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Make America Mine Again (#MAMA): #US Senate narrowly overturns #Minnesota mining ban, sending bill to #Trump

Posted on April 16, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Winding river through green valley with mountains in sunset light

Sunrise over a mining site with an American flag, a deer standing nearby, and a sign promoting responsible mining practices.

April 16 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to overturn former President Joe Biden’s mining ban in northern Minnesota, agreeing with the House of Representatives and sending the ‌bill to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it.

The move reverses Biden’s 20-year block on mining across 225,504 minerals-rich acres (91,200 hectares) in the Superior National Forest and gives a major boost to Antofagasta’s, opens new tab Twin Metals copper, cobalt and nickel project, as well as other proposed mines in the region bordering Canada.

Environmentalists have long worried that the mine could damage the water-rich region, which is visited by more than 200,000 hikers and canoeists each year. Mining companies have said they believe minerals can be extracted safely.

#Brazil demands #RareEarthMinerals be processed at home as #US and #China compete

Posted on April 14, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Illustration of Brazil's map featuring a mining site within the country's outline, set against the backdrop of the Brazilian flag, with the text 'Rare Earth Minerals' at the bottom.

Brazil will require foreign partners to process rare earth minerals domestically as a condition for access to its reserves, a senior government official said this week, setting terms that could reshape how Chinese and Western firms compete for resources the country has long exported raw.

“Our doors of Brazil to foreign investment are open, but our position has matured,” Leonardo Durans, a senior official at Brazil’s industry ministry, said at a press conference with international media.

“The commitment we will demand from everyone is domestic technological development and job creation.”

#LMEL (Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited) eyes #Cobalt from #Congo to #India through #US partnership

Posted on April 12, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

An illustrative map highlighting global trade routes connecting North America, India, and Africa, emphasizing the exchange of minerals and technology. The image features icons representing strategic partnerships, resilient supply chains, and a cleaner future, with the tagline 'Stronger Together: Minerals. Trade. Progress.'

LMEL eyes cobalt from Congo to India through US partnership

Nagpur: Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited (LMEL), which has taken over CHEMAF Group, a mining company in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), early this month by forming a joint venture with US’ Virtus Mineral Group, plans to get its share of cobalt from the African nation to India as well.

The sharing formula would depend on the agreement between Indian and American governments as the venture also has a US partner. CHEMAF’s mines are seen as a major non-Chinese source of cobalt, a critical mineral, especially when India doesn’t have any major resources of the metal.

“The production is expected to start within the current fiscal,” said LMEL’s managing director B Prabhakaran.

The company projects an initial output of 20,000 tonnes of cobalt and 60,000 tonnes of copper a year from the Congo mines. CHEMAF Group has mines in Congo’s Katanga belt, known to be among the biggest copper reserves in the world apart from having sizeable cobalt deposits.

The takeover of CHEMAF Group by the LMEL–Virtus combine is also seen as a major victory for the US government, as it could outmanoeuvre the Chinese players who were also eyeing the company.

Source: The Times of India

#Vale’s Ethanol Initiative: A Major Step in Decarbonizing Shipping

Posted on April 9, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Vale and Shandong Shipping Corporation have concluded an agreement for new ethanol-powered Guaibamax vessels, which are scheduled for delivery starting in 2029. The agreement marks an unprecedented milestone for global iron ore transport: this is the first time in the maritime industry that ethanol will be used as the primary fuel on an ocean-going vessel. With the potential to reduce carbon emissions by around 90% compared to the use of heavy fuel oil, commonly used in shipping, the initiative reinforces Vale’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions across the value chain and promoting decarbonization in the maritime sector, in line with ongoing discussions at the International Maritime Organization.

How a deeper #US – #Burundi partnership could unlock #CriticalMineral and security gains

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

Aerial view of a rugged landscape with a defined border, featuring rocky formations and lakes, under a cloudy sky.

