rare earth

The West has a conundrum on its hands when it comes to dealing with China. What is best for the West in relation to China ranges somewhere on the sliding scale of being hard-nosed and de-risking our economies and security concerns by disengaging from China and confronting their expansion, to the other end of the spectrum where we hope that we never have a conflict and that we can just keep going along trading and being pals and ignoring issues that arise out their expansion and international law violations. The question you then have to ask yourself is: which elements of engagement with China do you support and which elements require a tougher approach?  Topics covered are: Taiwan, South China Sea, China’s support for Russia, Global economics, critical supply chains, cyber threats and military threats.

In this episode we chat to Cedric Simonet, Chief Executive Officer at Altona Rare Earths, who are a resource exploration and development company focused on Rare Earths in Africa. Listed on the LSE, they are currently developing the Monte Muambe Rare Earths project in Mozambique.

Cedric is a PhD geologist with over 25 years’ experience in Africa and France managing exploration, development and production projects in the mining and energy industries. He has worked in many jurisdictions in Africa across many commodities and gives us an overview of Altona Rare Earths and what they are looking to achieve in Mozambique and the importance of rare earths in the modern age.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Altona Rare Earths is a resource exploration and development company focused on rare earths in Africa. They are currently listed on the London Stock Exchange and are developing the Monte Mouambé Rare Earths project in Mozambique.
• The Monte Mouambé project is a rare earth deposit, with two significant ore bodies identified so far. The high-grade ore has an average of 2.5% total rare earth oxide (TiO), making it suitable for short-term development.
• The company recently moved from the Aquis Stock Exchange to the main market of the London Stock Exchange to support its growth and attract long-term investors who are familiar with rare earth projects.
• Rare earth elements have a wide range of uses, including in screens, magnets, wind turbines, and electric vehicles. The market for rare earths is expected to increase fivefold by 2040, driven by the world's transition to green energy.

BEST MOMENTS

"Rare earths are essential to our life. They are essential to the decarbonisation of our energy sources. The fundamentals are solid, including on the long term."

"The market for rare earth is expected to increase fivefold by 2040. And this is due mostly to the world's transition to green energy, which is not going anywhere."

"We are not going to waste time trying to drill, drill, drill to increase our resource statement to hundreds of millions of tons. We know we don't need this. We need to focus on developments."

"If African governments can remove the hurdles that go into the way of doing value addition, it will make it a lot easier. We should look into it. And this is what we are doing at Altona."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

www.altonare.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AltonaRareEarth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altona-rare-earths-plc/about/

Dig Deep – The Mining Podcast on iTunes    

VALUABLE RESOURCES

mailto:rob@mining-international.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

http://www.mining-international.org

https://twitter.com/MiningConsult

https://www.facebook.com/MiningInternational.org

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC69dGPS29lmakv-D7LWJg_Q?guided_help_flow=3

ABOUT THE HOST

Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace.

CONTACT METHOD

rob@mining-international.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/

Podcast Description

Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics

Critical minerals are non-fuel minerals or mineral materials essential to the economic or national security of the U.S. They have no viable substitutes yet face a high risk of supply chain disruption. Critical minerals are used for many different purposes, including the production of advanced electronics, weapons systems, manufacturing equipment, and cutting-edge medical devices. They are indispensable for the transition to low-carbon energy sources. Last year, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, with the aid of the U.S. Geological Survey, published a list of 50 critical minerals. 

China dominates global critical mineral supply chains, accounting for approximately 60% of world-wide production and 85% of processing capacity. However, the U.S. and several European countries are taking steps to build out their own ability to mine, process, and manufacture critical minerals. To discuss the implications of China’s role in critical mineral supply chains and the responses of the U.S. and its partners, host Bonnie Glaser is joined by Abigail Wulf, vice president and director of the Ambassador Alfred Hoffman Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), a non-profit advancing transformative transportation technology to enhance energy security.

Time Stamps

[01:51] Vulnerabilities and Risks of Overdependence 

[07:07] Development of a Domestic Mining Industry 

[12:42] Environmental Hazards of Processing Raw Minerals 

[18:30] Impact of Export Controls on Gallium and Germanium

[22:53] Diversifying Sources of Rare Earth Imports

[26:38] The Critical Raw Materials Act

[29:58] The Mineral Security Partnership

Chilwa Minerals (ASX: CHW) managing director Cadell Buss joins Small Caps to discuss the company’s plans to fast track activities at its exciting Malawi heavy mineral sands and rare earth project.

The company recently raised $8 million through a popular IPO to undertake a two-year, $4.5 million exploration program at Lake Chilwa.

Approximately $7.4 million had been outlaid at Lake Chilwa by previous explorers providing the company with a heads-up on the best areas to target.

