Content: bombermoon / Shutterstock

Vertical integration offers a unique investor value proposition that incorporates sustainability across the value chain.

To support decarbonization, electrification and clean energy, it is necessary to boost global critical minerals production.

At present, the world faces multiple supply shortfalls, including but not limited to lithium, rare earths and copper. Achieving a meaningful transition means sustainability must be integrated not just in production, but throughout the supply chain.

Given their capacity to incorporate sustainable practices throughout their value chain processes and protocols, mining companies with vertical integration strategies can offer a unique value proposition for investors.

Proven model

Vertically integrated value chains have existed in the resource sector for decades, driving many mergers and acquisitions while serving as the key value proposition for mining and resource companies of all sizes.

Certain resources, particularly those with high asset specificity, such as bauxite, are produced and processed almost entirely under vertical integration or quasi-vertical integration arrangements. The core reasons for these arrangements have remained relatively constant over the years.

For one, vertical integration provides resilience against market volatility, insulating against both downstream and upstream impacts through greater control and lower production costs. This business model also allows a mining company to take advantage of improved margins in adjacent sectors of the value chain, and boost upstream channels to market and generate incremental demand for commodities.

Sustainability strategies

The transition to cleaner forms of energy and electric vehicles will not happen overnight. It's an expensive and complex long-term undertaking. Moreover, it requires a massive amount of raw materials — and ensuring a company’s entire supply chain is traceable and sustainable can be challenging.

A vertical integration strategy can provide a pathway for a company to ensure a sustainable and responsible supply chain — from extraction and processing to sale and distribution, and potentially even product development.

As an investor, one must examine a mining company's entire supply chain to verify claims of vertical integration and sustainability, including extraction, processing and refinement.

Vertically integrated mining companies to watch

Given how long vertical integration strategies have existed in mining and resources, it should come as little surprise that many companies embrace them, including some of the largest producers in the world. Below, you'll find a few examples we believe could make for particularly valuable investment targets.

Aclara Resources (TSX:ARA,OTC Pink:ARAAF)

A development-stage company focused on ion-adsorption-clay-hosted heavy rare earth minerals, Aclara leverages its patented Circular Mineral Harvestingprocess that produces no solid or liquid waste, requires no explosives, milling or crushing, and recirculates up to 95 percent of used water. The company has committed to fully revegetating and revitalizing the extraction zones at its projects in Chile and Brazil.

Beyond its Circular Mineral Harvesting process, Aclara plans to become a vertically integrated rare earth production company, from mine to metals and alloys, while consistently prioritizing and implementing sustainable practices throughout the value chain. In collaboration with the Saskatchewan Research Council and Hatch, the company is developing a rare earth separation facility in the US using a solvent extraction process. In addition, Aclara’s recently announced joint venture with CAP S.A. aims to offer a geopolitically independent alternative supply of rare earths for the permanent magnets market. In further demonstration of its resolve toward sustainability, Aclara recently joined the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. With over 24,000 participating organizations across 160 companies, the Global Compact defines a ten-principle framework on labor, human rights, anti-corruption and environmental practices.

Northern Graphite (TSXV:NGC,OTCQB:NGPHF)

As the only producer of graphite in North America, Northern (formerly Northern Graphite) recently rebranded to emphasize its new strategy to evolve into a vertically integrated mine-to-market-to-battery company. Northern owns and operates the Lac des Iles graphite mine in Quebec, the Bissett Creek project in Ontario and a Namibian project that it is waiting to bring back online. Once the Namibian project is operational, Northern will be one of the largest non-Chinese natural graphite producers in the world.

This puts the company in an excellent position to expand downstream, leveraging its pre-existing expertise to help establish a stable North American battery supply chain.

Arafura Resources (ASX:ARU,OTC Pink:ARAFF)

An Australian REE company focused on sustainable development, Arafura maintains full ownership of the Nolans Project. Located 135 kilometers north of Alice Springs, the project is rich in both neodymium and praseodymium. Arafura has secured government funding to support the project, which it plans to develop into a vertically integrated operation with on-site processing facilities.

Once completed, the mine is expected to have a 38-year life with a capacity of 4,400 MT of annual neodymium-praseodymium concentrate production.

Fortune Minerals (TSX:FT,OTCQB:FTMDF)

A diversified development-stage mining company based in North America, Fortune Minerals owns the NICO cobalt-gold-bismuth-copper project in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The company is currently working to advance the vertically integrated project, producing bulk concentrate through a mine and onsite mill and then shipping the concentrate to a company-owned plant in Southern Canada for refinement. Fortune Minerals is also actively dedicated to sustainability, Indigenous relations and community outreach; the company currently maintains a working relationship with the Tlicho First Nation on the project.

Elcora Advanced Materials (TSXV:ERA)

Founded in 2011, Elcora is a vertically integrated battery materials company structured to address the entire battery value chain. The company is particularly noteworthy for its proprietary refinement process to cost-effectively purify battery metals and minerals. Through this process, Elcora is able to produce high-quality graphene.

Elcora currently owns and operates the Sakura graphite mine in Sri Lanka and the Atlas Lion vanadium deposit in Morocco. The company also operates a processing facility near the Ragedara Mine in Sri Lanka.

Investor takeaway

Vertical integration is nothing new for the mining sector. But with sustainable and cost-effective production now front-of-mind for more stakeholders than ever, vertical integration strategies have never been more relevant. Companies that can successfully execute a vertical integration initiative gain a significant competitive advantage, greatly improving their potential investment value as a result.

This INNSpired article is sponsored by Aclara Resources (TSX:ARA,OTC Pink:ARAAF). This INNSpired article provides information which was sourced by the Investing News Network (INN) and approved by Aclara Resourcesin order to help investors learn more about the company. Aclara Resources is a client of INN. The company’s campaign fees pay for INN to create and update this INNSpired article.

This INNSpired article was written according to INN editorial standards to educate investors.

INN does not provide investment advice and the information on this profile should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. INN does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company profiled.

The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Readers should conduct their own research for all information publicly available concerning the company. Prior to making any investment decision, it is recommended that readers consult directly with Aclara Resources and seek advice from a qualified investment advisor.

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Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

To continue reading, register now.

Subscribe now for unlimited access to everything PS has to offer.

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As a registered user, you can enjoy more PS content every month – for free.

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https://prosyn.org/O2RPISg

Traditional extraction methods often involve toxic solvents and high temperatures, generating substantial waste and environmental risks .

