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Cobalt, Critical, Strategic and Rare Earth Minerals and Metals

Canada joins critical minerals alliance to avoid reliance on ‘authoritarian states’ – by John Woodside (National Observer – December 10, 2022)

https://www.nationalobserver.com/

As concerns about China’s dominant economic position in industry mount, Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson is unveiling a new international alliance aimed at securing the critical minerals needed to transition off fossil fuels.

Wilkinson announced the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance Monday at the United Nations biodiversity conference underway in Montreal, days after Canada published its critical minerals strategy to grow the sector domestically. The new alliance includes Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and Japan.

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Uranium exploration supported in Canadian critical minerals strategy (World Nuclear News – December 13, 2022)

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/

The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy was released on 9 December by Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson, who said it will position Canada as “the global supplier of choice for the critical minerals and clean technologies needed for the green, digital global economy”.

Uranium appears on the list of 31 minerals currently considered by Canada to be “critical”. To be on the list, a mineral must either be essential to the country’s economic security and its supply is threatened; required for the national transition to a low-carbon economy; or a sustainable source of highly strategic critical minerals for Canadian partners and allies.

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Opinion: Don’t assume Canada will ace the mining transition – by Phil Bazel and Jack Mintz (Financial Post/Yahoo Finance – December 13, 2022)

https://finance.yahoo.com/

Contemporary policy rhetoric, including last week’s presentation by the federal minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, suggests we are on the verge of a great energy transition away from fossil fuels toward cleaner, renewable sources of electric energy.

Electric vehicle mandates and fuel efficiency regulations are expected to lead to widespread adoption of electric cars in the coming decade. In addition, the growth of carbon taxes at the consumer and industrial level creates incentives to shift from coal, oil and gas to wind and solar, with increased reliance on battery technology and electric-powered vehicles and processes as a result.

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Opinion: A generational economic opportunity for Sudbury, Northern Ontario – by Viviane Lapointe (Sudbury Star – December 15, 2022)

https://www.thesudburystar.com/

Sudbury MP says Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy is a roadmap to creating significant wealth and sustainable jobs for Northern Ontario

As many of you may know, I was born in Elliot Lake, the proud daughter of a miner. Representing Sudbury, I can tell you it still runs through my veins.

Mining has always been one of Canada’s economic cornerstones. Today, this sector matters more than ever. There is growing global appreciation that a cleaner, net-zero global economy cannot be achieved without mineral extraction. Specifically, critical minerals. They are the building blocks for a green and digital economy. They are the building blocks for the future.

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Yukonomist: The past, present and future of mining and the Yukon economy – Part 2 – by Keith Halliday (Yukon News – December 11, 2022)

https://www.yukon-news.com/

Last week, Part 1 of this column looked at the past and present of Yukon mining as well as two game changers that could be powerful tailwinds for the Yukon’s biggest private-sector industry: geopolitics and climate change.

Allies from Berlin to Washington are clamouring for secure supplies of critical minerals from locations that are secure, stable and blessed with high environmental and social standards such as the Yukon.

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There will be no environmental shortcuts taken in the Ring of Fire, says federal minister – Ian Ross (Northern Ontario Business – December 9, 2022)

https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/

Federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said Ottawa and the provinces must work together to expedite the regulatory and permitting processes that bring new mines into production in a timely way.

But federal approvals for this industrial developments won’t be granted at the expense of cutting corners from an environmental perspective and in a manner that disrespects the rights of Indigenous people and communities.

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Sudbury can help Ottawa’s critical mineral strategy, officials say – by Mia Jensen (Sudbury Star – December 10, 2022)

https://www.thesudburystar.com

Canada is home to 31 minerals that the government considers critical, including nickel

As the federal government prioritizes critical mineral extraction, local officials are emphasizing the need to take advantage of the opportunities available in Sudbury.

“Mining has always been one of Canada’s economic cornerstones,” said Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe. “Today, this sector matters more than ever. There is a growing global appreciation that a cleaner, net-zero global economy cannot be achieved without mineral extraction, specifically, critical minerals, the building blocks for the future.”

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Ottawa vows to cut mining red tape as Canada risks falling behind in global critical minerals race – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – December 10, 2022)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Ottawa is vowing to cut red tape in the mining sector in an attempt to move large resource projects along faster, after facing intense criticism that Canada risks being left behind in the global scramble to secure critical minerals.