Its initial Lake Chilwa activities will include a 17,000-metre sonic drilling program to test those targets as it looks to delineate a high-grade, economic deposit.

Malawi is home to a number of recent world-class rare earth discoveries and is attracting increasing critical minerals investor interest.

Article:
https://smallcaps.com.au/chilwa-minerals-list-asx-lake-chilwa-heavy-mineral-sands-rare-earths-project/

For more information on Chilwa Minerals:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/CHW/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lithium giant SQM plans to keep investing despite Chile's plan to exert more control. 

On Friday mining audiences manager Michael McCrae and  Melissa ‘Mel’ Sanderson, President North America at American Rare Earths recorded Kitco Roundtable. 

American Rare Earths is developing its 100% owned magnet metals projects, Halleck Creek in Wyoming and La Paz in Arizona. 

Sanderson talked supply and demand in the rare earth sector. 

Prospech (ASX: PRS) managing director Jason Beckton joins Small Caps to discuss the company's recent acquisition of rare earth and lithium projects in Finland.

Mr Beckton explains why they have chosen to expand into Finland and how these projects fit into their overall exploration strategy.

He also provides insights into the company's focus on brownfields assets and why they prioritise resource-rich projects in safe jurisdictions.

Article:
https://smallcaps.com.au/prospech-identifies-high-grade-rare-earths-hafnium-jokikangas-finland/

For more information on Prospech:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/PRS/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Astron Corporation (ASX: ATR) managing director Tiger Brown joins Small Caps to discuss the company’s development strategy for its Donald rare earth and mineral sands project in western Victoria.

A definitive feasibility study was unveiled for a phase one operation at Donald last month.

The company plans to begin construction at Donald in the first quarter of next year, with first production anticipated by the end of 2025.

Article:
https://smallcaps.com.au/astron-corporation-financially-robust-investment-donald-rare-earth-mineral-sands-project/

For more information on Astron Corporation:
https://smallcaps.com.au/stocks/ATR/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tantalum… a story of insatiable demand with Hadley Natus

You probably have not heard of Tantalum. However,  like the Greek mythological figure it is named after, the world is developing a need for it which is not easily satisfied. The supply chain of Tantalum also poses some fundamental questions on the supply chain of the electron economy. Tantalum is in our cell phones, TVs and EVS due to its remarkable properties. However, it is produced by artisanal miners in Congo. In this episode we discussed Tantalum’s role in energy transition, its supply chain and solutions to meet the world’s growing demand in an equitable way. Our guest is Hadley Natus who provides us a clear-eyed, insiders view on the Tantalum trade. Haldeyis the Chairman of Tantalex and CEO of Afrimet.

A controversial ruling by the US Supreme Court has had a big impact on the country as a whole and the tech industry is no exception. Plus, one FCC commissioner wants Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores. And Major League Baseball might be fed up with human umpires.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It may sound hard to believe, but a great deal of Earth's modern electronics -- everything from jets to your smartphone -- depend on just a few substances, things called rare earth metals, or rare earth elements. While you might not hear about them too often, they're one of the hottest commodities on the planet. As you check out today's episode, countries, companies, and a few very powerful people across the world are scrambling to get a piece of the profits -- and they're increasingly less concerned with who might get hurt along the way.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Sandra Faber (University of California, Santa Cruz)
Do Humans Have What it Takes to Thrive in this Universe?

In this thought-provoking talk, cosmologist (and National Medal of Science winner) Dr. Sandra Faber takes a look at our cosmic origins, the future of the Earth as a habitable planet, and what humans need to do to thrive in the long-term future.  She draws some sobering conclusions from the laws of physics and the sustainability of our present-day use of energy and resources.  And she provides some clear guidelines on what we will need to do, as a species, to continue living on Earth for as long as our durable planet can provide an inviting home for us.  (Recorded May 25, 2022)

GUEST: Mujeeb Ijaz , Founder & CEO of ONE.ai

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

One of the major barriers to entry for anyone switching to an electric vehicle (EV) for the first time is the issue of range.

In this episode, we talk to the founder and CEO of Our Next Energy (ONE.ai), the Detroit-headquartered battery startup that made headlines when it completed a 752-mile (1,210 km) test drive through the US state of Michigan on a single charge, in the Gemini 1, a Tesla Model S equipped with a ONE battery. A separate test recorded an even higher single-charge range, of 882 miles.

This conversation covers the history of ONE.ai and the development of the long-range battery, the company's plans, potential use cases, sustainability in terms of cobalt- and nickel-free production and second-life, and of course the issues of charging and range.

Connect with Mujeeb on LinkedIn.

Watch a short film of the ONE.ai test drive here.

You can subscribe to Ride: The Urban Mobility Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Feel free to share it, like it, give it a rating, sign up to the Ride LinkedIn page, and check out our website, ridemobilitypodcast.com.