Regulatory hurdles and the need for comprehensive environmental and social impact assessments add to the cost and complexity of mining operations .

To address these challenges, technological advancements are being developed globally and may be applicable to Greenland’s context.

To address these challenges, technological advancements are being developed globally and may be applicable to Greenland’s context.

To address these challenges, technological advancements are being developed globally and may be applicable to Greenland’s context.

For example, researchers have engineered bacteria such as *Vibrio natriegens* and *Shewanella oneidensis* to biosorb and selectively bind rare earth elements, offering greener alternatives to conventional chemical extraction methods .

Title:

Content: Truth, Inspiration, Hope.

Govts Utilizing Mine Waste to Beat China on Green Energy Goals

100,000 tons of rare earths each year end up in waste from producing phosphoric acid alone
Victor resides in the Netherlands and writes about freedom and governmental and social changes to the democratic form of nations.
Published: April 10, 2023

Several mine waste refining projects have started worldwide in a longshot effort to meet the demand for the green energy revolution and beat market leader China along the way.

Sweden, South Africa, and Australia are among the countries that hope to wean off their dependency on China for their supply of rare earths, a market that is 90 percent dominated by Beijing

These mine waste by-products, in many cases, can be processed into substances vital for powering electric vehicles (EV) and wind turbines; however, the yield from these processes would hardly make a dent in satisfying the surging demand of a world that has set its sights on net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Sweden

One of those companies that took the challenge is Swedish state-owned iron ore miner LKAB, which has set out to extract phosphorus for fertilizer, fluorine, and gypsum in addition to rare earths from mining debris or by-products.

Material from an initial stage of iron ore processing, currently deposited in a tailings dam, Europe’s largest known deposit of rare earth oxides, will be retained and go through further treatment stages.

“We want to make sure we extract as much value as possible, and when we come to the critical minerals, we have those in our ores already,” said David Hognelid, LKAB’s chief strategy officer for unique products.

LKAB will be sending its material for separation to Norway’s REEtec, in which it is the biggest shareholder.

Commodity trader Mercuria also bought a stake in REEtec for a new division that targets metals needed for the energy transition.

“REEtec fits the narrative of building processing capacity for rare earths in the part of the supply chain where we think there’s a bottleneck,” said Guillaume de Dardel, head of energy transition metals at Mercuria.

“The company’s technology has a lower environmental footprint than the legacy solvent extraction process essentially used for rare earths separation in China.”

South Africa and Australia

In South Africa, Rainbow Minerals also plans to process waste stacks from years of phosphate mining.

Rainbow Minerals will employ a novel method based on ion chromatography, a technique widely used in pharmaceutical and other industries created by the American business K-Technologies.

The largest such project, however, is currently underway in Australia, where the manufacturer of mineral sands, Iluka, is preparing to process 1 million tons of stockpiled by-products that have been accumulating at its Eneabba site since the 1990s.

READ MORE:

It is constructing a rare earths refinery slated to open in 2025 that, together with the required infrastructure, is anticipated to cost between $675 million and $800 million, aided by government grants.

Low-hanging fruits

There are 16.2 million tons of unexploited rare earths in 325 mineral sands deposits worldwide, Australia’s RMIT University estimates. Meanwhile, the Idaho National Laboratory said 100,000 tons of rare earths each year end up in waste from producing phosphoric acid alone.

The projects mentioned above target output of over 10,000 tons of key elements neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) oxide by 2027 by processing material from mineral sands, fertilizer, and iron ore operations, Reuters estimated based on figures from consultants Adamas Intelligence.

“These projects are the low-hanging fruit in the supply chain at the moment,” said Ryan Castilloux, managing director at Adamas.

But these low-hanging fruits only make up 8 percent of the expected demand for the two vital ores, essential for making permanent magnets to power EV and wind turbine motors.

“There’s more demand growth coming in the near to medium term than production, so there’s an opportunity for these readily accessible sources of supply,” Castilloux figured.

But however profitable the short-term prospects for Adamas and others may be, they will only be for a relatively short period. They can only serve to cut the expected deficit in the materials by half at most, Adamas and the Reuters analysis showed.

Reuters contributed to this article.

Title:

Content: EU Policy. France, Germany, Italy seek private input for €2.5bn critical mineral investment

EIT Critical Raw Materials Summit 2024 Copyright Veronika Rose/Veronika Rose EIT Critical Raw Materials Summit 2024
Copyright Veronika Rose/Veronika Rose EIT Critical Raw Materials Summit 2024
By Marta Pacheco
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The Raw Materials Funds announced by France, Germany and Italy will be operational before the summer break.

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France, Germany and Italy appealed for private investment to match public funding to develop the critical raw materials’ value chain, when pitching national investment plans amounting to €2.5bn during a summit in Brussels.

The three EU nations laid down their intentions to finance domestic mining operations to secure critical raw materials for the energy transition at the EIT Raw Materials Summit this week, with plans for the capital to be available by the summer.

Raw Materials Funds across France, Germany and Italy will be focused on more than 30 critical minerals identified under the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), the countries' representatives said. Lithium, copper, battery metals and rare earth metals for the airspace and defence industries will be among the main targeted by the initiatives.

Benjamin Gallezot, an official within the French prime minister’s office responsible for managing the supply of strategic minerals and metals, announced the government is providing €500m to the country’s national minerals fund with the private-run Infravia Capital Partners raising the rest, with the ultimate goal of raising €2bn.

The Frenchman said the fund will cover the whole value chain — mining, processing and recycling — and will “take minority stakes in projects” which will require an “industry operator to run it”. However, Gallezot stressed the general strategy and investment objective of the fund are to be defined "jointly with the French government".

Alberto Castronovo from the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, told the audience the government established the national “Made in Italy” fund last December with €1bn, saying the law foresees an equal private investor contribution of “at least €1bn”.

“We foresee a pipeline of projects that will be at least of €2bn, mainly of equity investment,” said Castronovo.

The Italian fund’s mandate is designed to support national strategic supply chain, with reference to CRMA mining transformation and recycling, Castronovo said, to speed up the energy transition process and circular economy models.

Germany has put aside another €1bn to be managed by the KfW Development Bank. Jan Klasen, KfW’s director stressed the “need for equity” whenever developing a market strategy.

“We want supply into Europe, into Germany, and for that we have €1bn by the German government for equity,” said Klasen, adding KfW’s role is to act as a “minority investment”.

