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India’s Attero to expand lithium-ion recycling capacity

  • Market: Battery materials, Metals
  • 11/07/24

India's Attero Recycling plans to increase its lithium-ion (Li-ion) recycling capacity to 200,000 t/yr in the next 2½ years, and to 300,000 t/yr in the next five years.

The firm currently can recycle 15,000 t/yr of Li-ion batteries and about 144,000 t/yr of electronic waste (e-waste) at its plant in Roorkee city, Uttarakhand state, Attero's chief executive Nitin Gupta told Argus. The firm plans to further expand Li-ion battery and e-waste recycling capacity to 300,000 t/yr and 1mn t/yr in the next five years.

Attero is currently finalising the location for its 100,000 t/yr Li-ion recycling plant in Andhra Pradesh state, which is expected to begin commercial production within the next 14 months. The firm also plans to set up a 100,000 t/yr Li-ion recycling plant in Poland, which is expected to be commissioned in the next 12 months. There is also a plan to establish a 100,000t/yr Li-ion battery recycling plant in the US, once the Indian and Polish plants are commissioned.

Attero has 46 global patents on NASA-approved recycling technologies in India. It can extract metals and minerals from all types of end-of-life Li-ion batteries of various chemistries such as nickel-manganese-cobalt, lithium cobalt oxide, lithium-ion manganese oxide, lithium titanate and lithium iron phosphate. The firm's extraction efficiency of pure battery grade cobalt, lithium carbonate, graphite, nickel and manganese dioxide are around 98pc for pure battery grade material, as compared to the global average of 75pc, Gupta said.

Most firms are not recycling LFP batteries, as most technologies are focused on extraction of nickel and cobalt, according to Gupta. The firm has secured sourcing agreements that are sufficient for its next two years of consumption, Grupta added. Attero is also considering filing an initial public offering in the Indian market within the next 24-36 months.


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17/07/24

BHP posts higher nickel output after disruptions

BHP posts higher nickel output after disruptions

Singapore, 17 July (Argus) — Australian resources group BHP lifted its nickel production during April-June as it recovered from planned maintenance and wet weather disruptions in the previous quarter. BHP's refined nickel production for April-June rose by 22pc against the previous quarter and by 4.5pc from a year earlier to 23,000t. The increased output was a result of a low base in the previous quarter with planned maintenance at the Kwinana refinery in Western Australia (WA) and poor weather conditions in March, the firm said. Total refined nickel output for the 2023-24 fiscal ending 30 June was 81,600t, up by 2pc from the same period last year. BHP on 11 July announced that it will temporarily suspend operations at its WA nickel businesses from October, on the back of nickel oversupply and an anticipated nickel price downtrend. BHP has also decided to halt operations at its Kambalda concentrator earlier in February, placing it into a care and maintenance phase from June. Mining and processing operations at the Kwinana refinery, Kalgoorlie smelter and Mount Keith and Leinster mines will be suspended, while development of the West Musgrave project will be put on hold. BHP will implement a care and maintenance programme to ensure the safety and integrity of its mines and infrastructure. It will invest around $300mn/yr following the transition period to support a potential restart of the facility. The transition period will start from July, with operations to be halted in October and completely stopped by December. BHP intends to review the closure by February 2027. BHP expects to record negative earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of around $300mn for 2023-24 and sustain a further $300mn pre-tax non-cash impairment charge following the temporary suspension decision. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Rio Tinto to boost 2H Australian iron ore shipments


