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Expectations for persistently higher interest rates has led companies to alter plans as they eye 2024 warily. "EV demand next year could be lower than expectations," Lee Chang-sil, chief financial officer at South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution (373220.KS) said on Wednesday, due to global economic uncertainty. GM on Tuesday said it would focus near-term EV efforts on meeting demand rather than hitting specific volume targets. If interest rates remain high or if they go even higher, it's that much harder for people to buy the car." Like many other industrial firms, carmakers hedge against commodity price swings, and with EV demand slowing, raw material prices have softened, including those used heavily in batteries.

Persons: Tesla, Aly, Lee Chang, Mary Barra, Elon Musk, Nidec, China's CATL, Ben Klayman, David Gaffen, Eric Onstad, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Honda, EV, sil, South, LG Energy, General Motors, GM, Investors, Tech, Cox Automotive, European Union, Volkswagen, Fastmarkets, CME, U.S, Ford, EVs, Victoria Waldersee, Thomson Locations: Tesla China, Shanghai, China, KS, United States, Mexico, Detroit, New York, London, Berlin

Graphite is used in virtually all EV battery anodes, which is the negatively charged portion of a battery. Their announcement boosted China's exports in July as overseas buyers rushed to lock in supply, while the launch of the restrictions slashed exports in August-September. It also makes more than 90% of the final processed material for EV battery anodes. "We have been waiting for (China's) graphite exports to slow," said John Meyer at SP Angel. "Having overproduced synthetic graphite we reckon China is also keen to keep this material within China to meet rapid growth in EV battery demand."

Persons: Phil Noble, Tom Burkett, James Willoughby, Wood Mackenzie, Daisy Jennings, Gray, Willoughby, John Meyer, Polina Devitt, Amy Lv, Eric Onstad, Veronica Brown, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, EV, Global Graphite Advisory, Companies, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, SP, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Britain, BEIJING, China, Canada, Africa, Australia, Brazil, U.S, Wood, Japan, United States, South Korea, India

☆ Start-up Atlas raises $27 mln for new nickel technology for EV batteries
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S.-based Atlas said it has come up with a way to treat a type of nickel ore usually used as an ingredient in stainless steel into a form that can be used for EV batteries with low emissions and no waste. Atlas came up with new technology to process saprolite nickel ores, which account for about a third of global nickel resources, into mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) for batteries, Ley added. The new processing technology uses hydrochloric acid and caustic soda to leach the ore, but does not need high pressure or high temperatures and does not result in waste products. Some processing plants have been launched in Indonesia using high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) to treat a similar type of nickel ore into MHP for batteries, but that technology produces toxic waste. The money will be used for engineering and design work for the pilot plant but further funding will be needed to actually build it, he added.

Persons: Jeremy Ley, Ley, Eric Onstad, Sharon Singleton Organizations: EV, North America LONDON, Reuters . Atlas, portland, Investors, Grantham Environmental Trust, Voyager Ventures, Thomson Locations: North America, Canada, United States, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Grantham

☆ Factbox: The complexity of transforming rare earths from mine to magnet
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China accounts for about 60% of global rare earth mine production, but its share jumps to 85%-90% of processed rare earths and magnet output. The ore contains a small percentage of rare earths, but other minerals are removed through flotation, magnetic or electrostatic processing to produce a mixed rare earth concentrate that often contains 60% to 70% rare earths. So-called light and heavy rare earths must go through different separation circuits where individual rare earths are extracted. METALS/ALLOYSSeparated rare earth oxides or carbonates are then refined into rare earth metals. Small amounts of rare earths dysprosium and terbium are often added to create more heat resistance in the magnet.

Persons: Steve Marcus, Goldman Sachs, Eric Onstad, Susan Heavey Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Pass , California, U.S, China

REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File photoAug 2 (Reuters) - Refining rare earths for the green energy transition is hard. "The (rare earths) commissioning process is painstaking, with stops and starts," Jim Litinsky, MP's CEO and largest shareholder, told investors in May. Rare earths magnets turn power into motion and are the essential components in an electric vehicle's motor. Rare earths refining "is not really being addressed even by those who are developing magnet capacity," said Ryan Castilloux, a minerals consultant at Adamas Intelligence. American Rare Earths is working with U.S. government scientists at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to develop bacteria that could process rare earths.

