Member Info for SloppyGuiseppe

https://youtu.be/DXar6YmYaPk

This is a fairly long article but I think we could possibly benefit from a bit of US spending (they are surely going to need a bit of tungsten thrown in) https://safehaven.com/news/Breaking-News/Congress-Agrees-On-2-Trillion-Infrastructure-Plan.html

https://safehaven.com/news/Breaking-News/Congress-Agrees-On-2-Trillion-Infrastructure-Plan.html “Infrastructure is the physical systems – the roads, power transmission lines and towers, airports, dams, buses, subways, railways, ports, bridges, power plants, water delivery systems, hospitals, sewage treatment, etc. – that are the building blocks, the Lego pieces, which fuel a country’s, city’s or community’s economic, social and financial development .Economic growth necessitates building more infrastructure to meet increasing demands on power, heat, water, roads and the like. As populations grow, they need more houses, hospitals, subway lines, roads, recreational facilities, sports stadiums. There is an undeniable connection between a country’s competitiveness and its infrastructure, yet both Canada and the US are facing significant infrastructure deficits, meaning the money that is being allocated for upgrades to water lines, sewers, bridges, roads, dams, power plants, public buildings, etc., isn’t enough to cover maintenance let alone replacement costs. The amount of pipe rehabilitation, the number of dams that need to be upgraded, new ports, airports, bridges, power plants etc., will require billions of tonnes of raw materials. We’re talking iron ore, steel, zinc, manganese, vanadium and copper, just to name a few key metals.” “Building new North American infrastructure would obviously take a lot of steel. It’s hard to say how much, but consider these facts: The Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada state line used 45 million pound of reinforced steel, 88 million pounds of plate steel and outlet pipes, 6.7 million pounds of pipe and fittings, and 4.4 million yards of concrete.” Considering we are in the beginning stages of a Cold War between the US, Russia and China, it’s the wrong time to be under-funding the military. And another reason why the United States government needs to take a hard look at the metals it lacks. The US Military is number one despite having virtually no rare earths of its own (other than one light rare earths mine in California) that go into a plethora of defense applications, no production of manganese necessary for steel, no domestic vanadium or titanium used in fighter aircraft, and 100%-reliant on imports for it’s metallurgical-grade bauxite used for aluminium. The second problem relates to how we source the materials needed for rebuilding American infrastructure. The amount of pipe rehabilitation, the number of dams that need to be upgraded, new ports, airports, bridges, power plants etc., will require billions of tonnes of raw materials. We’re talking iron ore, steel, zinc, manganese, vanadium and copper, just to name a few key metals. Rare earths, manganese and vanadium are three examples of critical metals needed for the massive infrastructure build-out the US is talking about.

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=013c19cc-0e91-4f68-8975-69875eb15ff6 “On April 30, 2019, the Department of Defense, Defense Acquisition Regulations System, published in the Federal Register an interim rule [Docket DARS-2019-0016] amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 that prohibits acquisition of certain magnets and tungsten from North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran.”

Thanks alpha. Do you see at any point a possible collaboration, would Tando be of any benefit to us.....?

https://www.agenceecofin.com/metaux/0305-65847-afrique-du-sud-la-premiere-phase-du-projet-de-vanadium-spd-pourrait-couter-moins-de-20-millions (Ecofin Agency) - According to an exploratory study released this week by Tando Resources, the development of the first phase of its South African vanadium SPD project is expected to cost between $ 18 and $ 20 million. This capital could be recovered in less than 2 years (between 1.9 and 2.8 years) with pre-tax EBITDA of $ 234 to $ 431 million over a 25-year life. The first phase of development of the SPD project will focus on a treatment plant of 2.2 million tonnes per year. It is expected to produce 0.79 million tonnes of vanadium concentrate annually. According to Tando CEO Bill Oliver, the results of the scoping study are very encouraging and show that the SPD project could generate significant cash flow from a low investment. They demonstrate that the project can be technically and financially viable. Tando Resources holds a 73.95% stake in the SPD project.

https://www.energy-storage.news/news/world-bank-offers-renewables-supply-chain-support-1000-demand-increase-for The World Bank has unveiled a multi-million scheme to minimise the impacts from a global rush for mineral resources, expected as renewables surge to become a core part of the energy mix. Over the next five years, a US$50 million pot will be invested to promote a sustainable supply chain for lithium, graphite and the other minerals and metals powering fast-growing PV, wind and battery storage

