Namibia’s audacious plan to become a global green hydrogen hub

Early in May, King Philippe of Belgium was on the edge of the Namib desert to inaugurate a project that aims to help decarbonize European industry, and which might just enable one of Africa’s... 

Investment in clean energy to reach $2tr this year, outpacing investment in fossil fuels

Investment in clean energy technologies will climb to $2-trillion this year, almost double the amount spent on fossil fuels, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Two-thirds of the... 

Glencore is said to weigh selling stake in Kazakh miner Kazzinc

Glencore is considering selling its stake in Kazakh mining company Kazzinc amid interest from potential buyers in China, people familiar with the situation said. A deal could value Glencore’s... 

Traders are desperate for copper deals and miners are cashing in

A heated competition for copper among some of the biggest commodity traders is creating opportunities for miners to negotiate favorable terms ranging from huge upfront payments to extra-long... 

China’s unusually large copper stockpiles fuel demand concerns

China’s copper inventories are growing at exactly the time of year when they should be shrinking fast — an anomaly that underscores concerns about demand in the world’s biggest market. Stockpiles... 

BHP turns to mediation as Chile miners seek share of copper boom

BHP Group is heading into mediation with union leaders in Chile in a bid to avoid a strike as this year’s surge in copper prices inflates the bottom lines of producers and expectations of their... 

Chile lithium project attracting plenty of interest, Enami says

Chilean State mining firm Enami says it’s getting plenty of interest from prospective partners in a lithium project as part of the government’s efforts to tap more of the world’s biggest reserves.... 

Copper falls through $10 000 as exchange inventories keep rising

Copper fell below $10 000/t as a sharp rise in global inventories prompts traders to zero in on weak conditions in the spot market. Stockpiles on the Shanghai Futures Exchange have climbed to the... 

Australian rare earths miner hit by cybersecurity breach

Australian rare earths firm Northern Minerals said some of its data had been released onto the “dark web” months after the firm detected a breach of its cybersecurity protections. “The exfiltrated... 

Maersk sees deeper impact to world trade from Red Sea disruption

AP Moller-Maersk, a bellwether for global trade, said the world’s supply lines are more impacted than previously expected by the ripple effects coming from the congestion in the Red Sea. The... 

BHP faces a test of patience after $49bn Anglo bid falters

Days after BHP Group failed to secure the $49-billion takeover of smaller rival Anglo American, investors have one message for CEO Mike Henry — keep your cool. BHP argues it showed restraint in... 

De Beers ditches man-made diamonds as it looks beyond Anglo

De Beers will ditch a controversial experiment to sell lab grown diamond jewellery, ending a six-year program that broke one of its oldest taboos. While the company long held the technology to make... 

Russia said to seek takeover of France’s uranium assets in Niger

Russia is seeking to take over uranium assets in Niger held by a State-controlled French company, according to people informed about the matter, in a further challenge to Western interests in... 

Iron-ore tumbles to lowest in six weeks on China demand concerns

Iron-ore dropped to the lowest level in more than six weeks on worries over the outlook for Chinese demand, which has been hammered by the protracted property crisis. China’s housing slump is now... 

IXM co-head of refined metals Sethaputra is leaving trader

IXM’s co-head of refined-metals trading is leaving the company, the latest in a series of personnel changes at the trading house owned by Chinese miner CMOC. Adhitya Sethaputra is departing the... 

China’s CNGR looks to snap up more lithium projects in Argentina

CNGR Advanced Material, a Chinese battery-component maker and Tesla supplier, is looking to buy major stakes in Argentina brine deposits to extend its foray into the lithium-rich region as it... 

South Africa’s post-election wrangling leaves investors in limbo

Investors braced for further upheaval in South Africa’s financial markets in the wake of last week’s elections that produced no outright winner, with the outcome of ongoing coalition talks... 

The home of Malbec wine makes a play for copper in Argentina mining revival

Argentina’s Mendoza province, known for Malbec vineyards that draw tourists from across the world, is moving to spur exploration of its copper deposits long shunned by prospectors due to... 

Hope and angst grip South African markets as coalition era dawns

Election results from South Africa have left investors swinging between anxiety over the different permuations that coalition may take and lingering hopes that whatever it is will result in a... 

Chile hopes SQM-Codelco deal to proceed as planned, Finance Minister says

Chile’s government indicated that SQM and Codelco will proceed with the signing of a binding lithium partnership by Friday’s self-imposed deadline even as the deal faces mounting headwinds. “We... 

