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https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1498386/apple-tesla-china-power-shortage-energy-crisis-xi-jinping-coal-climate-change

APPLE and TESLA suppliers have both reportedly halted production in China as an "unprecedented| power crisis strikes the country. Local media say “unexpected” and “unprecedented” electricity cuts in the provinces of Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang, were caused by power rationing during peak hours. Millions of homes in eastern China are now without power and factories have been forced to shut down too. Tech manufacturers in the eastern and southeastern coasts of the country, including Apple and Tesla, are said to be feeling the impacts. Apple Inc supplier Unimicron Technology Corp (UTC) has said that they have put a stop to production at three Chinese factories to comply with the new emission standards set by Xi Jinping’s government.

China has reportedly tightened its "emission standards" for heavy industries and this has led to a steep decline in production. This poses a threat to supply chains, which could break at the peak season for the sale of electronic goods and items in China. UTC said in a statement that the decision was taken to comply with the "electricity limiting policy" of China.

A host of other companies, including a parts supplier to Tesla, were also told to halt production this week. Making matters worse is said to be a coal shortage. The lack of power has enraged the public and has also cause down shut downs to traffic lights and 3G mobile phone coverage in some areas. A utility in Jilin also warned that the power shortages could disrupt water supplies at any time.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has also said a factory in Liaoning had to rush 23 workers to hospital as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning when ventilators suddenly stopped working during a blackout. Goldman Sachs estimated that up to 44 percent of China’s industrial activity has been affected by power shortages. Almost 60 percent of the Chinese economy is powered by coal, and the electricity crunch caused chaos amid disruptions to coal supplies due to the pandemic as well as a trade tiff with Australia.

Adam Ni, an analyst at China Neican, a think-tank, said local authorities were forced to resort to rationing as electricity prices remain capped in China. He said: “So with rising input prices but fixed output prices, generating electricity has become less profitable – it may even become a loss-making venture. “Since raising electricity prices may lead to more social discontent than rationing electricity, especially among households, the authorities have opted to restrict demand for electricity through rationing.”

Total power generation in August 2021 in China was 10.1 percent higher than last year. It was even 15 percent higher for the same period in 2019. But the increased production also led to high toxic emissions which surpassed China’s pre-pandemic levels.

https://twitter.com/bigbitenow/status/1442438243685961728?s=21

'thermal event' is that where old people gather to discuss warm under clothing? F F F F Fire

https://www.investegate.co.uk/bushveld-minerals-ld--bmn-/rns/interim-results-for-six-months-ended-30-june-2021/202109270700109828M/

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/961213/today-s-market-view---kavango-resources-mkango-resources-cornish-metals-and-more-961213.html

Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries offer part solution to UK power crisis

UK calling ageing Coal Fired power stations back into action as power crisis exposes weakness in dependence on Wind, Solar and interconnectors

Power prices in the UK have surged to extraordinary high levels driven by high global gas prices, a lack of North Sea capacity, a fire at an interconnector and a becalming of offshore wind power.

Experts are concerned that UK and European gas prices will remain high through the winter raising household heating bills and raising inflation (1973 all over again).

Worse still, there is significant potential for rolling power blackouts as the UK restarts ageing coal fired generators.

The UK is still way behind on grid-scale battery backup to balance wind and solar power fluctuations.

Testing of Grid-scale Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries in combination with Li-ion battery packs is ongoing with Pivot Power connecting a first 50MW battery system at Cowley as part of the Energy Superhub Oxford project in June this year.

Pivot Power plan to roll out 40 such battery plants in the UK.

https://www.miningmx.com/top-story/47567-minerals-council-victorious-in-once-empowered-always-empowered-judicial-review/

THE Minerals Council of South Africa scored a critical victory today after the High Court ruled the Mining Charter was an instrument of policy and that mines and energy minister Gwede Mantashe was not entitled to make law through it.

In practice, the judgement – delivered by Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setlioane – sustained the notion of the ‘once empowered, always empowered’ principle in which past empowerment deals are recognised.

The matter was brought to court following the publication of 2018 Mining Charter, the charter’s third iteration since 2004, in which the Department of Minerals and Energy (DMRE) sought to impose a new clause requiring a fresh empowerment transaction in the event of an application for a mining licence renewal or transfer of an existing right.

The so-called Mining Charter III increased the ownership target of such empowerment deals to 30% from the previous 26% target and gave five years’ notice to companies that had not achieved 26% ownership yet to complete their transactions at the 30% level.