“We need to have someone who knows what he or she is doing from a technical perspective and is running the show,” said Klasen.

The Germans will set up a government-led “raw materials committee”, where all the projects and associated commitments will be negotiated and ultimately approved.

When asked whether these three national Funds will compete with each other, all three representatives rejected the idea.

“The world of mining is very big, there are huge investments to do. We can co-invest and we need all that kind of investment. It’s a good thing to have all these governments developing investments,” said Gallezot.

Castronovo said there was “no space for competition, only for collaboration”, and that the three nations have a great collaboration and alignment”.

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The Idaho National Laboratory has pioneered a new separation technology using dimethyl ether for fractional crystallization at ambient temperatures and pressures, significantly reducing energy consumption and waste generation .

Title:

Content: China tightens rare earth regulations amid rising global competition

Company News

by Glenn Dyer

Are the growing number of rare earth projects in Australia and elsewhere starting to force China onto the back foot?

The likes of Lynas (and its expanded product line from 2025), Iluka, Northern Minerals, and Arafura (Nolans) are starting to be felt globally, along with projects in the US, Canada, southern Africa, Sweden, and Norway.

Chinese interests tried to sneak a takeover of Northern Minerals before being stopped by the Australian government last month.

China is obviously starting to feel the heat, and it has reacted defensively by restricting exports of some rare minerals, such as germanium and gallium. Now, the controls are being expanded.

For a tightly controlled, Communist Party-run country, it's odd that ownership has never been made explicit for such a key mineral.

On Saturday, the Chinese government unveiled a list of rare earth regulations aimed at protecting supplies in the name of national security.

The new rules, which start on October 1, will cover the mining, smelting, and trade in rare earths used to make products from magnets in electric vehicles to consumer electronics.

The regulations, issued by the State Council or cabinet, state that rare earth resources belong to the state, and that the government will oversee the development of the industry around rare earths.

That’s a group of 17 minerals, of which China has, in recent years, become the world's dominant producer, accounting for nearly 90% of global refined output.

Their global industrial significance is such that, under a law that entered into force in May, the EU set ambitious 2030 targets for domestic production of minerals crucial in the green transition—particularly rare earths due to their use in permanent magnets that power motors in EVs and wind energy.

The EU sees demand rising sixfold in the decade to 2030 and sevenfold by 2050.

The new Chinese regulations state the State Council will establish a rare earth product traceability information system.

Enterprises operating in rare earth mining, smelting, separation, and the export of rare earth products will be required to establish a product flow record system, shall "truthfully" record the flow, and shall enter it into the traceability system, the State Council said in a statement on Saturday.

China already last year introduced restrictions on exports of the elements germanium and gallium, used widely in the chip-making sector, citing the need to protect national security and interests.

It also banned the export of technology to make rare earth magnets, in addition to imposing a ban on technology to extract and separate rare earths.

Those rules fanned fears that restrictions in rare earth supplies might increase tensions with the West, particularly the United States, which accuses China of using economic coercion to influence other countries. Beijing denies the claim.

China's rare earth regulations also come as the EU gears up to impose provisional tariffs on Chinese EVs on July 4 to protect the 27-state bloc from what it says is a flood of EVs produced with unfair state subsidies, though both sides have said they plan talks on the proposed tariffs.

Glenn Dyer

Glenn Dyer has been a finance journalist and TV producer for more than 40 years. He has worked at Maxwell Newton Publications, Queensland Newspapers, AAP, The Australian Financial Review, The Nine Network and Crikey.

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Companies like Aclara Resources are adopting circular mining approaches, aiming to produce no solid or liquid waste and recirculate up to 95% of used water .

Title:

Content: Greenland’s Melting Glaciers Spew a Complicated Treasure: Sand

Meltwater from the island’s ice sheet is loaded with the right kind of sand for concrete production—which further warms the planet.

Sand is both abundant and rare. Earth has vast deserts of the stuff, of course, but not the kind that’s in such high demand that sand mafias are killing for it. That special variety is a critical component of the concrete used in buildings and infrastructure, the production of which has skyrocketed exponentially over the last few decades. That has come at a significant climate cost: The industry now accounts for 8 percent of global carbon emissions.

Sand is also at the center of a strange climate story. Climate change is destroying Greenland’s ice sheet, producing an extraordinary amount of meltwater. (Even if we somehow totally stopped emissions today, Greenland’s melting could still contribute nearly a foot of sea-level rise.) And in a twist of fate, that meltwater is loaded with the right kind of sand for concrete production, which causes more warming and more melting. Great plumes of glacial sediment are swirling along the coast, actually adding land along the edges of the island. Even though Greenland is only three times the size of Texas, its ice sheet is the source of 8 percent of suspended river sediments flowing into the oceans.

The country now has to figure out whether exploiting that valuable, abundant resource on a wider scale would be environmentally, socially, and economically tenable. “It is quite controversial—we're saying Greenland can benefit from climate change,” says Mette Bendixen, a geographer at McGill University in Canada, who’s studying the idea. “Contrary to most of the other parts of the Arctic coast, Greenland is not eroding. It's in fact growing bigger, because the ice sheet is melting. So you can think of the ice sheet as a tap that pours out not only water, but also all the sediment.”

That sediment is special, indeed. Desert sand from, say, the Sahara is no good for making concrete because it’s too rounded and uniform. Over millennia, winds push those grains around, polishing them. If you make concrete out of such sand, “it's almost like building with marbles,” says Bendixen. “You want particles that are more angular in shape, not rounded. And that type of material is exactly what you get from rivers, for example, or material that has been deposited by glaciers.”

As Greenland’s ice sheet—which covers 700,000 square miles and is up to 10,000 feet thick—rubs against the land, it grinds up sediment, including sand, fine silt, and larger chunks of gravel. And as the ice melts, torrents of water carry all that debris to the sea, while the pounding of the rivers themselves further erodes the landscape. Compared to the thousands of years that sand spends rolling around the Sahara and becoming rounded, the particles coming off Greenland are fresher. They’re more angular and more diversely shaped. Instead of acting like marbles, they fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, which is good for concrete.

Greenland already harvests its sand for local, small-scale concrete production, since importing sand would be prohibitively expensive. This is limited to domestic companies, who have to win non-exclusive permits after passing environmental review by the government’s scientific advisers. They can also apply to export the sand, but that requires additional licensing. “We are basically also open for sand extraction aiming at export, but then it will be treated like any other mining activity,” says Kim Zinck-Jørgensen, of the Greenland government’s Mineral Licence and Safety Authority. “And for that you'll have a much greater setup with regulations and also environmental impact assessments, social impact assessments.”

