21ST CENTURY ALCHEMY

Newly discovered protein supports efficient refining of REEs

RARE EARTH ELEMENTS
Staff Writer | March 6, 2023 |

Terbium. (Reference image from Wikimedia Commons).

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, researchers at ETH Zurich describe the discovery of lanpepsy, a protein which specifically binds lanthanides – or rare earth elements – and discriminates them from other minerals and metals.


Because of their similarity to other metal ions, the purification of REE from the environment is cumbersome and economical only in a few locations. Knowing this, the scientists decided to explore biological materials with high binding specificity for lanthanides as mechanisms that could offer a way forward.

The first step was to review previous studies that suggest that nature has evolved a variety of proteins or small molecules to scavenge lanthanides. Other research groups have discovered that certain bacteria, methylotrophs that convert methane or methanol, have enzymes that require lanthanides in their active sites. Since the initial discoveries in this field, the identification and characterization of proteins involved in the sensing, uptake, and utilization of lanthanides, has become an emerging field of research.

To identify novel actors in the lanthanome, Jethro Hemmann and Philipp Keller together with collaborators from D-BIOL and the laboratory of Detlef Günther at D-CHAB, studied the lanthanide response of the obligate methylotroph Methylobacillus flagellatus.

By comparing the proteome of cells grown in the presence and absence of lanthanum, they found several proteins not previously related to lanthanide utilization.

Among them was a small protein of unknown function, which the team now named lanpepsy. In vitro characterization of the protein revealed binding sites for lanthanides with high specificity for lanthanum over the chemically similar calcium.

Lanpepsy is able to enrich lanthanides from a solution and thus holds potential for the development of bioinspired processes for the sustainable purification of rare earths.

South America looks at creating “lithium OPEC”

Cecilia Jamasmie | March 6, 2023 |

Caucharí-Olaroz lithium mine, one of the two producing assets in Argentina. (Image courtesy of Lithium Americas Corp.)

Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil are analyzing the creation of a lithium cartel of sorts in charge of expanding South America’s processing capacity, turning more of their mined lithium into batteries and tapping into the electric vehicles (EVs) manufacturing sector.


The group would emulate similar schemes, such as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in terms of coordinating production flows, pricing and good practices, representatives of the Argentinean delegation said at the annual PDAC Convention, held this week in Toronto, Canada.

Argentina, Chile, Bolivia have been negotiating since July last year, when foreign ministers of each country met at the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) conference in Buenos Aires.

The three countries make up the so-called lithium triangle, which has about 65% of the world’s known resources of lithium and reached 29.5% of world production in 2020.

While Brazil’s lithium sector is just waking up to global demand, the nation has auto-making experience and it is already a global case study in low carbon mobility, powering cars with ethanol, biofuels and natural gas.

With Sigma Lithium (TSX-V; NASDAQ: SGML) coming into the mix with the opening of its Grota do Cirilo lithium mine in April, Brazil will have one of the few companies globally that has proven its ability to produce lithium in an environmentally sustainable manner.

“We have to prepare ourselves for what’s coming and be able to adapt — beginning perhaps with cells, working toward industrialization, and getting to batteries,” Argentina’s mining undersecretary Fernanda Avila said in an interview at PDAC.

Graphic by Bloomberg with data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Shared interest in maximizing the benefits of soaring demand for batteries and increasing prices has revived regional talks for cooperation.

Even Mexico, which traditionally has partnered with the USA and Canada, has made moves to partner with its southern neighbours.

Studies indicate that Mexico has about 1.7 million tonnes of lithium reserves. While close to a dozen foreign companies have active mining concessions that aim to develop potential those deposits, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said all of them will be “reviewed” in light of the recent nationalization of the resource.

JPMorgan said last year it expected Argentina to grow from supplying 6% of the world’s lithium in 2021 to 16% by 2030. If the prediction turns out to be correct, Argentina would overtake Chile as the No. 2 lithium producer in the world by 2027, behind only Australia.

Argentina has been welcoming foreign investment since the 1990s, while Chile and Bolivia have been hesitant to allow foreign companies to exploit their reserves.

The country has attracted major miners over the past two years, including the world’s second largest miner Rio Tinto and South Korean steelmaker Posco.

