Canadian government officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Columbia Premier David Ebby gathered in Maple Ridge to announce their support for a major lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facility. The $1 billion facility is set to be constructed by battery company E-One Moli, a global manufacturer of that specializes in high performance, rechargeable lithium cell products. E-One Moli Energy Corp. was established in 1998. Part of the Taiwan Cememt Corp. (TCC Group), it has emerged with a leading position in the global battery sector via its MOLICEL brand. The new facili ..read more

By Bruce Lantz Canada has some tough decisions to make regarding Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS), and much is at stake for both the industry and the nation. Already a world leader in the fight to reduce carbon emissions and stall global warming, Canada must act now to ensure it doesn’t get left behind as other nations scramble to initiate their own projects to capture the carbon dioxide produced by power generation or industrial activity, transporting it, storing it deep underground, a kilometre or more in depleted oil and gas reservoirs or saline aquifers, and then re-using it ..read more

By Ellsworth Dickson There is much discussion these days on how governments can steer their countries to a net zero carbon footprint. President Joe Biden has promised to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. He is not the only politician making similar promises; around the world the pressure is on to go green and government leaders are responding. Some believe that renewables such as wind and solar power can power most of a nation’s energy needs – but is this realistic? For example, consultant Michael Barnard, Chief Strategist, TFIE Strategy Inc., has calculated that that, in term ..read more

By David Duval Although it’s not a widely known or understood industrial commodity, manganese is the fourth most common metal by tonnage after iron, aluminum and copper. Most of the world’s manganese is used to improve the strength and toughness of steel or remove unwanted elements such as sulphur and oxygen. A silvery-white to grey, hard, brittle chemical transition metal, manganese does not occur as a free element in nature and in fact is often found in minerals in combination with iron. South Africa was ranked as the world’s largest producer and exporter ofÂ&nb ..read more

By Eugene Gerden Russia and China will fight for lithium deposits in Bolivia, as global demand for the metal is growing rapidly due to the boom of the electric vehicles’ sector, according to recent statements made by experts within the mining sector and Russian media reports. Bolivia has significant potential for lithium production; however, the development of its reserves is complicated by the lack of investment in exploration, duly needed to accurately determine the scope of the industry. The UK Financial Times recently reported companies from Russia and China are leading the bidding for a l ..read more

Graphite One [TSX-V: GPH; OTCQX: GPHOF] is forging ahead with plans for a vertically integrated approach to mine and manufacture high-grade anode graphite for the lithium-ion electric vehicle battery market and energy storage systems. Over the last 30 years, lithium-ion batteries revolutionized the energy industry due to their lighter weight, longer charges, and ability to perform better under extreme conditions compared to the nickel-cadmium batteries of the past. A key component of lithium-ion batteries is graphite, the primary material used for one of the electrodes named cathode and a ..read more

By Bruce Lantz These days it seems the ‘cancel culture’ is running amok in Canada. We should be very concerned. Remember the days when we took pride in our country and its economic accomplishments? We recognized farming, forestry, the oil and gas industry and more as economic pillars that provided jobs, business profits and, indeed, the money needed to keep this country going. Those days are gone now, replaced by an attitude that suggests there is only one right way to succeed in a black-or-white world where certain things – industries, even people – are either all good or all bad. And if you ..read more

By Roland Carson Hydrogen energy is a topic which often gets discussed but has had little activity given its touted preeminence.  Globally, hydrogen action plans and initiatives chalk it up to immature technologies, reliance on carbon-heavy energy production & of course severe lack of infrastructure.  It would seem that the deck is stacked against hydrogen as a top choice to bring about an energy revolution, but is hydrogen energy sensationalist or is it substantiated through scientific findings?  Is the hang-up merely using hydrogen in the energy sector or are the hang-ups ..read more

By Ellsworth Dickson In the past few years, there have been many reports on the world’s transition from internal combustion-powered vehicles to electric power with production forecasts usually covering cars and SUVs. However, the market for electric vehicles – and their battery metals – encompasses much more; namely trucks, busses, motorcycles and aircraft. Major auto manufacturers around the world are currently gearing up for electric pickup truck production. For example, the Ford Motor Company [F-NYSE] is preparing to introduce the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup for 2022 that can even p ..read more

By Bruce Lantz Will hydrogen be the next big thing in the search for emissions control in the battle against climate change? Or will it be just another missed opportunity? With world leaders fresh from the COP 26 United Nations Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland in early November talking about the need to fight climate change with reduced carbon emissions worldwide, opportunities exist for new methodologies to take a place among traditional fuel sources such as oil and natural gas. Among those candidates is hydrogen. And both Canada and the United States are looking at ways to capitalize on i ..read more