Currently, dredging boats suck up sediment along the coast and filter out the sand, which is then brought back onshore. But if Greenland decides to scale up sand extraction for export, that would mean big ships would have to haul the stuff away to international ports. “It's important to stress that if you extract whatever natural resource, there will be environmental consequences,” says Bendixen. “But really, here the environmental consequences can be super broad.”

For one, those big ships will also be bringing in ballast, or the water they’ve collected from elsewhere and stored in their hulls for balance. If that ballast is released off the coast of Greenland, it may introduce invasive species. And, of course, dredging coastal sediments would further endanger underwater native creatures—and on land, increased mining operations might scare away the game that Inuit hunters rely on. (Greenland’s population is about 90 percent indigenous Inuit. The Greenland branch of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, an NGO representing Inuit peoples, declined to comment for this story.)

Interestingly, though, last month Bendixen and her colleagues published a survey of Greenlanders about their opinions on sand extraction. They found that 84 percent of adult residents are in favor of it, and three-quarters want it to be a national project. “It turns out that the vast majority of Greenlanders think that it should be primarily a Greenlandic enterprise,” says Rasmus Leander Nielsen, a political scientist at the University of Greenland, who did the survey with Bendixen. “Maybe you could have some smaller-scale, Greenlandic-led companies that could start off. And then eventually, when the business case is more favorable, then we could go into a larger export.”

About that business case: While the global demand for sand has gone wild, the economics of exported Greenland sand aren’t yet clear. A company would have to pay to run the local operations and foot the shipping costs to get the resource off the island. Those will be considerable, since sand is heavy and takes up a lot of room in a ship.

The Greenland government recently worked with a consultancy that did an assessment, finding that exporting the sand to Europe isn’t economically feasible at the moment. “Whether it's feasible to export it further on to the Middle East, I don't know,” says Thomas Lauridsen, chief adviser to Greenland’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Justice. “But we will then be in competition with European companies that will dredge sand in Europe or closer to the customer.”

Lauridsen adds that it’s up to the private sector to determine whether selling Greenland’s sand is cost-effective or not. And that export cost calculus may change in the future. “By 2100, the demand for sand is going to rise 300 percent, and the price 400 percent,” says Bendixen. “So we don't have to look that much farther into the future to start seeing a different calculation here in terms of whether it's worthwhile.”

Yes, a world with more sand harvesting for making more concrete would also mean more carbon emissions, more warming, and more melting of Greenland’s ice sheet. But, Bendixen says, all that glacial sand need not go exclusively toward concrete. Coastal communities are increasingly clamoring for sand to hold back rising seas, a fortification known as beach nourishment. “Just think of the irony in using the sand for beach nourishment to mitigate sea-level rise,” says Bendixen, “which is caused by—to a large extent—the melting of the Greenland ice sheet!”

These innovations, while not yet widely implemented in Greenland, represent potential pathways for more sustainable and efficient rare earth extraction in the future .

Greenland’s rare earth mineral sector has attracted significant interest from both countries and corporations seeking to secure alternative supply chains and reduce dependence on China.

Greenland’s rare earth mineral sector has attracted significant interest from both countries and corporations seeking to secure alternative supply chains and reduce dependence on China.

Greenland’s rare earth mineral sector has attracted significant interest from both countries and corporations seeking to secure alternative supply chains and reduce dependence on China.

The United States is particularly focused on securing critical minerals, working with allies such as Australia to develop procurement chains and expressing interest in partnerships involving Greenland .

Title:

Content: Uncategorized

Rare Earth Elements Market, Global Outlook and Forecast 2022-2028

Rare Earth Element is one of a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides, as well as scandium and yttrium. Scandium and yttrium are considered rare-earth elements because they tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanides and exhibit similar chemical properties.
This report contains market size and forecasts of Rare Earth Elements in global, including the following market information:
Global Rare Earth Elements Market Revenue, 2017-2022, 2023-2028, ($ millions)
Global Rare Earth Elements Market Sales, 2017-2022, 2023-2028, (MT)
Global top five Rare Earth Elements companies in 2021 (%)
The global Rare Earth Elements market was valued at 2659.4 million in 2021 and is projected to reach US$ 3906.3 million by 2028, at a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period.
The U.S. Market is Estimated at $ Million in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $ Million by 2028.
Cerium Segment to Reach $ Million by 2028, with a % CAGR in next six years.
The global key manufacturers of Rare Earth Elements include Arafura, Alkane Resources, Avalon Rare Metals, China Rare Earth Holdings, Indian Rare Earths, Lynas, Great Western Minerals, Greenland Minerals & Energy and Rare Element Resources, etc. In 2021, the global top five players have a share approximately % in terms of revenue.
We surveyed the Rare Earth Elements manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and industry experts on this industry, involving the sales, revenue, demand, price change, product type, recent development and plan, industry trends, drivers, challenges, obstacles, and potential risks.
Total Market by Segment:
Global Rare Earth Elements Market, by Type, 2017-2022, 2023-2028 ($ Millions) & (MT)
Global Rare Earth Elements Market Segment Percentages, by Type, 2021 (%)
Cerium
Dysprosium
Erbium
Europium
Gadolinium
Holmium
Lanthanum
Lutetium
Neodymium
Praseodymium
Global Rare Earth Elements Market, by Application, 2017-2022, 2023-2028 ($ Millions) & (MT)
Global Rare Earth Elements Market Segment Percentages, by Application, 2021 (%)
Magnets
Catalysts
Metallurgy
Polishing
Glass
Phosphors
Ceramics
Other
Global Rare Earth Elements Market, By Region and Country, 2017-2022, 2023-2028 ($ Millions) & (MT)
Global Rare Earth Elements Market Segment Percentages, By Region and Country, 2021 (%)
North America
US
Canada
Mexico
Europe
Germany
France
U.K.
Italy
Russia
Nordic Countries
Benelux
Rest of Europe
Asia
China
Japan
South Korea
Southeast Asia
India
Rest of Asia
South America
Brazil
Argentina
Rest of South America
Middle East & Africa
Turkey
Israel
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Rest of Middle East & Africa
Competitor Analysis
The report also provides analysis of leading market participants including:
Key companies Rare Earth Elements revenues in global market, 2017-2022 (Estimated), ($ millions)
Key companies Rare Earth Elements revenues share in global market, 2021 (%)
Key companies Rare Earth Elements sales in global market, 2017-2022 (Estimated), (MT)
Key companies Rare Earth Elements sales share in global market, 2021 (%)
Further, the report presents profiles of competitors in the market, key players include:
Arafura
Alkane Resources
Avalon Rare Metals
China Rare Earth Holdings
Indian Rare Earths
Lynas
Great Western Minerals
Greenland Minerals & Energy
Rare Element Resources
Molycorp
Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare Earth Hi-Tech
Frontier Rare Earths