Investments in the lithium sector reached an estimated $1.5 billion last year, data from the Cámara Argentina de Empresarios Mineros, a group of mining entrepreneurs, shows. The body forecasts that investments would reach more than $5 billion in the coming years, as the country currently hosts more than 20 projects in various stages of development.

Chinese carmaker Chery Inc. revealed plans last month to build a $400 million EV and battery plant in Argentina.

Fellow battery maker Gotion High-tech Co. is looking at cooperating with the government of Jujuy, one of Argentina’s three lithium-producing provinces, while weighing the construction of a lithium carbonate refinery in the region.

(With files from Bloomberg)

Ontario OKs Ring of Fire road review plan by First Nations

Colin McClelland | March 6, 2023 |

George Pirie, Ontario Mines Minister with Chief Bruce Achneepineskum of Marten Falls First Nation and Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation at PDAC 2023. 

Credit: Colin McClelland

Ontario has approved another small step on the long journey to build an all-season road to the Ring of Fire minerals area in the province’s far north.


The province granted the terms of reference for an environmental assessment of the Northern Link road, the last terms approved among the three roads planned for the area 540 km northeast of Thunder Bay. The plans were submitted by the Webequie and Marten Falls First Nations. The Northern Link is to connect the two communities and potential mining projects.

“I value our partnership with these strong leaders who are central to our government’s mandate to develop the Ring of Fire,” George Pirie, Minister of Mines, said in a news release accompanying remarks on Monday at PDAC in Toronto. “The Ring of Fire has the critical minerals we need to build our manufacturing supply chain, including nickel for electric vehicles and chromite for clean steel.”

The cost of the roads isn’t clear although Victoria, BC-based The Narwhal, citing memos in the government of Premier Doug Ford, said it’s estimated at more than C$2 billion.

Environmentalists and at least several Indigenous communities in the region, such as the Neskantaga First Nation and several James Bay communities such as Attawapiskat, are opposed to mining and roads they say will desecrate the area. The boggy peatlands and muskeg swamps are difficult to build through and hold millions of tonnes of carbon. Construction would cause its release, outweighing the benefits from mining metals for green energy, they say. (Mushkegowuk Council communities have proposed their own road, however, to link some James Bay coastal communities to the provincial highway system.) Meeting mineral demand to fight climate change is one of the main planks wielded by project supporters.

“This project has the potential to finally bring economic reconciliation for remote First Nations in Ontario,” Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation said in the release. “But these opportunities must also be balanced against the potential environmental and socio-cultural risks associated with building a road.”

Of the two other roads, which are already undergoing environmental assessments, one would link the Marten Falls community to the provincial highway network to the south. The other would run from the Webequie First Nation to proposed mining developments. The Northern Link is to connect the two roads. Each requires its own environmental assessment on the provincial level, while federal review may only apply to the Marten Falls and Webequie community roads and not the Northern Link, at least initially.

The area’s most advanced project is Ring of Fire Metals’ Eagle’s Nest. According to a 2012 feasibility study, it has an 11-year mine life and an estimated cost $609 million. Proven and probable reserves are 11.1 million tonnes grading 1.68% nickel, 0.87% copper, 0.87 gram platinum per tonne, 3.09 grams palladium and 0.18 gram gold.

Ring of Fire beat out giant BHP (NYSE: BHP; LSE: BHP; ASX: BHP) for the asset after US-based Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE: CLF) pulled out of the area in 2013 even though it had already spent half a billion dollars to advance local chromite deposits.

Also at PDAC, the province awarded C$5 million in grants as part of the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund supporting Ontario-based companies developing new mining technologies.

Grants of C$500,000 each went to: Frontier Lithium (TSXV: FL) to develop innovative lithium processing techniques; Vale Canada (NYSE: VALE) to develop bioleaching techniques to extract nickel and cobalt from tailings; Ring of Fire Metals to test storing tailings as underground backfill in mine workings. Indigenous-owned Carbonix received C$475,000 to convert mining waste, petroleum coke and other by-products into graphite for batteries. The recipients of the remaining circa C$3 million weren’t mentioned.

“We’re connecting the critical minerals of the north with the manufacturing might of the south,” Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said in the release.

Canada says working to ease permitting process for mining companies

Reuters | March 6, 2023 | 

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson. (Image courtesy of Province of British Columbia.)

Canada is working toward easing permitting process for mining companies so that the permitting does not take several years, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto on Monday.


