Administration approves controversial Alaskan mining road 

The Trump administration has approved a proposed 211-mile, industrial access road through Alaska’s Brooks Range to allow mining of copper, cobalt, gold and other minerals. The long-debated Ambler Road project was originally approved during President Trump’s first term but was later blocked by the Biden administration due to environmental concerns. Full story.

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TMC submits deep sea recovery application

In what its executives have called a world first, The Metals Company (TMC) has submitted applications to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for two exploration licenses and one commercial recovery permit under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA). CEO Gerard Barron said the company made the move after last month’s executive order from U.S. President Donald…

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USGS: global lithium, cobalt to jump, others flat

The U.S. Geological Survey recently released its World Minerals Outlook for world production capacity across seven critical minerals (and helium) from 2025 to 2029, and confirmed a few surprises in its report. In the assessment, part of a larger effort to provide forecasts and scenarios for global mineral supply chain, the agency said global capacity to produce cobalt and lithium,…

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India, U.S. sign critical mineral supply chain pact

The Commerce and Trade Minister of India, Piyush Goyal, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo signed their names to an agreement last week promising to cooperate on strengthening supply chains in the two countries for lithium, cobalt and other critical minerals. The Commerce Department said in a statement October 3 that the now-inked memorandum of understanding aims to build resilience…

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VDMA becomes VDA Mining & Minerals

European engineering company representative VDMA has changed its name to VDMA Mining & Minerals, which it said will reflect the increasing importance of the processing of raw minerals. The new identity, which was formalized by the group’s board, will put VDMA’s focus not only on extraction, but also on sustainable processing. “The potential is enormous: more efficient separation of rocks…

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Metso expands VSF lineup with modular plant

Metso has expanded its solvent extraction offering with a wider capacity range and improved features, and is now also introducing the VSF X solvent extraction plant with extended scope. The modular VSF X plant, part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering, allows copper, cobalt, nickel and manganese producers, among others, to purify desired metals from the leach solution in a safe,…

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