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Glencore goes to bat for Aussie vanadium players Neometals (ASX: NMT) has signed an initial five-year agreement with Glencore for all saleable vanadium bearing products from its Vanadium Recovery Project (VRP1). The deal, done through its indirectly-owned entity, Novana Oy, which is a unit of Recycling Industries Scandinavia AB, whereby Neometals holds 72.5% ownership and Critical Minerals holds 27.5% stake, automatically renews in two-year increments unless otherwise chosen. Neometals managing director Chris Reed says this offtake agreement represents a significant milestone as it “further emphasises the anticipated future need for high-purity materials in the market”. “This is supported by significant expected demand from the vanadium redox flow battery sector and other potential...

Diversifying alumina supply chains in Gladstone, Queensland Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Corporation will build a first-of-a-kind hydrogen plant in Gladstone, Queensland, as part of a A$111.1m program aimed at lowering carbon emissions from the alumina refining process, it was announced yesterday. This came on the same day the Queensland Government formally announced $21.7m in funding for Alpha HPA Limited’s second stage of HPA First Project, a $300m-plus high-purity alumina (HPA) facility in Gladstone. The Rio Tinto-Sumitomo Yarwun Hydrogen Calcination Pilot Demonstration Program, where hydrated alumina is heated up to 1000 °C, received a $32.1m funding boost from the Federal Government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Rio Tinto Aluminium...

FYI Resources appoints CTE to execute support work for HPA production plant Emerging critical mineral producer FYI Resources (ASX:FYI) has appointed Control and Thermal Engineering (CTE) to execute support work for its small-scale high purity alumina (HPA) production plant (SSP) proposed for a site in Kwinana, WA. FYI selected CTE following a review which determined CTE’s extensive experience and multidisciplined engineering and fabrication capabilities matched the high project specification requirements for design and construction of the SSP. This will include the integration of ancillary HPA technologies and product finishing which FYI Resources has been developing and refining for inclusion in the HPA production process. Now that CTE has been appointed, FYI...

BHP and JX Metals Corporation sign MoU for green enabling partnership BHP (ASX:BHP) and JX Metals Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to pursue the development of a green enabling partnership. This partnership is aimed at supporting both companies’ ambitions of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the copper supply chain and making the copper supply chain more sustainable. Through the partnership, BHP and JX Metals will support the continued development of a responsible copper supply chain through enhancing traceability and material origin verification. Additionally, the green enabling partnership proposes to advocate for circular...

Gold Hydrogen secures drilling and services contracts for Ramsay project Gold Hydrogen (ASX:GHY) has secured drilling and services contracts with SLB and Savanna Energy Services for its flagship Ramsay project in South Australia. International drilling contractor Savanna Energy will provide drilling services for Gold Hydrogen’s first exploration well at Ramsay which is designed to replicate the results of the historic Ramsay Oil Bore 1 which encountered natural hydrogen of up to 89% purity. Gold Hydrogen believes that Savanna’s minimal disturbance style of drilling will mitigate any disruptions and impacts within the local community. SLB will provide their specialist services — which includes geological services, mud logging, wireline services and cementing...

Strandline Resources completes seventh shipment of HMC Strandline Resources (ASX:STA) has completed a seventh shipment of heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) and begun the next commissioning campaign of the downstream mineral separation plant (MSP) at the Coburn project in WA. The MSP is designed to separate the HMC into valuable critical minerals of zircon and titanium as well as a zircon in concentrate product containing monazite rare earths. The beginning of the campaign follows successful refinements made to the MSP dust extraction system and several other circuits throughout June 2023. These refinements are already showing improved mineral separation efficiencies and they enable further commissioning of the downstream circuits. Chloride ilmenite product...

RocketDNA signs South32 contract in South Africa for drone surveying RocketDNA Ltd (ASX: RKT) has signed a five-year contract with South32 (ASX: S32) via Hotazel Manganese Mines (PTY) LTD in South Africa for drone surveying services at two mine sites. The contract is with RocketDNA’s subsidiary, Rocketmine (Pty) Ltd, valued at $1.18m and annual recurring revenue of $236,000. South32’s manganese operation in South Africa is located in the Kalahari Basin, home to 80% of the world’s manganese. It is made up of the Metalloys manganese alloy smelter in Meyerton, Gauteng, which remains in care and maintenance, the open-cut Mamatwan mine and the underground Wessels mine. South32 reported increased...

IperionX and Aperam Recycling to create 100% recycled titanium supply chain IperionX (ASX:IPX) and Aperam Recycling, through its American entity ELG Utica Alloys, are partnering up to create a low-carbon 100% recycled titanium supply chain. ELG will supply clean titanium scrap metal and IperionX will use its patented titanium processing technologies to produce low-carbon titanium metal for a more sustainable and fully circular supply chain. IperionX chief executive Anastasios Arima is pleased to partner with ELG. “We are pleased to partner with ELG to advance a more sustainable 100% recycled US titanium supply chain,” he said. “This agreement with ELG provides the potential to unlock a secure, long-term supply of scrap titanium feedstock to create value for our customers with...

Queensland Government gives green light for Sconi project Australian Mines (ASX:AUZ) has been granted a mining lease from the Queensland Government for its Sconi project at Greenvale. Now that it has been given the green light, around 780 jobs will be on offer in North Queensland. The $1.4b Sconi project has a planned life of 30 years, processing two million tonnes of ore per year with the project planned for commissioning in 2028. Once operational, the open-cut mine and adjoining processing plant is expected to produce around 47,000t of nickel sulphate, 7000t of cobalt sulphate and 89t of scandium oxide. Queensland minister for resources Scott Stewart said the granting of...

Glencore’s $20b impact on the Australian economy Glencore contributed just under $20b to the Australian economy in 2022, according to the company’s latest report. The mining company is the largest Australian producer of coal, zinc, lead and cobalt, employing over 18,000 staff and contractors across its 24 mines and processing facilities. Glencore head of corporate affairs Cassandra McCarthy says the company is proud of its people who make a huge contribution to Glencore’s success. “When mining does well, Australians do well and our economy does well,” she said. “We should never take that for granted.” Glencore supports more than 7,000...

Consultants engaged for rare earth element processing plant ACDC Metals (ASX:ADC) has engaged industry-leading consultants to complete a rare earth element processing plant localisation study for the rare earth processing plant (REPP) in southeastern Australia. The localisation study builds on earlier scoping studies completed by Medallion Resources to include parameters specific to a potential Australian operation. Medallion’s study was completed for a North American setting and this updated study will reflect southeastern Australian operating conditions and supporting infrastructure. It will identify locations that are favourable to the infrastructure and services required for a rare earth element processing plant and optimise potential transport routes to and from market. National consultancy JBS&G Australia have...