Critical minerals, critical moves: power, health & the race for resources

Here are a few stories that caught our eye this week:

Indonesia has allowed state-owned PT Gag Nikel to resume mining on Gag Island despite a small-island mining ban and earlier suspension, even as a 2024 company survey reported community concerns over dust, health issues, sedimentation, and coral damage, contradicting official claims of minimal impact.

Chinese scientists have revealed the secrets of a giant antenna system, stretching across an area five times larger than New York city, which has been key to Beijing’s global leadership in the discovery of critical minerals.

Article by Atlantic Council

Surging global interest in critical minerals presents a rare opportunity to fully embed public health protections into mining operations. Mining companies that invest in disease surveillance, health infrastructure, and pandemic preparedness protect their bottom line and their social license to operate. Development corridors like the Lobito Corridor can serve as testing grounds for cross-border health cooperation and integrated approaches to mining regulation.

Article by Reuters

Some of Australia's most advanced critical minerals producers are moving forward on plans to build processing facilities in the United States, despite Australia's strategic push to build up its own domestic industry.

Article by ERM

A new report from the ERM Sustainability Institute has found that six in ten critical mineral projects experience delays in the pre-production phase, materially impacting projects’ net present value (NPV) and negatively impacting investor sentiment in the sector.