The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the French Geological Survey (BRGM), and the Directorate General of Mineral and Coal (DG Minerba) of Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), in close coordination with Badan Geologi strengthened cooperation on international best practices for mining. Together in Jakarta, they held the final presentation of their joint technical assistance on the environmental and social aspects of nickel mining in Indonesia. This activity is part of the Indonesia Energy Transition Facility (IETF) programme, a €14.7 M grant for technical assistance, co-financed by AFD and the European Union (EU), and implemented by AFD under…
Author: TJ Markle
Antofagasta’s U.S. subsidiary Twin Metals has been pushing to mine copper, other metals from land near Minnesota’s famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness A mining company that hopes to extract metals near one of the United States most beloved nature areas is in trouble for violating environmental protection guidelines again in Chile. The South American country’s environmental regulator fined Antofagasta about $775,000 on January 23, 2026 for failing to properly follow water management protocol, which includes keeping track of water resources and following water monitoring rules set out in the company’s environmental impact study and an additional monitoring plan. “Accidents do happen,…
The federal report details environmental impacts and opens a 45-day objection window before a final decision is expected in July. The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Hermosa Critical Minerals Project – a mine that’s located outside of the town of Patagonia – is now available to the public. The 759-page document evaluates environmental impacts from mining activities on federal lands. It also responds to community input that was obtained when the draft impact statement was published. Hermosa Project President Pat Risner says that South32 – the Australian mining and metals company in charge of Hermosa – has committed to almost 140…
What’s at stake at this week’s seabed mining talks. Trump’s aggressive push toward deep-sea mining is putting pressure on global negotiators to act fast to shape deep-sea mining rules. Indigenous advocates who have been fighting for their rights to be acknowledged in global regulations for seabed mining are bracing for the outcome of this week’s gathering of the International Seabed Authority in Jamaica, where representatives from three dozen countries are expected to discuss finalizing mining rules by the end of this year. The International Seabed Authority has spent a decade trying to formulate regulations to govern where, how, and to what extent…
On a dirt road that cuts through the Rio Novo settlement in the southeast of Pará state, battered motorcycles carry small loads of organic food to sell in the city, while passing trucks loaded with minerals for export. Parauapebas, Brazil’s so-called “mining capital,” hosts numerous rural worker communities, including the 5,000 families of Terra e Liberdade, the largest landless encampment in Brazil. The city is also home to the largest open-pit iron ore mine in the world, in addition to other valuable deposits. The scene of historical land conflicts, such as the Eldorado dos Carajás massacre, in which 21 people died after being shot by military police…
Deep-sea mining hopeful TMC the metals company (Nasdaq: TMC) took a key step forward in the US regulatory process for securing its permit to explore and extract minerals from the Pacific Ocean floor. In a press release on Monday, TMC said its application for an exploration licence and commercial recovery permit has been deemed to be “in substantial compliance” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within its new regulations. In January, the NOAA revised the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act — the federal law regulating deep-sea mining exploration in international waters — to essentially combine the exploration…
California lithium and power developer Controlled Thermal Resources will go public on the Nasdaq through a $4.7 billion merger with blank-check firm Plum Acquisition Corp IV, the companies said on Monday. The listing has been CTR’s goal since at least 2021 and is part of a plan to attract investment from US President Donald Trump’s administration. The deal will bring in $300 million for CTR, funds that will be used to develop its Hell’s Kitchen lithium and geothermal power project, located in the Salton Sea region, roughly 160 miles (258 km) southeast of Los Angeles. Deals by special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC)…
The global passenger EV market, including plug-in and conventional hybrids, fell short of 30 million units last year, but still showed robust growth of 18% year over year. In combined battery capacity deployed – a better indicator of battery materials demand than unit sales alone – the electric car market expanded by 22%. According to data from Toronto-based EV supply chain advisory Adamas Intelligence, 2025 was the first calendar year battery capacity deployment topped 1 TWh. To put that in perspective, for calendar 2021, the total was 286 GWh, meaning the global market measured in GWh has nearly quadrupled in just…
LAS VEGAS, March 9, 2026 /CNW/ — At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026, SANY America and SANY Foundation jointly announced the launch of the SANY America Community Disaster Response Fund, a new initiative designed to accelerate disaster response and post-disaster recovery across the United States through the rapid deployment of construction equipment. The fund will provide financial and technical support to SANY America’s nationwide dealer network, enabling equipment to be mobilized quickly to disaster sites when emergencies occur. From Field Lessons to Systemic Action: The Texas Catalyst The initiative was inspired by SANY America’s response to the July 2025 floods in Texas, where excavators were deployed to remove…
Chile is entering a new political phase as a right-wing government prepares to take office, putting mining policy under renewed scrutiny in the world’s largest copper-producing country. In recent years, the local politics have also been shaped by rising concern over crime and migration, particularly a surge in Venezuelan migration and highly visible organized crime. While the causes are complex, perceptions linking irregular migration and insecurity became politically potent. President-elect José Antonio Kast, who takes office on March 11, campaigned on stricter border control and tougher law-and-order policies, making security a central issue in Chile’s electoral shift. Kast has also…