Canada could consider tax reform offering incentives for investment in clean energy – similar to what the United States has done – in its upcoming budget in an attempt to attract investment to its critical minerals sector, Wilkinson said.

“We are reviewing Canada’s regulatory process for clean energy projects including critical minerals,” Wilkinson said.

Canada and its allies, in an attempt to rely less on China, have been looking to diversify their supply chains and find local sources for mining and processing critical metals such as lithium.

Citing the incentives for clean energy investments in the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act in the United States, Wilkinson said Canada needed a similarly competitive tax environment.

At PDAC, one of the largest mining conferences in North America, mining companies are looking for clues on policy, especially as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration adopts a hawkish stance on China, one of the largest investors in mines around the world.

Some junior mining companies have expressed concerns that Canada’s move to restrict investments from certain countries such as China could hurt their plans.

Industry Minister Francois Philippe Champagne, who was also in attendance, responded that he was not concerned and that a record number of companies were interested in investing in Canada.

“The decision to block the Chinese lithium investments has been well received by our partners and allies around the world.” Champagne said.

(Reporting by Divya Rajagopal in Toronto; writing by Ismail Shakil –Editing by Deepa Babington)

Scientists work on solid-state battery that uses fewer ‘problem’ metals
Staff Writer | March 7, 2023 | 

EV charging station. (Reference image by C-CarTom, Wikimedia Commons).

A team from Florida State University and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed a new strategy to build solid-state batteries that are less dependent on specific chemical elements, particularly expensive metals with supply chain issues.


In a paper published in the journal Science, the researchers demonstrated that a mix of various solid-state molecules could result in a more conductive battery that was less dependent on a large quantity of an individual element.

“There’s no hero element here,” lead researcher Bin Ouyang said. “It’s a collective of diverse elements that make things work. What we found is that we can get this highly conductive material as long as different elements can assemble in a way that atoms can move around quickly. And there are many situations that can lead to these so-called atom diffusion highways, regardless of which elements it may contain.”

Solid-state batteries operate almost the same way as other batteries—they store energy and then release it to power devices. But rather than liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in lithium-ion batteries, they use solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte. This means that a higher energy density can occur in the battery because lithium metal can be used as the anode.

Additionally, they have lower fire risk and potentially increase the mileage of electric vehicles.

However, many of the batteries constructed thus far are based on critical metals that are not available in large quantities.

The research team considered the straightforward path of using one element to replace commonly used ones, but that approach raised its own supply chain issues. Instead, the team addressed the problem by designing materials that weren’t beholden to one specific element. For example, instead of creating a battery made with germanium, which rarely appears naturally in high concentrations, the team created a mixture of titanium, zirconium, tin, and hafnium.

“With such a feature, we need to assemble those elements in a way so that we have many ‘good’ local configurations which can form a network for the fast transport of atoms or energy,” Ouyang said. “Think of it as a highway. As long as there is a connected highway for atom diffusion, the atoms can move quickly.”

The scientist noted that this study opened a new area of research for him and his colleagues as they work to build more efficient solid-state batteries.

Major copper producers unveil plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050

Reuters | March 7, 2023 | 

Credit: Codelco

A group of the world’s biggest copper producers said it aimed to slash direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, in a move that could make the sector more attractive to environmentally-conscious investment funds.


With copper demand forecast to double to 50 million tonnes by 2050 from 2020 levels, the International Copper Association’s (ICA) roadmap released on Tuesday set a target for members to cut direct and indirect emissions by 30% to 40% by 2030, and by 70% to 80% by 2040, before reaching zero by 2050, it said.

Members include BHP Group, Chile’s Codelco, Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan, Japan’s JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation, and Poland’s KGHM.

There are no members from China, the world’s biggest producer of refined copper.

The copper producers plan to reduce direct and indirect emissions by decarbonising power supply, improving efficiency and scrap collection. Copper production from scrap metal can typically be done via electricity so is easier to decarbonise.

The ICA’s members will also work with customers to reduce their “scope 3” emissions by 10% by 2030, by 30% to 40% by 2040, and by 60% to 70% by 2050, it said.

“These collective ambitions show a clear trajectory to achieving defined emissions reductions of up to 85% by 2050, with the balance to be addressed through advanced technologies and enhanced collaboration,” the ICA said.

