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#UnitedSates Faces 742,000 mt #Nickel Deficit by 2035 Amid Zero #Smelting Capacity

Posted on March 31, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Infographic of the U.S. nickel supply and demand situation for 2035, highlighting a deficit of 742,000 metric tons. It shows the U.S. nickel stockpile, lack of smelters, and strategic shortfall, with pipelines illustrating connections to EV batteries and stainless steel production.

The United States currently operates no domestic nickel smelters, leaving North America entirely reliant on just two remaining pyrometallurgical facilities in Canada.

Compounding this critical supply chain vulnerability, a recent report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace projects that the US will face a massive annual nickel deficit of approximately 741,987 tonnes by 2035.

To address this severe shortfall, awaruite (a naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy) is emerging as a strategic solution. Because awaruite concentrate can bypass traditional smelting and be directly converted into nickel sulfate, it is favorably positioned to qualify for the US Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit, helping to secure domestic defense and EV battery supply chains.

Idaho National Laboratory (#INL) – #CriticalMinerals Recycling Innovations

Posted on March 30, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Illustration of the state of Idaho featuring an INL Recycling Innovations facility, surrounded by mountains and greenery, with recycling materials displayed.

The critical materials in discarded rocks, e-waste and other sources don’t degrade over time and can be recovered. However, the U.S. lacks the infrastructure to recycle them.

Recycling facilities could tap into these largely untouched sources, helping meet U.S. demand. These facilities could be built far more quickly than new mines, which can take over a decade due to permitting, costs and infrastructure needs.

“The U.S. doesn’t recycle well,” said Bob Fox, a senior manager at INL. “There’s a willingness to recover critical materials from recycled sources, but there’s no infrastructure or market for it. Right now, critical materials recycling doesn’t have the economic incentives to drive infrastructure development.”

INL is working to change that by making recycling more efficient, less energy-intensive and economically viable.

“Recycling represents a crucial pathway for the U.S. to obtain critical materials, including rare earth elements like dysprosium,” said Arindam Mukhopadhyay, a staff scientist at INL. “Even critical materials we mine domestically, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese, can be recovered through recycling.”

#Chinese #Lithium battery electrolyte could double #EV range and run in extreme cold

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A glowing, ice-covered battery surrounded by a snowy landscape, emitting blue and green electrical energy.

Chinese scientists have created an all-weather electrolyte that could improve lithium batteries, allowing them to operate more efficiently at room temperature and in extreme environments.

The research team from Shanghai and Tianjin said batteries made using the hydrofluorocarbon-based electrolyte had more than double the energy density of those made with traditional electrolytes when operating at room temperature.

They said the batteries could also operate efficiently at minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit).

Electrolytes are chemical media that enable the transport of ions between the positive and negative electrodes in a battery.

For the past few decades, conventional lithium-based battery electrolytes have mainly been composed of oxygen and nitrogen-based compounds due to their effectiveness in dissolving lithium salts, the team said.

However, these electrolytes have limited charge transfer capabilities, leading to challenges in fast charging or low-temperature performance that limit efficiency and can lead to safety concerns.

The researchers from Nankai University and SISP – which is affiliated with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation – found a way to synthesise fluorine-based electrolytes for lithium-metal batteries, which offer reduced viscosity, improved stability and better low-temperature performance.

Using one of their fabricated hydrogen, fluorine and carbon-based electrolytes, the team created lithium-metal pouch batteries with an energy density of more than 700 watt-hours per kilogram at room temperature and 400 watt-hours per kilogram at minus 50 degrees.

#Congo and China deepen mining ties as #US pushes rival minerals pact – includes duty-free access and promotion of local processing.

Posted on March 27, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Two miners, one wearing a blue helmet and the other a red helmet, shake hands in front of a large map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, showcasing mining areas. A construction site is visible in the background with heavy machinery and several workers.

Congo’s exports to China are already due to benefit from duty-free access to China from May 1 under an initiative covering 53 African countries.

The new agreement sets out cooperation on geological data sharing, investment protection and the promotion of local processing of raw materials in Congo, according to the Congolese government statement published late on Thursday.

It also includes a monitoring mechanism to ensure projects comply with Congolese law and are implemented in a stable and transparent investment environment.

Datavault AI working with #American Strategic Minerals to tokenize refined metals, #CriticalMetals

Posted on March 27, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Datavault AI (DVLT) said Thursday it has partnered with American Strategic Minerals to develop and monetize one of the latter’s resource extraction projects in Arizona through a $78.2 million digital tokenization initiative.

Under the agreement, American Strategic will receive up to $68.8 million, while Datavault AI may earn up to a 20% equity stake in the company upon meeting performance milestones under the tokenization program.

