A Blog for Browsing Mining, Mineral Processing, and Metals Info

Rusnano, Russia’s nanotech giant, and RusHydro, the largest national hydroelectric power company, are in talks over the planned setup of a $200m VC fund. The parties intend to split the cost of establishing the fund on a 50/50 basis, the Russian news agency MA-agency.ru reported, citing Rusnano president Anatoly Chubais.

Read more at: http://www.emergingmarkets.me/2014/09/rusnano-rushydro-set-200m-venture-fund-energy-development/

Rusnano has invited Chinese partners to create a joint fund for investment in nanotechnology, Anatoly Chubais, head of the state technology enterprise, was quoted as saying Tuesday by Prime news agency.

Speaking after the first meeting of a commission for investment between Russian and China, Chubais said both countries would contribute equally to the fund, adding that the commission’s co-chairman, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, had expressed an interest in the offer and had asked him to flesh it out.

Read more at: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-s-rusnano-seeks-chinese-investment-in-nanotechnology/506732.html

High nickel prices and interest from China are raising the stakes in Solomon Islands as a verdict nears in court action between a small Australian mining company and Japanese giant Sumitomo.

At issue is the right to mine a rich greenfields nickel site in Isabel Province, in Solomon Islands west.

Read more at: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-beat/australia-japan-and-china-eye-solomon-islands-as-nickel-court-case-nears-verdict/1366059

MANILA, Sept 8 (Reuters) – A Philippine bill seeking a halt to exports of unprocessed mineral ores has been approved at the committee stage in the lower chamber of Congress, one of two bills aimed at extracting more value from the country’s mineral resources.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/08/philippines-mining-idUSL3N0R91O720140908

(Reuters) – Sweden’s Electrolux  said on Monday it would buy General Electric Co’s appliances business for $3.3 billion in cash to double sales in North America and take on rival Whirlpool Corp in its biggest ever deal.

Electrolux said in August it was in talks to buy the unit to tap into a market where it has lacked scale and that is growing faster than Europe.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/08/us-general-electric-divestiture-idUSKBN0H30AG20140908

Western Lithium USA Corporation  is pleased to announce that it has commenced calcination of its lithium clays in the first of three planned campaigns to demonstrate the viability of extracting lithium on a large scale from its lithium-rich clay deposit in Nevada. The calcination is the first step to turn the lithium bearing clay into water soluble lithium sulphates, so that a brine can be produced through leaching. The 12 tons per day calcination plant is now operational, while the downstream leaching, crystallization and precipitation process is still under construction and expected to be operational in November 2014. The planned production of lithium compounds will continue through the fall and into the spring of 2015 to determine engineering parameters and equipment selection to complete a definitive feasibility study for the Company’s US patented extraction process. Western Lithium will include a lithium hydroxide circuit, in addition to planned production of lithium carbonate, to meet potential new industry requirements.

The committee approved House Bill (HB) 4728 two weeks ago, which was sponsored by Rep. Erple John M. Amante (Agusan Del Norte, 2nd district).

The bill limits the processing of locally-extracted minerals within the country, seeking to impose a complete ban on the export of unprocessed mineral ores in order to stimulate the growth and development of the country’s mineral processing industry.

Read more at: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=measure-banning-ore-exports-approved-by-house-body&id=94116

KAI orders additional nickel-based batteries from Saft – Airforce Technology.

Japan is pushing to secure at least 60 percent of its rare earth needs from outside China within four years, as it bolsters efforts to curb its dependence on the world’s biggest producer of elements crucial in smart phones, computers and cars.

Japan aims to sign a deal as early as this month that would give it four types of light rare earths from India, and has helped fund an Australian rare earths mine and Malaysian processing plant built by Australia’s Lynas.

Read more at: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101973608

(Reuters) – China’s Tsingshan Group expects to start production at its Indonesian nickel pig iron smelter as soon as January, becoming the second plant to ramp up since the country’s new mineral processing laws came into force at the start of the year.

“Hopefully by October or November we will have started commissioning,” said Slamet Panggabean, finance manger of Tsingshan’s local joint venture partner Bintang Delapan Mineral, referring to the firm’s pilot smelter project in Morowali on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/04/indonesia-nickel-tsingshan-idUSL3N0R42WI20140904