Join Keith and Dena as they began a new month, the week ending May 2nd, 1970 where they give a shout out and love to Mr. Ray Stevens, our first artist that reached out to us since we first started our podcast!!!!  Does Keith finally pick "Everything Is Beautiful" as a download playlist song like Dena did the last episode?  Download and listen to the podcast and find out!

Processing rare earth ore has a huge hurdle for most projects, said the CEO and president of Geomega Resource, Kiril Mugerman. 

On Friday Mugerman recorded Kitco Roundtable podcast with Mining Audiences Manager Michael McCrae, Kitco correspondent Paul Harris and editor Neils Christensen.

Geomega is investing in recycling processes to recover rare earth waste. Mugerman was asked why it is so difficult to build a rare earth mine.  

"Separating [rare earth] is very hard. There is uranium and thorium included, so you need to get rid of those. You're dealing with fairly low grades. If you want to produce something you have to produce huge amounts of waste [with] very large tailings facilities," said Mugerman. 

 Last month nickel prices looked like they may break to a level that would support new mine development, but news out of Indonesia ended the rally, said Ken Hoffman, Co-Leader EV Battery Materials Group at McKinsey. 

On Thursday Hoffman joined editor Neils Christensen, Kitco correspondent Paul Harris and mining audiences manager Michael McCrae to record a podcast. 

With electric vehicles coming to the fore with government incentives and broad consumer acceptance, more batteries are going to be needed, and nickel is turning out to be a key battery metal. 

However, supply is limited. The recent rise in nickel prices may have started to trigger new mine development, but news from China’s Tsingshan Holding Group stopped the rally. In early March, news that Chinese stainless steel and nickel giant Tsingshan's decision to produce a large amount of nickel matte in Indonesia eased concerns over battery-grade supply, according to a report by Reuters. 

In February nickel hit its highest level since 2014, $20,110 a tonne.

According to Reuters, Tsingshan said on Wednesday it would supply 100,000 tonnes of nickel matte - an intermediate product that can be used to make both stainless steel and battery-grade nickel for electric vehicles (EVs) - to Huayou Cobalt and CNGR Advanced Material within a year from October. Nickel prices subsequently tumbled. Hoffman said nickel prices need to be higher for mine development to proceed. 

"I do think that we have to get the price of nickel higher. It's a shame if Indonesia does not come through with this new process. It's really delayed the price point of nickel to get new projects because most nickel miners want something in the twenties before they get comfortable making massive investment," said Hoffman. 

"The fact that it's fallen down to about 17,000 again is a bit disappointing because it just delays that investment decision." 

As of today, the cash nickel price on the LME is $16,001 a tonne. 

The podcast also reprised its conversation with Frank Giustra, CEO of Fiore Group, who has challenged Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, to a public debate on gold versus Bitcoin. 

Giustra told Kitco News that his intent is to help Saylor clarify some of the things he’s said publicly about gold and challenge Saylor’s thesis. 

“I am not a Bitcoin hater. I just think that [Saylor’s] thesis on gold and Bitcoin needs to be explored and I think I would love the opportunity to explore some of the statements that he’s making on some of these interviews [that he’s done],” Giustra said.

This week on World Ocean Radio: part twenty-eight of the multi-part BLUEprint series. In this episode we talk about batteries, increasingly in demand as we push toward a carbon-neutral future. There is a quandary built into this solution: the extraction of rare metals, the push for mining permits on land and sea, the waste and by-product, the emissions, and the collateral damage to the environment is all reminiscent of the fossil fuel paradigm. Is this old strategy, dressed in new clothing, a mistake?

World Ocean Radio offers five-minute weekly insights that dive into ocean science, advocacy and education, hosted by Peter Neill, Director of the W2O, author, and lifelong ocean advocate. Episodes offer perspectives on global ocean issues, today’s challenges, marine science and policy, and exemplary solutions. Available for RSS feed, podcast, and syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

This week on World Ocean Radio: part twenty-seven of the multi-part BLUEprint series. In this episode we talk about a carbon-free future: one that requires batteries that currently rely on rare metals such as nickel, copper, cobalt and molybdenum being extracted from the sea floor in the central Pacific Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone, threatening biodiversity and the nearby Pacific small island states. Will the short-term financial profit over the long-term social and ecosystem loss be worth the trade off? 

World Ocean Radio offers five-minute weekly insights that dive into ocean science, advocacy and education, hosted by Peter Neill, Director of the W2O, author, and lifelong ocean advocate. Episodes offer perspectives on global ocean issues, today’s challenges, marine science and policy, and exemplary solutions. Available for RSS feed, podcast, and syndicated use at no cost by community radio stations worldwide.

Utica Summer Fest-

https://www.theeventco.co/summerfest

Everything you need to know about Utica's Summer Fest 2019 is inside this podcast