Atlantic Council: A strategic opportunity

Burundi’s size makes it an ideal candidate for a targeted security partnership, one that would not overextend US defense resources. Its minerals, strategic position in the eastern DRC conflict, and active role in peacekeeping missions align closely with US interests on the continent.

Given that Burundi’s nickel and NdPr will inevitably be mined, the real question is whether this becomes another quiet win for Chinese industrial strategy—or proof that US security engagement can still shape global markets.

The United States risks missing a critical opportunity—particularly in the mining sector—if policymakers and defense actors do not move quickly to prioritize Burundi.

#Indonesia bets on nickel levy to break its #China habit

Posted on April 1, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A stylized image of Indonesia's map cut out from an Indonesian flag background, showcasing an industrial scene within the map outline.

Indonesia’s sweeping nickel downstreaming policy, launched in 2020, is entering a more consequential phase. Having successfully halted raw ore exports, the government is now preparing to deploy a more assertive instrument: an additional export levy on processed nickel products.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia, who also oversees investment, has made clear that the move is not merely about boosting state revenue but about navigating mounting global economic uncertainty and growing saturation in the base metals market.

The proposal is a direct response to the oversupply of lower-grade nickel products — such as nickel pig iron and ferronickel — which have flooded global markets from Indonesia’s rapidly expanding smelting sector.

This glut has depressed international nickel prices, eroding royalties and state income. From a mining economics perspective, the policy represents a large-scale market correction aimed at safeguarding the value of Indonesia’s strategic resources from being undervalued internationally.

The levy will target nickel derivatives produced through pyrometallurgical processes, particularly nickel pig iron and ferronickel, whose nickel content remains relatively low to mid-range.

#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.

#India to invite bids for Rs 7,280 crore #RareEarthMagnet manufacturing scheme on March 20

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A graphic representation of India featuring industrial workers, military equipment, and aircraft, symbolizing the country's manufacturing and defense sectors, alongside the Indian flag.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries is likely to call for bids under the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Sintered Rare Earth Permanent Magnets (REPM) Friday. Officials said the Rs 7,280 crore scheme will promote domestic manufacturing of 6,000 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of magnets, strengthening supply chains for the automotive, defense, and aerospace sectors.

#China’s supply chain meets the wall of #African resource nationalism

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

A conceptual image of Africa shaped by industrial elements, featuring the flags of China and a country in Africa, with containers labeled 'Made in China' and 'Export'. In the foreground, piles of lithium and cobalt minerals are labeled, set against a background of mining machinery and a cloudy sky.

Resource-rich African nations are increasingly asserting control over critical minerals to maximise domestic returns, sending global prices soaring and exerting pressure on Chinese supply chains.

One price crunch started last month when Zimbabwe, Africa’s biggest lithium producer, abruptly suspended exports of raw lithium minerals and concentrates.

Chinese battery producers, which rely on Zimbabwe for about 15 per cent of their total lithium concentrate supply, were hit particularly hard.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has also sought to extract higher returns from its mineral sales, imposing cobalt export controls last year following a sharp decline in global prices. The embargo was eventually replaced in October by a quota system to rebalance the market, with Kinshasa setting limits of 96,600 tonnes this year.

Although China dominates the processing of cobalt, an essential metal used in batteries for electric vehicles and other electronics, it depends heavily on the DR Congo for raw materials.

Namibia prohibited unprocessed mineral exports in 2023, while Tanzania and Malawi issued mandates for in-country refining and raw export bans last year. Ghana has set a 2030 deadline to halt raw bauxite and lithium shipments for its domestic battery industry.

In the $US offshore wind farm energy is making news during the current energy crunch.

Posted on March 14, 2026 by Nanthakumar Victor Emmanuel, P.Eng Leave a comment

In the US offshore wind farm energy is making news during the current energy crunch.

Will it be enough to break through administrative mind set to support more funding for renewable energy?