3minutes In https://www.kitco.com/news/video/show/Mines--Money-New-York/2387/2019-05-02/The-Super-Picks-In-Gold-And-Energy-Metals#_48_INSTANCE_puYLh9Vd66QY_=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kitco.com%2Fnews%2Fvideo%2Flatest%3Fshow%3DMines--Money-New-York

https://www.altenergymag.com/article/2019/05/renewable-energy-strategy-in-the-middle-east/30873/

https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/markets/investors-snap-up-nedbank-green-bonds-22348716 JOHANNESBURG – Nedbank reaped the rewards of its first green bond on the JSE when investors bought R5.5 billion of them in an oversubscribed frenzy on Tuesday. The JSE said the bank placed bonds worth R1.7bn last week to fund renewable energy projects. The issuance was three times oversubscribed by R3.8bn. Bruce Stewart, the head of debt capital market origination at Nedbank CIB, said Nedbank will apply the investment proceeds from the bond to deliver financial support to solar and wind renewable energy projects. “Nedbank has been a key supporter of, and participant in, the SA Department of Energy’s renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme (Reipppp) and to date we have funded 42 of the transactions, worth R40bn, across the four rounds of the programme,” Stewart said. “So, this Renewable Energy Bond builds on our well-established experience in the renewables sector and allows us to extend our support of clean energy provision in South Africa through an innovative, sustainable development goals-focused capital market solution.”

https://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/comment/2019/05/02/keep-an-eagle-eye-on-china/ “Warnings about a Chinese slowdown due to President Trump’s trade policies have sent tremors around the world, especially in commodity-focused nations. So far, the price of foodstuffs has not been unduly affected, nor metals, and energy to a lesser extent – contrary to fears. The price of steel rebar futures in Shanghai rallied since December, suggesting steady demand from the construction industry. At 4,200 yuan per metric tonne, it’s well above the decade-long mean. Goes to show what money can buy.”

https://www.investorschronicle.co.uk/shares/2019/05/01/bushveld-transforms-pipeline-with-plant-purchase/ The deal comes as vanadium prices have fallen over 60 per cent since November, although BMO commentary says stocks are starting to deplete in China and the market has started to tighten again. Bushveld chief executive Fortune Mojapelo said he was not worried about vanadium price dips, backing Chinese steel production to come out of the winter lull to boost the market, and said he had it “on good authority” the government would be ramping up checks on new steel supply having the mandated vanadium content.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/05/01/mining-the-future-china-critical-minerals-metals/ A fight between the United States and China is brewing over 5G and the question of who can be trusted to control the world’s wireless infrastructure. But scant attention is being paid to an issue of arguably greater importance to the future of the world’s economy and security: China’s control of the raw materials necessary to the digital economy. No new phone, tablet, car, or satellite transferring your data at lightning speed can be made without certain minerals and metals that are buried in a surprisingly small number of countries, and for which few commonly found substitutes are available. Operating in niche markets with limited transparency and often in politically unstable countries, Chinese firms have locked up supplies of these minerals and metals with a combination of state-directed investment and state-backed capital, making long-term strategic plays, sometimes at a loss. Through in-depth analysis of company reports and disclosures, mapping of deal flows, quantification of direct and indirect equity stakes, and other primary research, FP Analytics has produced the first consolidated review of this unprecedented concentration of market power. Without rhetoric or hyperbole, this fact-based analysis reveals how rapidly and effectively China has executed its national ambitions, with far-reaching implications for the rest of the world.

https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/columns/sp-angel/30864/today-s-market-view---metals-prices-buoyed-by-beijing-trade-talks-30864.html

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cru-whose-tungsten-projects-will-satisfy-growing-demand-300840948.html Does require sign up for full report

With more storage capability on the system, the solar energy production could be captured and used later in the day, smoothing out the wide fluctuations between supply and demand, and allowing for more renewables to be used by retail consumers. Klauer said flow batteries have some features that could make bulk system electricity storage more cost-efficient. In a flow battery, electrolytes are stored in tanks separate from the battery cells, which allows the battery to be scaled easily by simply increasing the size of the electrolyte tanks. The electrolyte solutions in flow batteries can have long lifetimes without major degradation,and the cycle life of flow batteries can be higher than other battery technologies, reducing the costs of installing and operating the flow battery. The energy market could eventually open up economic opportunities to leverage the advantages of this type of technology.The demonstration project is testing to find the most profitable operation practices of flow batteries in specific hours and seasons, under many scenarios in the energy trading market, Klauer said. “A primary requirement of today’s wholesale power market is that any new technology creates economic value,” Klauer said. “This project is demonstrating how cutting-edge science and innovation can help us integrate more renewable energy onto the system.”