Download FREE Sample of this Report @ https://www.statsmarketresearch.com/download-free-sample/7131409/global-rare-earth-elements-forecast-2022-2028-651

Table of content

1 Introduction to Research & Analysis Reports
1.1 Rare Earth Elements Market Definition
1.2 Market Segments
1.2.1 Market by Type
1.2.2 Market by Application
1.3 Global Rare Earth Elements Market Overview
1.4 Features & Benefits of This Report
1.5 Methodology & Sources of Information
1.5.1 Research Methodology
1.5.2 Research Process
1.5.3 Base Year
1.5.4 Report Assumptions & Caveats
2 Global Rare Earth Elements Overall Market Size
2.1 Global Rare Earth Elements Market Size: 2021 VS 2028
2.2 Global Rare Earth Elements Revenue, Prospects & Forecasts: 2017-2028
2.3 Global Rare Earth Elements Sales: 2017-2028
3 Company Landscape
3.1 Top Rare Earth Elements Players in Global Market
3.2 Top Global Rare Earth Elements Companies Ranked by Revenue
3.3 Global Rare Earth Elements Revenue by Companies
3.4 Global Rare Earth Elements Sales by Companies
3.5 Global Rare Earth Elements Price by Manufacturer (2017-2022)
3.6 Top 3 and Top 5 Rare Earth Elements Companies in Global Market, by Revenue in 2021
3.7 Global Manufacturers Rare Earth Elements Product Type
3.8 Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 Rare Earth Elements Players in Global Market
3.8.1 List of Global Tier 1 Rare Earth Elements Companies
3.8.2 List of Global Tier 2 and Tier 3 Rare Earth Elements Companies
4 Sights by Product
4.1 Overview
4.1.1 By Type – Global Rare Earth El

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International: (+1) 646 781 7170 / +91 8087042414

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Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

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The European Union is also actively seeking to reduce its reliance on China for critical raw materials, exploring partnerships with Greenland as part of its broader strategy to develop alternative supply chains .

Title:

Content: Courtesy of Bryce Brownfield/Cornell University

Researchers genetically manipulated Vibrio natriegens to improve its ability to adsorb rare earth elements

13 hours ago

Cornell Researchers Improve On Ability of Bacteria To Efficiently Extract Rare Earth Elements

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Cornell researchers recently used genetic engineering to improve the extraction of rare earth elements using a bacteria called Vibrio natriegens.

Rare earth elements are a group of metallic elements with chemical similarities including scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides. According to the paper, published in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology, bacteria can provide a positive alternative to outdated and environmentally harmful methods of REE extraction.

According to co-lead author Sean Medin grad, REEs are components of sustainable technology like magnets, electric vehicles and wind turbines. However, the methods used to obtain high purity REEs often involve toxic solvents, high temperatures and a significant carbon impact. In their paper, Medin and co-lead author Anastacia Dressel ’24 demonstrated genetic engineering to make V. natriegens better suited for extracting the elements without emitting such pollutants.

“I’m interested in finding any way we can use synthetic biology to solve problems to do with climate change, and that involves reinventing our world’s energy system,” said Prof. Buz Barstow, biological and environmental engineering, who leads the lab which oversees the research, in an interview with the Sun. “Rare earths are something that just really took off for us.”

V. natriegens is a good candidate for extracting REEs from the environment due to many natural qualities of the bacteria useful to lab research. According to co-author and postdoctoral associate David Specht M.Eng. ’18 Ph.D. ’21, V. natriegens has a number of advantages that make it easy to work with. Not only is V. natriegens the fastest growing organism on earth, but it also grows at room temperature and can be engineered with many of the same genetic tools used with E. Coli, conventionally one of the easiest organisms to work with.

The natural process at the heart of extracting REEs with bacteria is biosorption, a passive process that occurs when a substance from the environment, like REEs, sticks to the outside of a bacteria. V. natriegens is one of the bacteria capable of biosorbing REEs.

Barstow was inspired by previous research which suggested that biosorption could be selective — meaning certain bacteria appeared to prefer sticking to some elements over others. This selectivity made biosorption a potential tool in element processing.

In the planned application of this research, after biosorption, the researchers would wash the bacteria and dissolve the REEs into a solution. Then, by exposing the bacteria to that new solution, the biosorption process would repeat. Due to this selectivity for certain elements, the paper predicts that a repetition of the process results in a REE solution of high purity. According to Barstow, biosorption causes REEs to stick to bacteria but not that well — like a sticky note — making this purification process very easy.

The researchers genetically engineered V. natriegens by inducing random mutations — a necessary process that allows the bacteria to mutate into a more selective version with a greater capacity to adsorb REEs.

“It’s very unlikely that we’re going to find organisms that really selectively interact with one rare earth metal. We’re trying to do something that doesn’t exist in nature,” Specht said in an interview with the Sun.

Throughout three rounds of mutations, the researchers selected samples of bacteria and screened them to determine the extent of biosorption. One version of V. natriegens improved biosorption by 210 percent for the REE dysprosium, a common component of magnets.

The researchers also observed an increase in selectivity between the lightest and heaviest REEs, indicating further potential to improve V. natriegens’ capability as an REE separator.

However, despite improving the biosorption capacity and selectivity, the researchers remain unsure exactly how particular genes contributed to the change.

“I explored a little bit of the genetics here, but it’s very circumstantial,” Medin said in an interview with the Sun. “[After scaling up and optimizing] I might actually be able to see — What’s the actual genetic basis? How can I actually mess with this a little bit better? That’s something that I’m looking forward to.”