16/07/24
News
16/07/24

Rio Tinto to boost 2H Australian iron ore shipments

Sydney, 16 July (Argus) — UK-Australian mining firm Rio Tinto must ship at least 165mn t of iron ore from Western Australia (WA) during July-December, after a derailment disrupted exports in April-June, cutting first half sales to 158mn t. The firm maintained its WA iron ore shipments guidance of 323mn-338mn t for 2024 on a 100pc basis, despite losing six days of port deliveries because of a derailment in May. It shipped 80.3mn t of iron ore from WA on a 100pc basis during April-June, up from 78mn t for January-March , when cyclone-season weather disrupted exports. It was also up by 2pc from April-June 2023, as productivity gains offset ore depletion. The target of 165mn-180mn t for July-December is achievable for Rio Tinto, which often boosts shipments in the second half of a calendar and its financial year. It shipped 170.7mn t during July-December 2023 and 161.7mn t for January-June 2023, for a total of 332mn t in 2023. Low-grade SP10 iron ore made up 17pc of its WA sales during January-June, up from 14pc through 2023, 11pc in 2022 and zero in 2015. The firm warned that SP10 levels are expected to remain elevated until new mining projects are delivered, which is subject to approvals and heritage clearance. The proportion of the high-grade Pilbara Blend fell to 58pc for January-June from 61pc through 2023, 64pc in 2022 and 73pc in 2015. Rio Tinto is developing higher grade deposits, such as its 40mn t/yr Rhodes Ridge project, to try to reverse the grade decline in WA. The firm maintained its 2024 cash cost guidance for WA iron ore at $21.75-23.50, while warning this would be the top end of this for January-June because of the lower volumes sold. It achieved an average price of $97.30/wet metric tonne (wmt) fob WA in January-July, down from $98.60/wmt in the same period last year. The equivalent price for January-June 2024 at an 8pc moisture assumption is $105.80/dry metric tonne (dmt) fob WA. The Argus ICX price for 62pc Fe fines averaged $117.33/dmt cfr Qingdao in January-June, down from $118/dmt in the same period last year. The Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) — in which Rio Tinto owns 59pc — sold 8.65mn t in January-June, up 7pc on the same period last year. It is expected to raise production during July-December with better seasonal conditions to produce as much as 19.5mn t in 2024. By Jo Clarke Rio Tinto iron ore shipments (mn t) Apr-Jun '24 Jan-Mar '24 Apr-Jun '23 Jan-Jun '24 Jan-Jun '23 Pilbara Blend Lump 15.83 15.63 17.76 31.47 36.49 Pilbara Blend Fines 31.34 28.48 33.67 59.81 69.02 Robe Valley Lump 2.52 2.31 2.17 4.83 4.16 Robe Valley Fines 5.84 5.55 4.70 11.39 8.96 Yandicoogina Fines (HIY) 11.36 12.23 12.56 23.59 26.25 SP10 Lump 5.14 4.61 1.65 9.75 3.34 SP10 Fines 8.28 9.22 6.61 17.50 13.45 Total WA iron ore shipments 80.31 78.03 79.12 158.34 161.66 IOC iron ore shipments 4.13 4.52 4.43 8.65 8.05 Source: Rio Tinto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Cliffs to buy Canadian steelmaker Stelco


15/07/24
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15/07/24

Cliffs to buy Canadian steelmaker Stelco

Houston, 15 July (Argus) — US integrated steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs will acquire Canadian integrated steelmaker Stelco in a cash and stock deal. The acquisition of Stelco, an independent steelmaker in Hamilton, Ontario, was announced by both companies this morning. Stelco shareholders will receive C$60/share ($44/share) of Stelco common stock and 0.454 shares of Cliffs common stock, or $C10/share of Stelco common stock. The transaction is valued at C$3.4bn ($2.5bn) and the deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a news release. Stelco will maintain its headquarters in Hamilton, and capital investments of at least C$60mn will be made over the next three years. Stelco will aim to increase production from current levels and will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary. In its news release, Cliffs said the purchase of Stelco will double Cliffs' exposure to the flat-rolled spot market, adding that Stelco's primary customer base is service centers buying hot-rolled coil (HRC) products. Stelco shipped 636,000 short tons (st) of steel products in the first quarter, of which 74pc was HRC, according to a quarterly report. Cliffs already operates seven tooling and stamping plants in Canada and a scrap yard run by its Ferrous Processing and Trading Company (FPT), all located in Ontario, according to the company. The head of the United Steelworkers (USW) union, David McCall, is said to support the transaction. Cliffs' move to buy Stelco comes nearly a year after Cliffs began its failed bid to purchase steelmaking competitor US Steel. Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel is now in the midst of negotiating the $15bn purchase of US Steel, a deal that has been the subject of public political hand wringing and open dispute among the executives of Cleveland-Cliffs, US Steel, Nippon Steel and the USW. By Rye Druzin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Vietnam’s Vinfast cuts EV sales goal, delays US plant