Persons: Steve Marcus, Lockheed Martin's, Lynas, Jim Litinsky, Kray Luxbacker, they've, Allan Walton, Ryan Castilloux, Castilloux, refines, Dysprosium, Tesla, Melissa Sanderson, Nathan Picarsic, Ernest Scheyder, Eric Onstad, Nick Carey, Melanie Burton, Veronica Brown, Susan Heavey Organizations: REUTERS, Lockheed, International Energy Agency, General Motors, University of, University of Birmingham, Adamas Intelligence, Trump, Reuters, Pentagon, Blue, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Edge, Sweden's, U.S, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Horizon Advisory, Thomson Locations: Pass , California, U.S, China, Apple's, Beijing, Texas, Western Australia, COVID, California, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Kuala Lumpur, United States, San Antonio , Texas, Sweden, South Africa, Karr

☆ Uranium price ticks up after Niger coup, more gains expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

French nuclear fuels company Orano, which operates uranium mines in the West African country, said last week its activities were ongoing despite the coup. The spot price is little changed also because Orano sells uranium on long-term contracts and the summer months are slow in the spot market, said Jonathan Hinze, president of UxC. "All indications would be that this would be a catalyst for upward moves in the uranium price given the overall tight supply/demand balance in uranium at this time." Niger was the second-largest supplier of natural uranium to the EU last year, Euratom said. On Monday, the junta that seized power in Niger last week detained senior politicians, including the mines minister, defying international calls to restore democratic rule.

Persons: UxC, Orano, Jonathan Hinze, Euratom, Eric Onstad, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters Connect, Nigerien, Reuters, European Union, EU, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, West, France, Europe

☆ Factbox: Uranium mines in Niger, world's 7th biggest producer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Niger is the world's seventh-biggest producer of uranium, according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA). Below are details of Niger's uranium deposits and mines:PRODUCTIONNiger, which has Africa's highest-grade uranium ores, produced 2,020 metric tons of uranium in 2022, about 5% of world mining output, according to the WNA. Niger has one major mining operation in the north operated by France's state-owned Orano, another major mine which closed in 2021, with one under development. French nuclear power plants source less than 10% of their uranium from Niger, Orano added. IMOURARENThis deposit about 50 miles south of Arlit contains one of the largest reserves in the world, according to Orano.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Orano, Eric Onstad, Nick Macfie Organizations: Niger, World Nuclear Association, Somair, Arlit, Thomson Locations: Niger, Kazakhstan, Canada, Namibia, Arlit, Orano, Niger's, Akokan

Copper prices have been range-bound in recent months after a January slide from their highest in more than seven months and a May rebound from a slump below $8,000 a metric ton. Analysts forecast a copper surplus this year of 111,000 metric tons, with oversupply rising to 188,000 tons next year. Analysts expect a market deficit this year of 191,750 metric tons, dropping to 66,000 tons in 2024. Analysts expect LME cash nickel prices to average $20,000 a metric ton in the fourth quarter, down 11% from the previous poll. They expect the global nickel market to show a surplus of 199,000 metric tons this year and 150,000 tons in 2024.

Persons: Dan Smith, Goran Djukanovic, Nguyen, Eric Onstad, Ananya, David Goodman Organizations: Amalgamated Metal Trading, Study, London Metal Exchange, Reuters, Indonesia, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, China, YUNNAN, Yunnan, Yunnan province, Indonesia, Commerzbank, London, Bengaluru

While there are no international sanctions on Russian metal, many consumers are shunning aluminium produced by Rusal (RUAL.MM), which accounts for 6% of global supplies. U.S. import tariffs on Russian aluminium and products are also prompting some consumers to "self-sanction". Some analysts estimate the discount for Russian aluminium at $100-$300 per metric ton, Norsk Hydro said. As LME aluminium prices are referenced in contracts between consumers, producers and traders, the dominance of Russian aluminium in the system is a problem, said Norsk Hydro's Chief Financial Officer Paal Kildemo. "There is still a risk that even more Russian aluminium will be delivered to LME further weighing on the reference price...