In the federal government’s long-awaited critical minerals strategy, unveiled on Friday, Ottawa acknowledged that getting a Canadian mine for the minerals into production can take up to 25 years. That is far slower than other international mining jurisdictions that Canada competes against, such as Australia, in which projects are developed in a fraction of that time.

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Critical Minerals Strategy focuses on faster timelines, building remote infrastructure – by Blair McBride (Northern Miner – December 9, 2022)

https://www.northernminer.com/

The federal government on Friday unveiled the details of its Critical Minerals Strategy, a plan first introduced in its April budget that earmarks almost $3.8 billion over eight years to further develop Canada’s place in the global critical minerals industry.

A significant portion of the total funding — $1.5 billion — is allocated over seven years for constructing infrastructure for critical minerals projects in remote areas, such as the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario. And $40 million is set aside to support northern regulatory processes in reviewing and permitting projects.

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Critical Mineral Access is a Serious National Security Risk – by Bob Dees (Defense Post – December 6, 2022)

The Defense Post

Critical and rare earth minerals are used in a wide range of military applications, from communications equipment and precision-guided weapons to night-vision goggles and stealth technology.

A major part of ensuring America’s national security is addressing dangers before they cause real harm. While threats are sometimes obvious, others often go overlooked and don’t receive the attention they deserve. That’s the case with access to critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, copper, and cobalt.

These elements are essential for making modern technologies, and securing their supply chain should be a top priority.

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Canada promises to toughen up scrutiny of foreign investment, citing national security fears – by Steve Chase and Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – December 8, 2022)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

The Canadian government is proposing to toughen scrutiny of foreign takeovers, citing national security concerns, just weeks after its new Indo-Pacific policy identified China as an “increasingly disruptive” power.

“The world has vastly changed in the last few years,” Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said as he unveiled a package of changes to the Investment Canada Act that he said represented the most significant update in more than a decade. “That’s why we must be prepared to face the challenges that could endanger our economic security and national security.”

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Critical minerals hype doesn’t match reality in Canada, University of Calgary report warns – by Niall McGee (Globe and Mail – December 7, 2022)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Canada is unlikely to benefit much from the explosion in global demand for critical minerals because of a dearth of reserves, according to two Calgary academics, who also argue in favour of cutting red tape to make domestic miners more competitive.

“Most of North America’s critical transition minerals will have to come from reserves in South America, Africa and the Caribbean as well as Australia and China,” Philip Bazel, research associate at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, and Jack Mintz, a president’s fellow there, wrote in a report released on Tuesday.

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Updates on Quebec plan for critical and strategic minerals – by Diane L.M. Cook (Canadian Mining Journal – December 4, 2022)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

Global net-zero emissions by 2050 targets have Canada’s resource industry re-thinking its long game. Quebec is ramping up mining of its key minerals required to manufacture electric vehicle batteries. The province plans to become a leader in the critical strategic minerals (CSM) mining sector and a leader in the electric vehicle battery manufacturing sector for the North American automotive industry.

In its “Quebec Plan for the Development of Critical and Strategic Minerals 2020-25.” The province identified four policy pillars to promote the development of CSM to encourage investment in the province, meet the growing demand for these mineral resources, and play an active role in the global energy transition.

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Rare Earth Supply Chains Are In Chaos – by Ag Metal Miner (Oil Price.com – December 5, 2022)

https://oilprice.com/

The December Rare Earths MMI (Monthly MetalMiner Index) traded sideways for the second month in a row. The index dropped 1.55% and MetalMiner anticipates it will continue sideways, most definitely for the short term and possibly in the long term.

This is mostly thanks to the supply of global rare earth magnets being interrupted by the current events within China, the world’s #1 supplier of rare earth elements.

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Critical mining was the highlight of 2022 – by Tamer Elbokl, PhD (Canadian Mining Journal – December 4, 2022)

https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/

While the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, the year 2022 has been a good year for the “critical mining” sector in Canada supported by several announcements by the federal and provincial governments.

Developed in consultation with provincial, territorial, and industry experts, Canada now has a list of minerals it considers to be “critical.” Currently, it consists of 31 minerals; however, the list will be reviewed every three years and revised if needed.

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