Australia's Arafura reaches FID for rare earths project

Spanish Market: Metals
21/05/26

Australian minerals developer Arafura has made a final investment decision (FID) for the 4,870t/yr Nolans rare earths project, which will begin 30 months of construction in September and start production in early-to mid 2029, the company told Argus today.

Nolans will produce 4,440 t/yr of neodymium-praseodymium oxide, a light rare earth used in small quantities in rare earth permanent magnets (REPM) which are critical for the automotive, wind energy, and high-technology sectors. The company will also produce 470 t/yr of mixed medium-heavy rare earth oxide and 144,000 t/yr of 54pc P2O5 fertilizer-grade phosphoric acid from the project.

The board reached FID after receiving a non-binding letter of support from Export Finance Australia (EFA) for 500 t/yr of NdPr under the country's Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve (see table), which brought Nolans over the targeted 80pc offtake threshold, the company said today.

The EFA commitment followed a A$200mn ($144mn) investment from Australia's National Reconstruction Fund on 12 May and an offtake agreement with commodity trader Traxys North America for 500 t/yr NdPr on 13 May.

Arafura also has offtake agreements with South Korean automaker Hyundai, Germany-based industrial manufacturer Siemens, and Traxys Europe.

Arafura now has 3,570 t/yr of NdPr, or 80.4pc of its nameplate capacity, contracted for offtake. The remaining 870 t/yr is currently uncontracted and will be sold on the spot market.

Nolans has a mine-life of 38 years and the company projects it will meet 4pc of global NdPr demand.

By Daniel Gage-Brown

Arafura's offtake commitments
Company/Organisation	Location	Deal announced	NdPr oxide t/yr	Percentage of namplate
Hyundai & Kia	South Korea	7-Nov-22	1,500	33.8
Siemens Gamesa RE	Germany	11-Apr-23	520	11.7
Traxys Europe	Luxembourg	20-Mar-25	300	6.8
Traxys North America	United States	13-May-26	500	11.3
Export Finance Australia	Australia	13-May-26	500	11.3
Unspecified OEM	Germany/Europe	-	250	5.6
Not contracted for offtake	-	-	870	19.6
Nameplate: 4,400t/yr NdPr oxide
Source: Arafura

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19/05/26

EU parliament adopts steel safeguards

Brussels, 19 May (Argus) — The European Parliament today adopted the new steel import measure, paving the way for its entry into force by 1 July, subject to final approval by EU member states and publication in the official journal. The regulation , adopted by a large majority, will set tariff-rate quotas of 18.3mn t/yr for steel with an out-of-quota duty set at 50pc for 30 categories of steel products imported to the EU. The European Commission aims to adopt an implementing act by 1 July setting out specific country quotas. EU commissioner Costas Kadis said "intense" discussions are under way in Geneva with more than 20 trading partners. Around 80pc of EU steel imports come from countries with which it has free-trade agreements (FTAs), he said. The commission says safeguards must apply equally to all third countries, including candidate countries such as Ukraine and countries with FTAs. Kadis expects global overcapacity to reach 721mn t by next year, more than five times EU annual steel consumption. Swedish liberal rapporteur Karin Karlsbro criticised the provisions covering Ukrainian steel imports during the parliamentary debate. The commission should help, not punish, Ukraine through the steel safeguards, she said, citing Russian attacks on steelworkers in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro and Kamianske. "Trade policy should be a tool to keep the Ukrainian economy alive while they are defending us," Karlsbro said. Kadis said the decision on Ukraine had not been taken "lightly". Ukraine will receive a country-specific quota that ensures continued steel exports to the EU at levels "lower than before the war". But officials will take account of the country's immediate security situation when setting the quota, he said. French liberal MEP Yvan Verougstraete welcomed the deal for halving import quotas and doubling duties outside tariff-rate quotas. But he called for customs duties on imported cars, saying the use of "cheap, polluting" steel saves Chinese manufacturers €500/car. Polish far-right Patriots member Anna Brylka blamed the commission for the industry's problems, citing high energy costs, climate policy, decarbonisation and the emissions trading system. Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Malaysia launches first grid-connected BESS

18/05/26

Malaysia launches first grid-connected BESS

Singapore, 18 May (Argus) — Malaysia's national grid operation Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) launched the country's first grid-connected battery energy storage system (BESS) today. TNB installed the 100MW/400MWh BESS at its 132/33kV Santong main input substation, located in Dungun, Terengganu. The facility is part of Malaysia's national energy transition roadmap. The new BESS will strengthen the national grid system's stability and reliability, provides faster response to supply-demand imbalances, support peak load management, and enables greater solar energy integration, TNB said. The global BESS market has grown far above expectations in the past few years, with annual deployments rising by 63pc last year to above 300GWh. The roll out of variable renewable energy such as solar energy is a major driver behind the growth in BESS capacity. Global BESS additions are expected to exceed 400GWh this year, according to forecasts by Argus Consulting. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EU eyes deducting carbon credits under CBAM