Persons: Paal Kildemo, Kildemo, Rusal, Pratima Desai, Polina Devitt, Eric Onstad, Veronica Brown, Jason Neely Organizations: London Metal Exchange, Norsk Hydro, Reuters, Britain's Financial, Authority, Norsk, Shanghai Futures Exchange, CME, Hydro, FCA, Thomson Locations: Norwegian

☆ IEA says critical minerals supply could pull close to demand by 2030
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But after investment in critical minerals production jumped 30% last year to $41 billion, having gained 20% in 2021, that picture is looking brighter, the IEA said. In key battery mineral lithium, the IEA forecasts supply by 2030 will reach 420,000 metric tons - only a touch short of demand estimated at 443,000 to meet government pledges, though well below the 702,000 required for net zero. Critical mineral start-up firms raised a record $1.6 billion in 2022, up 160% from the previous year, the IEA said. Demand for critical minerals has surged over the past five years, including a tripling in consumption of lithium and a jump of 70% for cobalt, with the total critical mineral market now worth $320 billion, it said. Mining companies needed to make more progress in curbing greenhouse gas emissions and water use, the IEA said.

Persons: Fatih Birol, Pratima Desai Organizations: Miners, International Energy Agency, Consultants, Reuters, . Mining, Thomson Locations: Paris, China, Indonesia, Congo

☆ Factbox: Graphite producers doing deals with automakers and battery groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Tomas Bergman/Handout via REUTERSLONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - Automakers are rushing to lock in graphite supply from outside dominant producer China as mined graphite demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries outpaces other uses. Below are details of some Western companies producing, or planning to produce graphite, and their deals with auto makers and battery producers. It aims to start annual production at a battery anode plant in Mauritius in 2024 at 3,600 metric tons. SYRAH RESOURCES LTD (SYR.AX)Operates Balama mine in Mozambique, which doubled graphite production to 163,000 metric tons in 2022 from the year before. MAGNIS ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES LTD (MNS.AX)Developing Nachu graphite mine in Tanzania, aiming to produce 236,000 metric tons of graphite concentrate.

Persons: Tomas Bergman, Handout, steelmaker Thyssenkrupp, Talga, Magnis, Tesla, China's, Eric Onstad, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Talga Group, Reuters, REUTERS LONDON, INC, TALGA, Automotive Cells Company, ACC, Stellantis, Mercedes, Benz, Renault, LG Energy, Ford Motor Company, SK, MONDE, Panasonic Energy, Thomson Locations: Norrbotten, Sweden, China, Madagascar, Mauritius, Lulea, Mozambique, U.S ., Louisiana, Tanzania, United States, New York, South Australia, Macquarie, Canada, India, Alabama, Coosa

☆ Analysis: Auto firms race to secure non-Chinese graphite for EVs as shortages loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Auto firms have been slow to plan for graphite shortages, focusing mainly on better-known battery materials lithium and cobalt, even though graphite is the largest battery component by weight. Graphite shortages are expected to rise in coming years, with a global supply deficit of 777,000 tonnes expected by 2030, Project Blue projections showed. China produces 61% of global natural graphite and 98% of the final processed material to make battery anodes, BMI said. Agreeing graphite supply deals is complex, requiring extensive safety testing for material going into each model of EV that can take up to three years. Natural graphite anodes tend to be cheaper and are beneficial for cell capacity and power output, allowing cars to run further distances before charging.

Persons: Tomas Bergman, Handout, there's, Mark Thompson, Australia's, Northvolt, Thompson, Talga, Mercedes, Brent Nykoliation, Tesla, George Miller, Reitumetse, Eric Onstad, Veronica Brown, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Talga Group, Reuters, Mercedes, Auto, Australia's Talga, BMO Capital Markets, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, BMI, Reuters Graphics, Toyota, Ford, Tesla Inc, Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor, Benz, Renault, NextSource, Syrah Resources, Magnis Energy Technologies, U.S, European Union, Thomson Locations: Norrbotten, Sweden, China, Madagascar, Mozambique, United States, Europe, U.S, Mauritius, CHINA, Western

Disruptions may hit mine output, leading analysts to trim a forecast surplus for this year to 133,000 tonnes from 165,000 tonnes of oversupply in the previous poll. Analysts have marked up their estimates for an aluminium market surplus this year to 113,500 tonnes from 80,535 tonnes forecast in January. "Due to relentless mined nickel supply growth in Indonesia, and its broad-based nickel-bearing exports, we remain longer-term bears on the global nickel price," said Tom Price at Liberum. Analysts expect LME cash nickel prices to average $22,273 a tonne in the third quarter, down 11% from current levels. They also expect the global nickel market to see a surplus of 112,000 tonnes this year and an oversupply of 89,500 tonnes in 2024.