http://www.oc-breeze.com/2019/04/30/138227_innovative-battery-technology-connected-to-california-iso-power-grid/ The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has become one of the nation’s first wholesale power markets to connect a groundbreaking type of flow technology batteries to its grid, which could give rise to promising storage capability on large-scale electric systems. San Diego Gas & Electric(SDGE) has unveiled a vanadium redox battery storage pilot project in coordination with Sumitomo Electric, stemming from a partnership between Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). The four-year pilot project is intended to test and evaluate the best ways to manage and maximize new storage technology on the grid, demonstrate the economics of flow batteries in the commercial wholesale market, provide flexibility, and integrate growing amounts of renewable energy onto the system. In 2015, NEDO signed an agreement with GO-Bizto test flow battery performance in a demonstration setting. NEDO then contracted with Sumitomo Electric to implement the project.The battery was installed at an SDG&E substation, where it has undergone testing and fine-tuning for reliability and performance, before starting participation in the ISO wholesale electricity markets in December 2018. The flow battery will provide 2 megawatts (MW) and 8 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy, enough to power the equivalent of about 1,000 homes for up to four hours. A flow battery is an electrical storage device that is a cross between a conventional battery and a fuel cell, using liquid electrolytes of metallic salts pumped through a core with positive and negative electrodes, separated by a membrane. As the liquid flows through the membrane, the ion exchange allows for charge and discharge capability. “After years of preparation and testing, the flow battery is now in our market,” said Peter Klauer, an ISO advisor for power systems development overseeing the battery’s entry into ISO markets.“With this technology, we are navigating the future of electrical storage. The project could be part of a strategy for incorporating larger amounts of renewable energy.” Storage is seen as a vital strategy to California meeting its target of getting 100 percent of its electricity from zero-carbon resources by 2045. Renewables, especially in the form of solar panels, are being added at such a quick pace that ISO is now managing an oversupply of solar power in the middle of the day, and a subsequent drop-off in solar production at the end of day, when electricity demand is spiking. The trend is causing the system to curtail solar generation during times of oversupply, and creating a need for fast-starting resources to fill demand in the evening, often natural gas plants. With more storage capability on the system, the

hear It straight from the horses mouth Bushveld Minerals CEO, Fortune Mojapelo will host a webcast for analysts and investors to present the transaction today at 09H30 BST. Link to the webcast: https://webcasting.brrmedia.co.uk/broadcast/5cc315de3c8e41495e2420cb Link to the presentation: http://www.bushveldminerals.com/presentations/

http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/news/AN_1556629977294095500/ferro-alloy-resources-swings-to-profit-as-vanadium-output-multiplies.aspx I know which I’d rather be invested in. LONDON (Alliance News) - Ferro-Alloy Resources Ltd on Tuesday said swung to a profit in 2018 following a sharp increase in vanadium production. The vanadium mining company said it swung to a pretax profit of USD3.0 million in 2018 from a USD1.1 million loss a year earlier, as revenue surged to USD4.2 million from USD1.1 million. Vanadium pentoxide production from the Balasausqandiq deposit in Kyzylordinskaya oblast in the south of Kazakhstan was 125 tonnes in 2018, up from 33 tonnes in 2017. Production increased to around 12 tonnes per month by the end of the second quarter of 2018 and shipments to customers in the year totalled 130 tonnes compared with 52 tonnes in 2017. The price of vanadium pentoxide started 2018 at around USD9.75 per pound and at the end was stood at USD15.50 per pound, having reached a high of more than USD28 per pound in November and averaging just over USD18 per pound during the year. The company noted that since the start of 2019, the price of vanadium pentoxide has been declining, trading at around USD9 per pound as at Tuesday. "These financial results demonstrate the significant progress achieved at Balasausqandiq in the period. We successfully increased production and subsequently significantly increased our revenue and profit," said Chief Executive Nick Bridgen. "The Balasausqandiq project is a truly extraordinary project with unparalleled potential," continued Bridgen. "It is extremely profitable even when using a significant discount to the current vanadium price." Ferro-Alloy shares were trading 0.6% lower on Tuesday at 25.20 pence each.

https://m.miningweekly.com/article/num-calls-for-reskilling-of-eskom-workers-to-equip-them-for-clean-energy-jobs-2019-04-30 The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has called for greater attention to be given to the reskilling of Eskom workers “so that they can be absorbed” into clean-energy technology work opportunities. In a statement released following a meeting of its national executive committee in Gauteng, the NUM continue to express misgivings over independent power producers (IPPs), as well as the proposed unbundling of Eskom into three separate businesses of generation, transmission and distribution. The NUM reported, however, that it had resolved to seek expert advice on IPPs and to assess alternatives. It also urged government to extend its focus beyond the introduction of new power generating technologies and to pay greater attention to the reskilling of the current Eskom workers “so they can be absorbed into the envisaged clean-energy technology, if indeed it is going to create more jobs as they claim”.