Medin is continuing to research biosorption as a method of REE extraction at REEgen, a startup company in Cornell’s Praxis Center for Venture Development, where he is also working on the technology to separate the REEs from the bacteria. REEgen, co-founded by Medin and Alexa Schmitz Ph.D. ’18, is dedicated to utilizing biology to extract rare earths without the environmental cost, thus providing sustainably sourced materials to create more sustainable energy technologies.

“I think that biology is going to help us build a revolutionary new sustainable energy infrastructure,” Barstow said. “I would be even more surprised if [by the end of the century] there wasn’t at least one or two important energy technologies that were based on syn[thetic] bio[logy].”

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China Bans Exports of Some Rare-Earth Processing Technology

(Bloomberg) -- China will halt the export of a range of rare-earth technologies, potentially making it harder for the US and other western nations to bolster supplies of strategic raw materials.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Beijing put technology for making rare-earth metals and rare-earth magnets on a list of items can’t be transfered overseas, according to a document from the Ministry of Commerce. The move by the world’s dominant supplier of the minerals comes as its geopolitical rivals rush to cut reliance on materials produced in China.

Over the past three decades, China has built a dominant role in mining and refining rare earths, a cluster of 17 elements used in everything from wind turbines to military hardware and electric vehicles.

The new rules don’t affect shipments of rare-earth products themselves, but may be intended to frustrate efforts to develop the industry outside China.

Critical metals are coming under the spotlight more as Western nations increasingly view supplies as a matter of national security — especially as the global energy transition stokes fears of potential shortages in the future.

Why the Fight for ‘Critical Minerals’ Is Heating Up: QuickTake

The US is spearheading a drive to reduce China’s stranglehold over flows of minerals from rare earths to lithium and cobalt. President Joe Biden’s flagship climate legislation includes rules aimed at generating more supply domestically or from allied nations. China has responded with restrictions on the export of gallium, germanium and graphite.

While Biden’s landmark legislation and Europe’s Critical Raw Materials Act promise to unlock new funding for prospective suppliers, Beijing’s latest salvo underscores the technical challenges that Western producers could face in developing refining processes that China has come to master over the decades.

Until relatively recently, there were barely any rare-earth refineries at all outside of China. That means its companies and researchers have built a substantial technological and practical advantage in how to extract and process rare earths, while expertise elsewhere has lagged.

Key Rare Earths Supplier Outside China Gets US Backing for Plant

The ban-list includes technology for separating rare earths as well producing metal and magnets. Technology for mining, ore-dressing and smelting was listed as “restricted,” rather than banned.

China’s grip over the global rare-earths market first gained broad international attention in 2010, when China imposed tight restrictions on exports. The US, European Union and Japan eventually forced Beijing to overturn the measures via the World Trade Organization. But concerns about its dominance have lingered as Western suppliers faced commercial, technical and environmental setbacks in developing alternative supplies.

China accounted for more than two-thirds of mined rare earths last year, and is home to as much as all global refining capacity, according to US government figures. The country also dominates the supply of rare-earth magnets, the main product deployed in manufactured goods.

(Updates with chart and more details)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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Australia and Canada are exploring opportunities in Greenland, reflecting a broader geopolitical trend to diversify rare earth sources .

Title:

Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

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What countries are invested in Greenland Minerals corp?

What countries are invested in Greenland Minerals corp?

On the corporate side, several companies are actively exploring or developing mining projects in Greenland.

On the corporate side, several companies are actively exploring or developing mining projects in Greenland.

On the corporate side, several companies are actively exploring or developing mining projects in Greenland.

AEX Gold is a notable player, holding extensive exploration licenses in South Greenland and focusing on both gold and rare earth mineral potential .

Greenland Minerals Limited, an Australian company, is leading the development of the Kvanefjeld project and has attracted international investment interest, including from stakeholders in the U.S.

Greenland Minerals Limited, an Australian company, is leading the development of the Kvanefjeld project and has attracted international investment interest, including from stakeholders in the U.S.

Greenland Minerals Limited, an Australian company, is leading the development of the Kvanefjeld project and has attracted international investment interest, including from stakeholders in the U.S.

and Europe .

Title:

Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

To continue reading, register now.

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Other major mining companies such as BHP and Rio Tinto are exploring opportunities in Greenland, particularly for lithium and other critical minerals essential for green technologies .

Title:

Content: Midland Provides an Overview of its Exploration Activities Including its Lithium Projects in James Bay

Rosemere, Quebec, CANADA

MONTREAL, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (Midland) (TSX-V: MD) is pleased to give an overview of its exploration activities in Quebec, including on its several projects in partnership for lithium in James Bay. Following the complete lifting of access bans to James Bay caused by the forest fires of the summer of 2023, several exploration programs have recently begun.

In 2023, Midland continued to apply its business model as a “Project Generator” with the recent acquisition of several new high-quality properties and the formation of several new partnerships across Quebec, including new partnerships for lithium exploration in the James Bay region. With an exploration budget of more than $15M, Midland and its partners will have completed nearly 20,000 metres of drilling.

Midland is very busy working to advance several projects in partnership with major companies such as BHP Canada Inc. (“BHP”), Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. (“RTEC”), Barrick Gold Corporation (“Barrick”), SOQUEM Inc. (“SOQUEM”), Brunswick Exploration Inc. (“Brunswick”), Probe Gold Inc. (“Probe”), Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. (“Wallbridge”) and Cosmos Exploration Limited (“Cosmos”).

Highlights:

  • Commencement of exploration programs for lithium (Li) in James Bay with Rio Tinto, Brunswick and Cosmos following the complete lifting of access bans;
  • Work for lithium focussing near Corvette (Patriot Battery Metals), Adina (Winsome Resources) and James Bay lithium (Allkem);
  • Work in progress (ZTEM, lakes, prospection) in Nunavik with BHP for Ni-Cu;
  • Drilling to come with RTEC to follow-up Santos Ni-Cu discovery on Tête Nord;
  • Drilling ongoing with Probe on La Peltrie on the 2022 Cu-Au-Ag-Mo discovery;
  • Commencement of a program with SOQUEM on the 2022 Cu-Au discovery at Nachicapau.

Lithium Projects (Li) - James Bay

Corvette, Chisaayuu and Mythril East Projects – 100% Midland, in option agreement with RTEC

A first exploration program including LiDAR surveys as well as prospecting and mapping work is in progress. This work will cover the properties located east and south-east of Corvette deposit held by Patriot Battery Metals (“Patriot”) with an estimated inferred resources of 109.2 Mt at 1.42% Li2O. (Source: NI 43-101 technical report on the maiden mineral resource estimate for the CV5 spodumene pegmatite prepared by BBA Engineering Ltd, effective date June 25, 2023).