The Mining Charter also called for a free carry of 5% in those ownership targets for relevant mining communities and employees.

In her judgement, Judge Kathree-Setlioane took direction from the wording of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA), the centrepiece legislation promulgated in 2002.

“I conclude that section 100(2) of the MPRDA does not empower the Minister to make law,” said Judge Kathree-Setlioane. “In other words, the 2018 Charter is not binding subordinate legislation but an instrument of policy. This interpretation is not inconsistent with the objects of the MPRDA.”

“The ruling confirms that the Minerals Council has been successful in its application to review and set aside those provisions of Mining Charter III, as it is known, which it has challenged through its judicial review application,” a market source told Miningmx.

“We are studying the judgment and will give our response in due course,” said Allan Seccombe, spokesman for the Minerals Council.

Costs were awarded against the DMRE

https://www.lse.co.uk/rns/ARCM/drilling-intersects-massive-copper-sulphides-tcj0yo4gp2p12jb.html

Long read, get a brew first, it does have pictures though :)

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00211-6

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the grant of the mining leases for the Saint Elmo project, with CEO Ian Macfarlane saying it marked the start of Queensland’s strategic move to become a globally significant supplier of new economy minerals.

“Vanadium is used in a range of green technologies and products, though is most well-known for its ability to strengthen steel, and is already used in space vehicles, nuclear reactors and aircraft carriers,” Macfarlane said.

“Vanadium flow-batteries are also fast becoming an important energy storage solution alongside lithium batteries, because they are a stable alternative in areas of extreme temperature and offer greater storage capacity and efficiency for large scale storage.”

“The Saint Elmo project is one of the first new economy mineral mines in Queensland to be approved and the QRC congratulates Multicom’s leadership team for reaching this stage of its operations,” he said.

Macfarlane said the approval of Multicom’s mining leases was also great news for North Queensland and its regional communities.

“A new economy minerals strategy was first released by the Queensland government in 2019, with the first step being to increase exploration and prove up our resource knowledge,” he said.

“The next step was for companies to move into the production phase, which is what today’s announcement is all about.

“Moving forward, to reach the goal of adding value to our new economy minerals in Queensland, we will also need to understand the supply chain, and in particular what processing opportunities exist right here in Queensland.”

Saint Elmo is the first mine approved in a potential vanadium hub in the far north-west, with other companies progressing other potential mines.

I can't believe that another company is chancing setting up a vanadium mine when vrfb's aren't going to take off (note - sarcasm)

https://www.miningweekly.com/article/qld-gets-ready-for-first-vanadium-mine-2021-09-15/rep_id:3650

The Queensland government has approved the mining licence for the state’s first vanadium mine, green-lighting Multicom Resources’ A$250-million Saint Elmo project, near Julia Creek.

“I congratulate Multicom as the first cab off the rank in an exciting new era for Queensland’s resources sector, and a massive boost to our Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

“Vanadium is a new economy mineral that will fuel Queensland’s future as a global resources supplier for decades to come. Vanadium is an important ingredient in the manufacture of specialty steel and will be used in large-scale renewable batteries around the world because it can be charged thousands of times without degrading.

“This project, and these jobs, are a milestone in a journey that began seven years ago with the Queensland government’s North West Minerals Province Taskforce.

"This also lays the foundation for a potential next level new industry in Queensland manufacturing vanadium redox flow batteries.”

Multicom Resources CEO Shaun McCarthy said the start of mine construction was planned for 2022, supporting 250 jobs at peak, with first production forecast for late 2023.

“Saint Elmo is initially forecast to produce up to 5 000 t/y of vanadium pentoxide, supporting at least 150 mine jobs and operating for up to 20 years.

“As the project expands production to 20 000 t/y over time, there’ll be an additional 100 operational and 150 construction jobs created. We expect around three-quarters of the workforce to either live in Julia Creek or McKinlay Shire, or to travel from surrounding communities of Cloncurry, Richmond and Mount Isa.

“Multicom will also source our suppliers from the local region as much as possible and is well-supported by the well-established supply chain along the Townsville to Mt Isa corridor,” said McCarthy.

“With ore processing to occur on-site and product to be shipped globally from the Port of Townsville, Multicom will benefit from the reliable logistics solution provided by the Flinders Highway and Queensland Rail’s Mount Isa line.”

Resources Minister Scott Stewart said the new Saint Elmo mine demonstrated the success of the government’s approach to enabling a prosperous resources sector.

“Consistent with our policy of fostering new economy minerals development, the Geological Survey of Queensland is constantly gathering data on the state’s mineral endowment.