US tariffs on minerals leave out markets dominated by China

President Joe Biden just unveiled sweeping tariffs on a range of Chinese imports, including more than two dozen industrial raw materials. But the administration is being careful to avoid the... 

SARB holds rates in shadow of election

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) left borrowing costs unchanged, delivering the widely expected verdict one day after the nation held pivotal elections. The monetary policy committee kept its... 

Aluminium hits two-year high as China capacity limits help rally

Aluminum extended gains to a two-year high after China, the biggest producer, tightened capacity controls across an array of metals to meet emission-cutting goals. The light metal used in... 

Billions in African gold smuggled to UAE yearly, SwissAid says

Billions of dollars of gold is smuggled out of Africa every year, with the vast majority exported to the United Arab Emirates for processing, according to a report by SwissAid. Using data on... 

South Africa to stay course on rates amid election noise

South Africa’s central bank is set to leave interest rates unchanged, staying the course in the inflation fight amid political uncertainty one day after the country’s tightest election in 30 years.... 

Glencore to consult investors on coal spinoff after Teck deal

Glencore will start consulting with shareholders on the future of its coal business as soon as its deal to buy Teck Resources’ mines closes later this year. Crucially, Glencore said that should... 

China’s silver imports set to jump as solar demand lifts prices

Chinese silver imports could surge in coming weeks, as traders take advantage of a jump in demand that’s taken prices well above the international market. Silver’s in a sweet spot because of its... 

Mongolia defends plan to tap mining riches for new sovereign wealth fund

Mongolia’s prime minister defended changes to the country’s mining laws after foreign investors raised concerns they could deter investment in its large reserves of critical minerals, including... 

Europe’s biggest pension fund sells €10bn in fossil fuels

Europe’s biggest pension fund, Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP, has exited all liquid assets in oil, gas and coal worth about €10-billion, in an effort to be greener. The last shares and bonds owned... 

EU, Australia sign critical minerals pact to diversify supply chains

Australia and the European Union have struck an agreement to boost cooperation and investment in critical minerals, part of a drive by Western nations to loosen China’s grip on supply chains of... 

CEF's Sapref refinery purchase raises clean-up concern

South Africa’s purchase of the nation’s largest refinery from Shell and BP for a symbolic R1 will transfer the environmental liability of the site to the government, according to a local advocacy... 

JPMorgan says BHP plan risks $4.3bn South Africa outflow

A successful takeover of Anglo American under the arrangements BHP Group has offered could lead to outflows of $4.3-billion from South Africa, according to a JPMorgan Chase & Co. analysis. Such an... 

China defies global copper squeeze with near-record production

The global copper market is gripped by fears of a shortage, which has propelled prices to record levels and sparked a $49-billion takeover battle. But in China, the world’s biggest producer and... 

DBSA is working on transmission auction office

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is negotiating with government ministries to establish an office that will manage auctions of transmission projects, a senior official at the... 

Adnoc, Aramco said to mull bids for Shell South Africa assets

Abu Dhabi National Oil and Saudi Arabia’s state oil producer Aramco are among companies weighing bids for Shell’s downstream assets in South Africa, according to people familiar with the matter.... 

Crime, corruption keep South Africa’s S&P rating in check

S&P Global Ratings said it is closely monitoring the outcome of South Africa’s elections next week and subsequent government policies to address issues from crime to energy supply that have... 

Large Anglo shareholders are backing miner’s stance on BHP talks

Several of Anglo American’s big shareholders have said they support the company’s efforts to persuade BHP Group to change the structure of its takeover proposal or compensate for the risks it... 

Pakistan coal miners face expansion issue as China stops funding

Chinese and other major lenders are increasingly reluctant to invest in Pakistan’s expansion of coal mines, according to the head of a local producer. “The real challenge for us is financing,”... 

Zimbabwe state miner says lithium assets attract investors

Zimbabwe’s state-owned miner Kuvimba Resources said its lithium assets are attracting potential investors from both China and other countries. Kuvimba has identified a lithium ore resource of 38... 

Troubled Peru copper mine starts expansion work in supply boost

China’s MMG is hopeful it can start digging copper from a new pit at its giant Las Bambas project in Peru by the end of this year, bringing some much-needed extra supply to a tightening global...