These projects contain amphibolite formations, which are regionally the most common host rock for lithium pegmatites, and a compilation of historical work by Midland revealed strong indications of potential for Li-Be-Ta enriched pegmatites. During exploration work for copper in 2022 on Chisaayuu, a pegmatite outcrop had returned two strong lithium anomalous values in selected samples: 0.12 % Li2O and 0.04 % Li2O. In addition, new lithium anomalies in lake-bottom sediments have been identified on Chisaayuu and Corvette following a regional statistical treatment of more than 23,000 analysis and completed by Midland (see Midland press release of March 6, 2023).

Galinée Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with RTEC

The Galinée Project is located approximately 4 kilometres directly east of Adina showing held by Winsome Resources. This Adina showing is at the contact between amphibolites of the Trieste Formation to the south and felsic intrusives to the north. This contact is marked by a major structure that most likely controlled the emplacement of pegmatites on the Adina showing. This same highly favourable contact is present on Midland’s Galinée property over more than 7 kilometres and has never been explored for lithium in the past. This suggests that the Galinée project shows potential for lithium exploration. The maiden exploration program for lithium will target this structure by helicopter supported prospecting and geological mapping as well as a high-resolution LiDAR survey.

Komo Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with RTEC

The Komo Project is located approximately 20 kilometres west of James Bay lithium deposit (Allkem) which contains a mineral resource of 110.2 Mt at 1.30 % Li2O, consisting in an indicated resource of 54.3 Mt at 1.30% Li20 and an inferred resource of 55.9 Mt at 1.29% Li20. (Source: Mineral Resource Estimate by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. dated May 19, 2023).

Komo and James Bay lithium deposit are both located at the contact between the La Grande and Nemiscau geological subprovinces. This contact is a major structure that likely play a critical role in the emplacement of the James Bay lithium host pegmatite. This major lithotectonic contact is present over nearly 30 kilometres on the Komo project and had never been explored for lithium. A LiDAR survey was completed in the summer of 2023, and prospection and geological mapping is planned for a second field phase later in 2023.

Mythril and Elrond Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Brunswick

Initially, the program will mainly focus on the southern part of the Mythril project, near Corvettes’ lithium discoveries by Patriot. Several important structural trends were oriented north-east and share the same orientation as Patriot’s CV13 spodumene pegmatites and will be targeted by a helicopter-supported prospecting and mapping exploration program, as well as a LiDAR survey.

Furthermore, two new lake bottom lithium anomalies were identified south on the project, following a regional statistical treatment of more than 23,000 analysis, and completed by Midland.

Lasalle Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Cosmos

An interpretation of a high-resolution magnetic surveys as well as the analysis of imagery data, LiDAR and hyper-spectral data were completed and made it possible to identify three (3) new target areas characterized by the possible presence of pegmatites for a field follow-up which was recently completed. The results of this program are pending.

Nickel-Copper Projects (Ni-Cu) - Nunavik and Grenville

Nunavik Nickel Project – Strategic Alliance with BHP

The 2023 exploration program, which began in July 2023, is focused on a major crustal-scale structure that has been identified in the regional magnetotelluric (“MT”) surveys performed in 2022. This structure, previously poorly recognised is potentially favorable for nickel-copper mineralization. The 2023 program consisted of a 1,534 samples lake sediment survey and an airborne Z-Tipper axis electromagnetic survey (“ZTEM”) as well as two phases of mapping and prospecting completed during July and August. Results of the program are pending.

Tête Nord Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with RTEC

A first drilling program was completed in the spring of 2023 by RTEC on Tête Nord, located in Grenville, this program included a total of sixteen (16) drill holes totaling 3,450 meters. During this program, a new Ni-Cu mineralized zone named Santos was discovered about 8 kilometers north of the former Lac Édouard Ni-Cu mine along a north-south trending structure.

The drill hole MDLD0015 had intersected between 20.11 and 22.79 meters an interval grading 1.10% Ni and 0.71% Cu over 2.68 meters. Further down, between 33.02 and 43.39 meters, a mineralized interval graded 0.45% Ni and 0.18% Cu over 10.37 meters (see Midland press release of April 27, 2023). These mineralized gabbro zones generally display sulphides with mesh and disseminated textures and alternate with non-mineralized metric gabbro horizons.

Following this survey, the results of the electromagnetic surveys completed on the surface and in the borehole, indicate the presence of an unexplained conductor that dips to the southeast. The Santos zone therefore remains entirely open in this direction. A gravity geophysical survey has also been completed and a second phase of drilling of 1,900 meters at Santos, Palmeiras and Savane began in July 2023 and will continue later this fall, when deforestation permits to access the drill sites will be obtained.

Copper-Gold Projects (Cu-Au) - Abitibi and Labrador Trough

La Peltrie Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Probe

In December 2022, a large copper-gold-silver-molybdenum (“Cu-Au-Ag-Mo”) mineralized system was announced on La Peltrie, Abitibi. The mineralization intersected in LAP-22-012 was present throughout the entire drill hole, identifying a thicker interval mineralized in Cu-Au-Ag-Mo grading 0.21% CuEq over 345.5 metres from surface with potential to continue laterally and at depth.

A 2,700-metre follow-up drilling program on the 2022 discovery is currently underway following the delays of more than two months due to forest access bans caused by the 2023 summer forest fires.

Nachicapau Project – Strategic Alliance with SOQUEM

During prospecting carried out in the summer of 2022, Midland-SOQUEM team had discovered several new high-grade copper and gold mineralized horizons at the surface which had been observed over a minimum area of 160 metres by 170 metres. A grab sample returned up to 25.6 % Cu, 4.9 g/t Au and 162 g/t Ag. Copper mineralization is dominated by digenite and bornite.

A first exploration program has just started and will target the Cu-Au-Ag mineralized horizon sector and its extensions along the Murdoch volcano-sedimentary formation. This sector of Nunavik has been the subject of very little exploration work in the past. Ongoing work includes soil and rock sampling in anticipation of completing stripping and channeling.

Gold Projects (Au) - Abitibi

Patris Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Barrick

Since the option agreement with Barrick announced in June 2023, a VTEM helicopter-borne electromagnetic survey has been completed to cover the entire Patris property. The resistivity component is being used to map overburden thicknesses and variations in preparation for an upcoming till drilling campaign in the winter of 2024.