“The government makes that pre-competitive data available to explorers free of charge to help de-risk their exploration activity. This data gives companies like Multicom the confidence they needed to support investment and a mining lease application.”

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/its-go-time-for-greener-energy-plays-2021-09-08

I reckon they'll be trying to increase the stockpile to feed the electrolyte plant when it comes online to give themselves a better buffer when they have the 3 operations running.

Is that correct LB21 that a Chinese ton only contains 907.18kg and have you a link for this because I can't find anything about it. Cheers

It says asianmetal.com is their source for prices but all that website shows is a %. I would assume it refers to Ferro-Vanadium

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/959889/today-s-market-view---condor-gold-chaarat-gold-empire-metals-and-more-959889.html

It's from todays SP Angel Morning view. Not sure where they get their information from though.

Prices in China dropping but I'm sure I've read somewhere that this is a seasonal lull with prices picking up towards the new year.

Europe Vanadium Pentoxide 98% 9.0/lb vs US$9.0/lb

Europe Ferro-Vanadium 80% 37.25/kg vs US$37.25/kg - Vanadium prices continue to fall in China

Vanadium prices continue to correct in China after a peak of CNY202,000/kgV ($40.6/kgV) prices have pulled back to around CNY170,000//kgV ($34/kgV).

We expect prices in China to rise again to follow renewed activity in construction and structural steel production as regional governments issue new bonds for financing.

I'm pretty sure others on this board have made use of paludina's figures to track sales over a 3 month period so that they could then calculate the potential 67%, then average to month/weekly/daily so they could determine whether the production at the mine was increasing effectively and whether the yearly production could be met.

That was in the days when the board had more than the likes of just you and me posting here though cindercone, who if were both honest provide little in analysis of the companies performance (or lack thereof). Personally I appreciate some factual details on the deliveries made to the US then no details. Each to their own though.

Interesting seeing the impact all the extra demand for batteries in more cars, more grid scale batteries and the ever increasing electronics industry is having on lithium pricing? Surely other storage solutions have to take on some of the burden of grid scale batteries.

https://tinyurl.com/75ksvfsh

Lithium carbonate 99% (China) US$19,802/t vs US$19,358/t - Lithium carbonite prices rally 19% in August on increased battery demand

Lithium prices continued to rise last month, with battery deployments in China’s EV market reaching 11.3GWh in July – more than twice that of a year earlier.

For the first time since 2019,the monthly market share of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries outpaced lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), with LFP comprising 51.3% of deployments.

The increase in LFP production has led to higher lithium carbonate demand and prices in China, with domestic carbonate and hydroxide prices rising 19% and 17% respectively.

SMM comment that China domestic lithium concentrate has seen substantial shortages, and stocks may be completely depleted by the end of the year.

The news outlet anticipates the price rise to accelerate in September in light of the intensifying contradiction between supply and demand and the continued release of downstream demand for lithium salts in September

https://www.news24.com/fin24/economy/south-africa/masondo-proposes-r146bn-in-govt-debt-be-forgiven-in-exchange-for-climate-targets-20210908

Elsewhere, the company also netted a recent investment worth US$24 million from BCPG, a renewables company headquartered in Thailand.

The project is part of China’s national Carbon Neutral and Carbon Peak Strategy. An even bigger VRFB plant is under construction in Dalian Province by a Chinese company, Rongke Power, with 200MW rated output and 800MWh capacity.

While there has been growing interest in vanadium flow batteries around the world, with manufacturers springing up in the US, UK, Germany and Australia, in terms of downstream demand, the handful of (very) large-scale projects China has been pushing to support since 2017 dwarf most of the rest of the world’s end-markets — so far.

In a recent interview for our quarterly journal, PV Tech Power, Erik Sardain, an analyst with critical minerals intelligence group Roskill said that if China’s VRFB market takes off and helps drive the country towards its 2060 carbon neutrality target while setting up a significantly scaled industry, the rest of the world could follow.

“I believe that the VRFB story is going to be driven by China, because it’s not only based on economics, it’s also based on politics. Because if the Chinese government says, “Let’s go for it,” then they will go for it,” Sardain said.

“If it’s successful, China is going to show the way. And basically the rest of the world is going to follow after that.”

Subscribe to PV Tech Power or purchase an individual copy of Vol.28 of the journal to read our special focus on VRFBs: ‘Primary vanadium producers’ flow battery strategies’ and ‘Discovery and invention: How the vanadium flow battery story began’.