2 producer Chile to nationalise its lithium sector may curb long-term supply growth, but it is not expected to have an immediate impact, analysts said. Battery-grade lithium carbonate prices in China rose 10.6% from a week earlier to 182,500 yuan ($26,380) a tonne, the first weekly increase since November 2022, data by Fastmarkets on Refinitiv Eikon showed. But prices tumbled 72% after China curbed EV subsidies in January, demand faltered and inventories rose. Global EV sales jumped 55% last year to 10 million and are expected to climb another 35% this year. Chinese state-backed research house Antaike expects lithium carbonate prices to average 220,000 yuan a tonne this year, down 54% from 2022, it said at a conference last week.

☆ Factbox: Lithium key element for electric vehicle ramp up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 21 (Reuters) - Chile, the world's second largest lithium producer, said it plans to transfer control of the production of the mineral essential for electric vehicle (EV) batteries to a new state-owned company. Australia is the world's largest lithium producer, but Chile has by far the largest known reserves. Battery grade lithium prices touched record levels of $85,000 a tonne in December, but have slumped by nearly 50% since then. EV battery makers have developed multiple types of lithium battery products. Lithium demand is expected to balloon to 3 million tonnes a year by 2030 from only 300,000 tonnes in 2020, according to Bank of America analysts.

[1/2] A view of the exterior of the JP Morgan Chase & Co. corporate headquarters in New York City May 20, 2015. REUTERS/Mike SegarApril 13 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) has dropped or cut credit lines to a large number of Indian metals clients, sending them looking for new brokers, the head of Nanhua Financial UK told Reuters. "Loads of Indian clients have enquired because JP Morgan cancelled their accounts," said Nong Yan, chief executive of Nanhua Financial UK, the British arm of one of the biggest future brokers in China. Broker Marex Financial has also been picking up new clients as JP Morgan and other banks reduce their exposure to metals and commodities, its chief executive said. "It's not just JP Morgan, all of these banks are sharpening their focus.

☆ Gupta seeks extension to challenge freezing order in Trafigura case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) - Prateek Gupta's lawyers are seeking an extension of a deadline to challenge a $625 million global freezing order imposed by a London Court on the Indian businessman and his firms until June, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. Freezing orders are injunctions granted by the English courts to restrain individuals or businesses from disposing of or dealing with assets on a worldwide basis. Gupta previously aimed to prepare "a robust response" to the allegations and file the application to remove the freezing order by April 6. A London court imposed the freezing order, dated Feb. 8, on bank accounts and other assets tied to Gupta and seven companies Trafigura said are controlled by him, including those in Britain, Singapore, Malaysia and Switzerland. Reporting by Pratima Desai, Eric Onstad and Polina Devitt; editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Iluka Resources/Handout viaApril 4 (Reuters) - Six projects outside China, which dominates global rare earth production, plan to extract the critical minerals from waste or byproducts. The projects will produce rare earths that are needed to fuel a green revolution of electric cars and wind turbines while trying to avert the shortages expected in coming years. Below are details of the companies and their projects, in order of output of neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) oxide, the rare earths most in demand. ENERGY FUELS INC (UUUU.A)The main business of U.S. Energy Fuels is producing uranium, but it has moved into rare earths. VHM LTD (VHM.AX)Australia's VHM Ltd is working on the Goschen mineral sands project, which will also produce rare earths.

Europe and the U.S. are scrambling to wean themselves off rare earths from China, which account for 90% of global refined output. Australia's RMIT University estimates there are 16.2 million tonnes of unexploited rare earths in 325 mineral sands deposits worldwide, while the U.S. Idaho National Laboratory said 100,000 tonnes of rare earths each year end up in waste from producing phosphoric acid alone. That, Adamas says, is equivalent to some 8% of expected demand for the two rare earths, vital for making permanent magnets to power EV and wind turbine motors. Reuters GraphicsReuters GraphicsQUICKER THAN NEW MINESRecovering rare earths from waste is much quicker than setting up new projects from scratch. The company will extract phosphorus for fertiliser, fluorine and gypsum in addition to rare earths.