13/05/26

EU eyes deducting carbon credits under CBAM

London, 13 May (Argus) — Domestic and Paris Agreement-aligned international carbon credits used to pay for emissions in non-EU countries could be counted towards a carbon price already paid on an import's emissions under the bloc's carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), under proposals published by the European Commission today. Under the CBAM regulation, declarants can claim a reduction in the CBAM certificates they must surrender for emissions embedded in imported goods if a carbon price has already been paid in the country of origin. In a draft implementing act published for consultation today, the commission proposed including all forms of compliance options allowed in the relevant country in the calculation, including carbon credits. Claiming this reduction should be allowed "irrespective of whether the mitigation activities linked to the carbon credit takes place domestically or outside the domestic jurisdiction", according to the draft implementing regulation. But while domestic credits could be counted with no additional criteria, only international credits issued under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement should be counted, the commission proposed. "This criterion should promote the development of Article 6 credits and provide the quality assurance necessary to ensure the environmental integrity of CBAM," it said. Counting international credits as a carbon price already paid on CBAM goods should also be limited to 10pc of the reported emissions to incentivise domestic emissions cuts, the commission said. Any rebates or compensation received by installations covered by carbon pricing should also be factored in, the commission proposed, including free allowances or other exemptions. The carbon price could have been paid on direct, indirect or precursor emissions, under the draft. The commission may publish default carbon prices for relevant countries, it said. And it proposed publishing a yearly reference price for CBAM certificates to be used in the calculation of the deduction. The price paid in the non-EU country would be based on either a yearly average primary or secondary market price or individual records of payment, converted to euros based on yearly average exchange rates. The regulation would apply from 1 January this year. The consultation closes on 10 June. By Victoria Hatherick Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US producer inflation surges by 6pc in April

13/05/26

US producer inflation surges by 6pc in April

Houston, 13 May (Argus) — Prices paid to US producers surged by an annual 6pc in April, the biggest gain since December 2022, spurred by rising energy costs triggered by the Mideast Gulf war. The producer price index (PPI) gained from an upwardly revised 4.3pc in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices rose by 3.4pc in February and by 3.1pc in January and were at 2.4pc in April last year. The PPI report comes one day after BLS reported that the consumer price index rose by an annual 3.7pc in April , the biggest gain in nearly three years. The PPI report shows more inflation is in the pipeline, triggered by the Mideast Gulf war that started on 28 February. "Stickier core inflation from AI buildout, passthrough from the oil price shock, and lingering tariff effects will keep the Federal Reserve at bay for most of 2026," Oxford Economics said in a note. "Eventually, we expect higher energy prices will feed through to weaker consumer spending and a softer labor market, prompting the Fed to deliver its next rate cut in December." Prices for energy rose by 22.7pc in April from a year prior following 11.2pc originally reported the prior month, BLS said. Energy for export rose by 50pc after an 18.6pc gain. Core producer prices, excluding volatile energy and food, rose by 5.2pc in April after a 3.8pc gain the prior month. Prices for goods rose by an annual 7.4pc in April, led by gasoline, compared with 4.9pc originally reported the prior month Services rose by 5.5pc, partly led by margins for trade services, after a gain of 3.7pc. Food rose by 2.2pc in April after a 1.6pc gain the prior month. Transport and warehousing services rose by 12.2pc after a 6.1pc gain the prior month. Transportation of passengers rose by 11pc after a 7.5pc gain in March. On a monthly basis, seasonally adjusted PPI rose by 1.4pc in April following a 0.7pc monthly gain in March and 0.6pc gains each of the prior two months. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Lithium Argentina's Li prices double in 1Q

12/05/26

Lithium Argentina's Li prices double in 1Q

Sao Paulo, 12 May (Argus) — Lithium Argentina (LAR) swung to a profit in the first quarter as the company's average lithium sale prices more than doubled over the year. The company swung to a $7.5mn profit in January-March from a $7.2mn loss in the first quarter of 2025, as its average realized lithium prices climbed to $16,818/metric tonne (t) from $8,085/t. LAR sells lithium at a 6-7pc discount to Chinese reference prices, excluding VAT, chief-executive Sam Pigott said. Argus -assessed ex-works China lithium carbonate prices, with VAT excluded, averaged $19.628/kg ($19,628/t) in the first quarter. LAR's lithium sales totalled $168mn, meaning it sold roughly 9,990t of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) in the first three months of the year. LAR's flagship project in Argentina, Cauchari-Olaroz, has a 40,000 t/yr LCE capacity, and the company produced 9,660t of LCE in the first three months of 2026, maintaining output at around 97pc of the project's designed capacity. Production increased by 34pc compared with the same period last year and was steady with the previous quarter, as ramp-up is nearly concluded. Production was in line with the company's full-year production guidance of 35,000-40,000t. LAR's business has been [relatively unscathed by the US-Iran war, as oil and gas costs make up less than 3pc of its operational costs, according to Pigott. "We feel very good about our cost profile and our insulation against broader inflationary trends globally," Pigott said Thursday on the company's earnings call.Cauchari-Olaroz is managed by Minera Exar, a joint-venture between LAR, China's Ganfeng Lithium and provincial-owned firm JEMSE. By Pedro Consoli Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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