Emissions produced by the copper industry as a whole represent 0.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2018, the average emission intensity of refined copper production was 4.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per tonne of copper, down by 13.4% from 5.4 tonnes of CO2e in 1990.

Given copper’s key role in the energy transition and the “ambitious” decarbonisation plans, the sector should be an attractive investment for funds that use environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, the ICA said.

(By Melanie Burton; Editing by Jamie Freed)

Argentina moves to stop wetlands bill from foiling lithium boom
Bloomberg News | March 7, 2023 | 

Stock image.

Argentina is in talks with policy makers and companies to prevent drafted wetlands-protection legislation from slamming the breaks on exploration as the world looks for more environmentally friendly energy sources.


Argentina is on course to become one of the biggest suppliers of lithium needed for the move to cleaner energy and transportation. The country has been working on legislation, pushed by its president in a major speech last week, to protect its wetlands amid sprawling fires often blamed on farmers. But such a law could grind lithium exploration to a halt.

“We’re all convinced that looking after the environment is a central pillar of development,” federal Mining Undersecretary Fernanda Avila said in an interview at a mining conference in Toronto. “What we’re debating and discussing is how the wetlands law can go through without putting mining projects at risk.”

Some versions of the legislation classify Argentina’s lithium-rich Andean salt flats, a growing magnet for international miners and battery makers, as wetland areas because of the vast saline pools beneath the surface. Governors of the country’s three main lithium provinces have voiced strong concerns that a law would therefore impede exploration for the metal.

The federal government is working with the provinces and an industry group representing miners to make sure that doesn’t happen, Avila said.

The government is also trying to convince miners that Argentina is ripe for long-term investments after piecemeal policies to address the country’s restrictions on money flows and export taxes fell short.

“We’re talking with companies, which are generally investing no less than $4 billion, to give them better assurances through an agreement encompassing several issues,” Avila said.

(By Jonathan Gilbert and James Attwood)

Peru to unleash stranded copper with roadblocks largely cleared
Bloomberg News | March 7, 2023 | 

Protesters in Lima draped with Peruvian flags and waving Wiphalas. Credit: Wikipedia

The government of Peru, the second-biggest producer of copper and zinc, expects that shipments of the commodities will begin to normalize within days as the nation’s worst street protests in decades ease.


“The issue of protests has been reduced to a minimum at this time,” Oscar Vera, newly-appointed energy and mines minister, said in an interview. “The mining corridor is now open and in the coming days, mineral will begin to be taken out.”

The full resumption of shipments will come as a relief to tight global metal markets, which were roiled by a surge of protests prompted by the impeachment of former President Pedro Castillo. The months of unrest — which constrained the transport of metal to ports and supplies to mines — embroiled operations by companies including Glencore Plc and Freeport-McMoRan Inc., while highlighting risks to commodity output from emerging markets.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Toronto on Monday, Vera said authorities eased tensions by establishing lines of communication with communities and understanding their concerns. In many cases, conflicts related to stalled investments in local water and health projects, he said, adding that the government has stepped up efforts to ensure public works get done.

To be sure, unrest lingers in some areas. In Puno, home to some of the worst protests, roadblocks have continued even after those in other mining regions were lifted. While Minsur SA’s giant San Rafael tin mine has restarted operations after a 45-day halt, it’s still a long way from full capacity.

Minister Vera said direct and ongoing communication and concrete action to address demands were paying off — even at MMG Ltd.’s Las Bambas mine, which has endured more than 400 days of roadblocks in its seven-year history.

With blockades at a minimum, Las Bambas will probably resume copper transport “between today and tomorrow,” Vera said. He said he’s hoping there’ll be a lasting solution with a military presence along roads and authorities on the ground to make sure mine commitments are met. There are also proposals to change the route used to transport ore to port.

Peru’s copper production is likely to have taken a hit from the protests, but Vera said he was “very optimistic that in the coming days everything starts to normalize,” with output recovering over the rest of the year.

The government has identified a total of $6.9 billion in mining investments this year and next, made up of seven likely projects. Still, there are some projects, such as Southern Copper Corp.’s Tia Maria, that while technically sound, require further work to convince local communities of the benefits, he said.
Oil reentry

Vera defended state-owned Petroleos del Peru SA’s plans to resume drilling in the Amazon rainforest at what was once the nation’s largest and leakiest oil field.