15/07/24
News
15/07/24

Vietnam’s Vinfast cuts EV sales goal, delays US plant

Singapore, 15 July (Argus) — Vietnam-based electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Vinfast Auto has lowered its 2024 EV delivery goal and delayed its North Carolina EV plant's first production by three years, because of economic headwinds. "We have adopted a more prudent outlook that is carefully calibrated to near-term headwinds, taking into full consideration the realities of market volatility and potential challenges," said the chairwoman of Vinfast's board of directors Le Thi Thu Thuy on 12 June. Vinfast now expects to deliver 80,000 EVs in 2024, down from the 100,000 units it set earlier this year and having missed its delivery goal of 40,000-50,000 last year. Vinfast delivered 21,747 EVs in January-June, almost doubling on the year, according to the company. Its EV sales over April-June stood at 12,058 units, up by 24pc on the quarter and 26pc on the year. It started building a $2bn EV factory in US North Carolina's Chatham county last year, with output scheduled to begin in 2025 . But the firm has now made the "strategic decision" to push it back to 2028, Vinfast said. VinFast earlier this year said that it would invest $2bn in south India's Tamil Nadu state to develop its EV sector, including building an EV plant that can produce 150,000 units/yr. The plant will be "opened" in the first half of 2025, said Vingroup's chairman Pham Nhat Vuong last month, adding that India will be Vinfast's biggest Asia market. The global battery and EV sectors have been facing various economic and geopolitical headwinds. This includes persistently elevated interest rates that are curbing consumer spending, and rising geopolitical market barriers starting with the US and EU's tariffs on Chinese EVs, as well as Canada looking into potential punitive duties on Chinese EVs. By Joseph Ho Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Germany's Aurubis copper smelter back from maintenance


12/07/24
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12/07/24

Germany's Aurubis copper smelter back from maintenance

London, 12 July (Argus) — Germany's Aurubis today announced that its Hamburg copper smelter returned to service on 11 July from the largest maintenance shutdown in the company's history that began 7 May. A restart is now under way following the €95mn 60-day maintenance that included an overhaul of the flash smelter, installation of heat exchangers in the contact acid plant, as well as the installation of a tap hold drill and tamping machine for improved safety of copper slag tapping. Hydrogen-ready anode furnaces were also installed as measures to improve sustainability. Investments in automation are set to improve efficiency and extend the frequency of planned maintenance rounds to three years from two. The Hamburg smelter's outage has exacerbated sulphuric acid tightness in Europe , and the operational restart is expected to provide some relief to the market. This comes in addition to the lack of availability of molten sulphur in the region, leading to shortages of sulphur burnt acid , which has prompted some consumers to replace burnt acid with smelter acid, lifting demand. Aurubis produced 1.19mn t of sulphuric acid during the first six months of the 2023-24 financial year (October-March), up by 1pc on the same period a year earlier. Output at Aurubis' Hamburg smelter rose by 11pc to 512,000t in the period, while output from the Pirdop smelter saw a 6pc decline on the period to 679,000t . For the first three months of the year, Aurubis produced 598,000t of acid, unchanged from the same quarter of 2022-23, as increased output at its Hamburg smelter offset a decline from Bulgaria's Pirdop plant. Production at Hamburg totalled 258,000t from January-March. By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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