☆ LME finds 'irregularities' in several nickel bags at a warehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 17 (Reuters) - The London Metal Exchange (LME) on Friday postponed the resumption of nickel trading during Asian hours by a week to March 27 after it found nickel that failed to meet contract specifications at an LME warehouse. The LME said it had cancelled nine nickel warrants - an ownership document for metals placed in an LME-approved warehouse - at one warehouse facility, without naming it. The LME said the non-conformant warrants represent 0.14% of live nickel stock in its warehouses. The 146-year-old LME said the issues with nickel related to bagged nickel briquettes, which were found to not have the correct weight. The exchange said it had no reason to believe that any other LME facility was affected, but still called on all warehouse operators to undertake inspections of warranted nickel.

LME SPECIAL COMMITTEEA day earlier, on March 7, when LME benchmark nickel prices had soared 66% to nearly $50,000 a tonne, the LME's Special Committee had met, Jane Street's document said. The Committee, which has emergency powers, "concluded that the nickel market remained orderly, since there were geopolitical and macroeconomic reasons for the price increases". The next day, however, when nickel prices skyrocketed, the committee did not meet, the document said. Jane Street executed nickel trades from 1:37 a.m. on March 8 and was due total proceeds on those trades of $32.7 million, it said in the document. The LME is also facing fresh lawsuits from ten hedge funds and asset managers for cancelling nickel trades.

☆ Businessman accused by Trafigura living in Dubai's Palm Jumeirah-court document
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 8 (Reuters) - Indian businessman Prateek Gupta, whom commodity trader Trafigura has accused of "systematic fraud" regarding nickel shipments, is living in the sought-after Palm Jumeirah area of Dubai, London court documents said. A London High Court judge agreed to impose a $625 million freezing order on assets controlled by Gupta and companies linked to him, which included a villa in Palm Jumeirah, the freezing order document said. A spokesperson for Gupta has said he plans to challenge the freezing order. Palm Jumeirah is a man-made island shaped like a palm and regarded as one of the most sought-after areas of Dubai. "Trafigura does not know whether Mr Gupta is the beneficial owner of this property," said an affidavit by Joseph O'Keeffe, a lawyer representing Trafigura.

[1/2] Traders work on the floor of the London Metal Exchange, in London, Britain September 27, 2018. The world's largest and oldest metals market annulled all nickel trades in March last year after chaotic price action and suspended trading for the first time since 1988. "It does look from the statement that the FCA is not going to look at the cancelled trades," said a regulation lawyer. The LME faces lawsuits from U.S. hedge fund Elliott Associates and Jane Street Global Trading, which are suing the exchange for $456 million and $15.3 million, respectively, for the cancelled nickel trades. "Neither the Bank of England or the FCA have been clear about whether the LME should have cancelled the trades," said Harold de Boer, managing director at investment firm Transtrend.

The world's largest and oldest metals market annulled all nickel trades in March last year after chaotic price action and suspended trading for the first time since 1988. "That the FCA has decided to investigate means it considers there are circumstances suggesting that LME may have committed serious misconduct. ACTIVE STEPSThe 146-year-old LME said it had taken active steps to enhance nickel market liquidity and transparency, including 15% daily price limits and over the counter (OTC) position reporting for all physically delivered metals. The FCA and Bank of England began a review last April into the trading halt by the LME, owned by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (0388.HK). In January management consultants Oliver Wyman released an independent review of the nickel trading debacle and the exchange said it would set out an implementation plan for the report's recommendations by the end of March.

☆ Exclusive: Airbus roiled by poor start to 2023 as industrial pressure grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The first major test will be the first quarter for which suppliers say Airbus seeks close to 140 deliveries. Analysts say Faury will want to avoid spooking investors while insuring against the risk of more downgrades to guidance on deliveries from setting expectations too high. On the other hand, sources say steel capacity has moved up the list of concerns amid pressures including debt restructuring at supplier Liberty Steel, which had no immediate comment. INTERNAL TASK FORCEYet despite hot spots, sources say several key yardsticks of supplier performance like missing-parts-per-million are steadily improving. Faury has insisted bringing the supply chain back to health and modernising Airbus' industrial fabric are top priorities.

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