Force majeure declared at Kennecott mine
Rio Tinto has declared force majeure on shipments of copper cathode from its Kennecott operation in Utah after an earthquake in March.
The declaration was made as the Utah facility continues to reopen after being hit by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake on 18 March.
The facility's mine, concentrator and tailings have resumed operations.
"We are working to restart Kennecott's smelter after the emergency shutdown in response to the earthquake and with our customers to minimize any disruption in supply," Rio Tinto told Argus today.
Kennecott accounts for approximately 11pc of copper production in the US, according to Rio Tinto.
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China's Lopal starts first Indonesian LFP battery plant
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Beijing, 22 April (Argus) — Major Chinese lithium iron phosphate (LFP) producer Jiangsu Lopal Tech has launched production at the first phase of its Indonesia-based LFP production plant. The Indonesian plant is the first overseas LFP battery material production project with over 10,000 t/yr capacity that a Chinese company has invested in, Lopal said. Lopal's subsidiary Changzhou Liyuan New Energy Technology started building the first phase of the project in July last year, with a 30,000 t/yr output capacity for LFP battery material. The line started pilot production in March. The plant is located in the Kendal Industrial Park in Indonesia's Central Java province. The whole project has a designed capacity of 120,000 t/yr, with the second phase of 90,000 t/yr likely to start construction in the second half of this year. This project marks a milestone in China's investment in overseas battery feedstock resources, according to market participants. Most Indonesian projects that Chinese firms invest in are for primary materials or intermediates such as lithium salts, graphite, nickel matte, mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) and ferro-nickel including nickel pig iron. Lopal has been accelerating its investment in lithium-ion battery material production in the past few years. It is also building a 50,000 t/yr production line for LFP and a 100,000 t/yr plant for iron phosphate in the Shandong Heze Juancheng industrial park, in which another 80,000 t/yr iron phosphate project is located. Changzhou Liyuan on 18 April released its newly-developed 4th generation high compaction LFP cathode material S501, with 2.65g/cm³ of compaction. This has increased the battery's energy density and power load, said the company. LFP has taken up a bigger market share in the power battery market because of its lower manufacturing costs and safer performance. But one of its main disadvantages is shorter driving ranges on electric vehicles because of lower energy density. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
International Graphite gets Western Australia funding
International Graphite gets Western Australia funding
Singapore, 22 April (Argus) — Australia's International Graphite will receive fresh funding of A$6.5mn ($4.2mn) for its graphite project and plans in Western Australia's (WA) Collie from the state government. The Labor party-led government of premier Roger Cook will provide A$4.5mn to support the acceleration of International Graphite's pilot graphite micronising plant in Collie to "full scale", with A$2mn for its battery anode material facility feasibility study, the WA government said on 20 April. International Graphite in February wet commissioned its 200 t/yr graphite micronising plant, having obtained government approval for equipment installation late last year. The facility is a precursor to its planned 4,000 t/yr commercial micronising facility in Collie, which is expected to cost A$12.5mn and could begin construction by mid-2024, the firm said. It plans to build the operations over 18-24 months, the WA government said. The company last year signed an exclusive agreement for a lease related to its Collie graphite battery anode material facility. It is aiming to be the first fully integrated battery anode graphite processing firm in WA. International Graphite owns the Springdale graphite deposit near Hopetoun in WA, the second-largest known graphite deposit in the country. The deposit has a mineral resource estimate of 49.3mn t of 6.5pc total graphitic carbon, according to the firm on 12 September. The Australian federal government last year gave A$4.7mn to International Graphite through its Critical Minerals Development Programme grants. It received the first and second tranche of A$1.7mn and A$1.25mn last year. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia's QPM to focus on gas, cut Tech battery spend
Australia's QPM to focus on gas, cut Tech battery spend
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US amsul stripping margin rises again in April
US amsul stripping margin rises again in April
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