Casault Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Wallbridge

During 2023, Wallbridge completed a high-resolution magnetic survey on select areas over the western portion of the property, as well as a till sampling program (Sonic drill-for-till survey) in the eastern part of the property. The final results and interpretations of the programs are pending but will help develop drill targets for testing in future programs. Additionally, several quality drill targets remain to be tested on the entire Casault property, several of which are located in the area surrounding the Vortex showing discovered in 2017, which is open at depth, and along a NW- SE structure that returned 6.85 g/t Au over 2.0 meters in hole CAS-21-123.

Cautionary statements

Grab samples are selective by nature and reported values are not necessarily indicative of mineralized zones.

The true thickness of reported channel and drilling intervals cannot be determined with the information currently available; intervals are thus reported in core length and channel length.

Mineralization occurring at deposits and former mines mentioned in this press release is not necessarily indicative of mineralization that may be intersected on projects held by Midland described in this press release.

About Midland

Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold and critical metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as BHP Canada Inc., Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., Barrick Gold Corporation, Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd, Probe Gold Inc., Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Osisko Development Corp., SOQUEM INC., Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, Cosmos Exploration Limited and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value.

This press release was prepared by Mario Masson, VP Exploration for Midland, certified geologist and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

For further information, please consult Midland’s website or contact:

Gino Roger, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Tel.: 450 420-5977
Fax: 450 420-5978
Email: info@midlandexploration.com
Website: www.midlandexploration.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midland’s periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c793f4d1-5615-4c97-952f-b22bac110a45

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b36bc8b-79fb-4412-a7a0-f9c110040c13

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/44ee129d-dbc5-4432-9035-4809395bda50

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/903b3474-87c7-477d-b873-b57e7a413ca2

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/20f720e5-9ae0-45c2-a42a-d094c36b408b

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4fcfa9da-c35f-4cc4-8dda-76c9d6873067

Lynas Rare Earths and MP Materials, both major players in the rare earth sector, are seeking to diversify supply chains away from China and have shown interest in alternative sources like Greenland .

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The days of rare earth e-motors are numbered

The environmental impact of rare earth metals is prompting an evolution within e-motors. Megan Lampinen hears more

The quest for a truly sustainable vehicle extends far beyond the tailpipe. From battery materials to manufacturing processes, numerous aspects of the value chain are ripe for cleaning up. At Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), the focus is on the motors in electric vehicles (EVs). “The permanent magnet motors currently going into most EVs are a ticking timebomb for the environment,” asserts AEM Chief Executive James Widmer.

Today’s EV motors rely on rare earth metals for their performance, but the extraction and processing of those materials is fraught with environmental side-effects. A 2021 study from the Kleiman Center for Energy Policy found that every tonne of rare earth material mined produces up to 1.4 tonnes of radioactive waste, 200 cubic metres of acid-containing sewage water, 60,000 cubic metres of waste gas containing hydrochloric acid, and 27.6 tonnes of CO2.

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Additionally, LKAB, a Swedish state-owned mining company, is investigating the extraction of rare earths from mining by-products, reflecting regional efforts to secure alternative sources .

China has also shown significant interest in Greenland’s mineral resources, reflecting its dominant role in the global rare earth market .

What countries are invested in Greenland Minerals corp?

What countries are invested in Greenland Minerals corp?

The involvement of international investors, including Chinese entities, has raised geopolitical considerations, as Western countries seek to ensure that Greenland’s resources contribute to diversified and secure supply chains .

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Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

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What countries are invested in Greenland Minerals corp?

What countries are invested in Greenland Minerals corp?

What countries are invested in Greenland Minerals corp?

The Greenlandic government is supportive of mining initiatives, providing grants and maintaining a legal framework conducive to attracting international investment .

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

Why AEX consider Greenland a favorable mining location?

The government recognizes the sector’s potential to boost the local economy, create jobs, and increase tax revenues, supporting Greenland’s aspirations for greater independence from Denmark .

However, the government is also aware of the environmental and social concerns associated with mining, particularly the impact on indigenous Inuit communities, who constitute about 90% of Greenland’s population .

The government enforces strict environmental regulations, requiring comprehensive EIAs and community consultations to balance economic development with environmental protection and social responsibility .

Title:

Content: Skip to content

The days of rare earth e-motors are numbered

The environmental impact of rare earth metals is prompting an evolution within e-motors. Megan Lampinen hears more

The quest for a truly sustainable vehicle extends far beyond the tailpipe. From battery materials to manufacturing processes, numerous aspects of the value chain are ripe for cleaning up. At Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), the focus is on the motors in electric vehicles (EVs). “The permanent magnet motors currently going into most EVs are a ticking timebomb for the environment,” asserts AEM Chief Executive James Widmer.

Today’s EV motors rely on rare earth metals for their performance, but the extraction and processing of those materials is fraught with environmental side-effects. A 2021 study from the Kleiman Center for Energy Policy found that every tonne of rare earth material mined produces up to 1.4 tonnes of radioactive waste, 200 cubic metres of acid-containing sewage water, 60,000 cubic metres of waste gas containing hydrochloric acid, and 27.6 tonnes of CO2.

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Welcome back , to continue browsing the site, please click here

Title:

Content: en English

Will Critical Minerals Get Their Own OPEC?

The metals and critical minerals that are needed for the transition to a net-zero economy are largely concentrated in only a handful of countries, raising the likelihood that those suppliers could form a new global cartel. Such a development would have major adverse implications for global markets.

MUNICH – We know that the future will be powered by metals, but it remains to be seen if those metals will be fenced in by iron curtains. After all, most critical minerals come from only a handful of countries: China controls nearly all heavy rare-earth materials (including 91% of magnesium and 76% of silicon metal), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) accounts for over 60% of the global cobalt market, and South Africa controls 71% of the world’s platinum supply.

These metals and critical minerals are crucial for the green transition, because they are used in everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines. The International Energy Agency estimates that the global critical minerals market already doubled over the past five years, and will (at least) double again by 2040, owing to rising demand for EVs, battery storage, low-emissions power generation, and electricity networks.

The DRC, Chile, Peru, China, Russia, South Africa, and even Australia all stand to benefit from surging demand for critical raw materials. With every other country determined to secure its own supply, mineral-rich ones could follow the OPEC model and try to form an Organization of Metal-Exporting Countries (OMEC).

To continue reading, register now.

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