Petroperu’s move back into the highly profitable oil-producing industry carries little risk because it’s doing so in a field that only requires reactivation rather than a capital intensive development, he said.

For Lot 192, in a remote area near Ecuador, Petroperu is seeking an operating partner and is “negotiating with a company, I understand,” the minister said.

(By James Attwood and Marcelo Rochabrun)

British Columbia exploration spending hits 10-year high in 2022

Staff Writer | March 7, 2023 |

Northwest British Columbia. Stock image.

Exploration for copper was the driving force behind a record-setting year for provincial spending in British Columbia, according to a new report from EY.


Fueled by favourable market conditions and demand, copper exploration spending jumped 84% year over year in 2022, rising from C$128 million in 2021 to C$235 million, EY’s Insights from the BC Mineral and Coal Exploration Survey revealed. 2022 Similarly, critical metals exploration in BC jumped 77% year-over-year, while precious metals spend saw a 91% increase from 2020.

Gold spending retained the record-high levels seen in 2021, decreasing by a marginal 2% year over year from C$431 million in 2021 to C$422 million in 2022. Despite this downturn, survey responses indicate interest in gold has not dwindled. Approximately 46% of survey respondents indicated gold as the primary commodity of exploration.

The survey found that exploration in BC is shifting towards discovery after years of focus on advancing economics of existing projects. Grassroots and early-stage exploration accounted for 39% of total exploration spending in 2022, receiving 78% more funding year over year, while later stage-projects – those in the advanced, mine evaluation and mine lease stages – received 10% less funding.

Of the C$740 million invested into the exploration and evaluation of mineral deposits, C$42 million was spent on First Nations community consultation and exploration agreements. Additionally, survey respondents indicated a 32% increase in employment within the sector.

The full report is available here.

Rio Tinto keeps working to build Indigenous support for Resolution mine

CAREFUL THEY BLEW UP AN ABORIGINAL SITE IN AUSTRALIA

Reuters | March 7, 2023 |

Credit: Resolution Copper

Rio Tinto Plc said it remains committed to building more support from an Indigenous group that opposes its Resolution mine project in Arizona, which could supply a quarter of America’s copper needs depending on the outcome of a court case.


Resolution is key to the Anglo-Australian mining giant’s future as the project would produce more than 40 billion pounds of copper for the green energy transition. But that copper sits below the federally owned Oak Flat Campground, a place some Apache consider home to deities


The mine would create a crater 2 miles (3 km) wide and 1,000 feet (304 m) deep that would destroy that worship site, which the San Carlos Apache tribe strongly opposes.

The tribe has refused to meet with Rio, saying it prefers to negotiate directly with the US government, which in 2014 approved a complex process to give Rio the land containing the copper in exchange for acreage that Rio owns nearby. President Joe Biden put that land swap on hold in 2021.

Some other Apache tribes in the area support Rio’s project, but the San Carlos Apache have vowed to block it. Rio said it will continue to try to win the San Carlos Apache’s approval.

“We have to have broad-based support, for sure,” Bold Baatar, Rio’s chief executive of copper, told Reuters on the sidelines of the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston this week. “If there are going to be opposing voices, we’re going to continue trying to engage.”

Several courts have ruled against the San Carlos Apache and their allies, which have appealed to the full 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. That court plans to hold a hearing to consider the case on March 21.

Rio does not plan to attend the court hearing in Pasadena, California. US government attorneys have defended the land swap in court.

The company said it may be able to prevent the large crater, but will not know if that is possible until it controls the land. “When you get through mine planning and start touching rock, we will looking for areas of improvement to try to mitigate the impact as much as possible,” Baatar said.

US Representative Raul Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, introduced legislation on Monday to reverse the 2014 legislation approving the land swap.

“Turning Oak Flat into a political bargaining chip was an assault against tribal sovereignty that never should have happened,” said Grijalva, the ranking member of the US House Natural Resources Committee.

The project would involve digging into a new rock deposit using a mine shaft that closed in the 1990s and related electrical infrastructure. Rio has begun positioning the project as the expansion of an old mine, which tend to be more palatable for regulators and local communities.

“Resolution is not a greenfield mine,” said Baatar. “It’s a revival of old, proud US copper history and an old mine that was there. It’s just deeper.”

(By Ernest Scheyder; Editing by David Gregorio)