Datavault AI said antimony will be the first element tokenized, followed by gold, copper and silver. The initial phase will cover about 5% of the project’s antimony resource through the ASMI Antimony 1 Token.

The partnership sets the stage for the launch of an International Elements Exchange, the company added.

#BASF launches biggest overseas project in #China with green-powered mega-site

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Aerial view of an industrial site featuring large oil refinery structures, solar panels in the foreground, and wind turbines in the background, under a bright blue sky.

German chemical giant opens US$10 billion Zhanjiang complex, its largest overseas investment, as Beijing courts foreign capital.

Germany’s chemical giant BASF has launched operations at its China production base – its largest overseas investment to date – with a total outlay of €8.7 billion (US$10 billion), and the country’s first wholly foreign-owned large-scale Verbund site.

The company on Thursday inaugurated the world-scale complex in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, designed to run entirely on renewable electricity.

A Verbund site is an integrated chemical complex where plants, energy use and materials are interconnected to maximise efficiency and minimise waste.

The site has brought 18 plants and 32 production lines into operation, producing more than 70 types of products spanning basic chemicals, intermediates and specialty chemicals for industries including transport, consumer goods, electronics, home care and personal care.

Energy Fuels Produces ‘Heavy’ #RareEarthMetal at #Utah Mill

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A stylized map of the United States filled with the American flag design, featuring an industrial processing facility in Utah with large equipment and a sign that reads 'Energy Fuels'.

Energy Fuels Inc. produced a so-called heavy rare earth element for the first time at its plant in Utah, advancing efforts to build a domestic supply of critical minerals used in electronics and defense technology.

The US company said on 24th March 2026 that it successfully recovered its first kilogram of terbium oxide at the White Mesa Mill as part of a pilot project to scale production at the facility, which predominantly processes uranium.

Terbium — a heavy rare earth element — is essential to building magnets that support consumer electronics, cars and military-grade weaponry. Heavy rare earths are less abundant and typically more valuable than “light” elements such as neodymium-praseodymium. Mining companies like Energy Fuels are pushing to scale production of these metals through facilities in the US as part of the United States effort to create a supply chain that circumvents China.

Two Months of #RareEarths Left – #Reuters / #SCMP

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

“You can’t fight a twenty-first-century war with twentieth-century supply chains”. “Modern weapons rely on materials that are difficult to source, difficult to process, and difficult to replace once inventories begin to tighten.”

Reports from the South China Morning Post and Reuters indicate Washington could have only weeks or months of certain rare-earth inventories available for defense manufacturing if supply disruptions deepen.

Rare earth elements are embedded throughout modern military systems—from missile guidance and drone propulsion to radar systems and fighter aircraft electronics.

Note: War is only necessary for protecting human rights, human lives and the nature.

Ardea – Western #Australian #Nickel project grabs #Japanese – #US attention

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A silhouette of Australia filled with an industrial landscape featuring mining activity, overlaid with the flags of the United Kingdom, United States, and Japan, symbolizing international relationships.

Ardea Resources’ Kalgoorlie nickel project (KNP) has received a shout-out in the Japan-US Critical Minerals Joint Fact Sheet, a call-to-action to shore up critical mineral supply chains between the two powerful nations and other Western markets.

The company’s nickel-cobalt project, about 70 kilometres north of the city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia, comprises its bulk-scale KNP – Goongarrie Hub and hosts a mammoth 854 million tonnes grading 0.71 per cent nickel and 0.045 per cent cobalt for a whopping 6.1 million tonnes of contained nickel and 386,000 tonnes of cobalt.Ardea Resources’ Kalgoorlie nickel project (KNP) has received a shout-out in the Japan-US Critical Minerals Joint Fact Sheet, a call-to-action to shore up critical mineral supply chains between the two powerful nations and other Western markets.

#China spent $120B to lock down #CriticalMinerals overseas

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Graphic illustrating China's $120 billion investment in critical minerals, featuring a map of China, construction machinery, renewable energy elements, and various mineral resources.

China has invested more than $120 billion in overseas mining and upstream processing since 2023, accelerating a state-backed push to secure the raw materials underpinning the global energy transition, says Australian think tank Climate Energy Finance (CEF).

A study published last week reveals that China’s spending targeted a wide range of commodities — including lithium, copper, nickel, rare earths and bauxite — that are essential for electric vehicles, renewable power and industrial decarbonization.

Vertical integration at scale

The CEF research also finds that China’s outbound investment in mining is only one piece of a much larger industrial strategy.

Since early 2023, Chinese firms have also deployed more than $220 billion into downstream sectors such as battery manufacturing, electric vehicles, grids, solar and wind infrastructure, creating what researchers describe as a vertically integrated global cleantech expansion.