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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why rare earth minerals are so crucial to US-China trade deal
Given China's dominance of the rare earth minerals market, the materials are a key component of trade negotiations between the US and China. Cirba Solutions CEO David Klanecky joins Catalysts with Brad Smith to discuss why rare earth minerals are so important to the deal. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. The US and China reached a deal this week, a tentative deal on trade, once again opening access to China's much needed rare earth minerals for American companies. China dominates the global mining and production of crucial materials, which means essentially that the US could once again face a shortage if Beijing cuts off accessing. Now to dive deeper into this rare mineral supply chain, we've got David Cloneski, who is the CEO of Service Solutions, a lithium battery recycling company. Good to have you here with us today. So first, David, just walk us into the significance of China's dominance with rare earths and and what a deal with the US would ultimately signal. Yeah, good morning, Brad, thanks for having me. Um, yeah, it's, it's an interesting opportunity. I think that obviously the US and China have been working on trying to come up with some sort of trade deal. There's, you mentioned right, over, over 70% of uh the rare earth minerals are, are actually processed and produced in China, actually 90% of the rare earths in in uh in the world that are used are processed in China. Um, but China has access to a lot of those minerals, so having a deal with China, you know, I think it's a short term, um, solution. It eases a little bit of the tension there on things where these critical minerals and rare are used are using in just about everything. That's why they're called critical minerals, um, but it, but longer term, you know, I think the country continues needs to continue to think about domestic supply chain, domestic manufacturing, and how to reduce our dependence on, you know, uh, other countries, uh, supplying us with these minerals. How critical is. This portion of the deal to the rest of an agreement between the US and China knowing where there's so much of the technological purchases knowing where there are other elements that in a multi-pronged approach, the two largest countries in the world by GDP would also like to have kind of a checklist struck in this broader kind of whether it be a phase one or a larger phase two of a deal that comes forward. Yeah, I mean this is a pretty major, major accomplishment, I think for the administration at least to get some sort of agreement there. If you, if you look at where critical minerals are used, the question is where aren't they used, right? Everything we touch almost every day has a critical mineral, whether it's something in, you know, again, a vehicle, could be something in our, our home in our kitchen, but also, you know, a lot of our defense systems and, and defense industry relies on rare earths and critical minerals. So when you think about that in a broader picture, that has a massive impact on the lives of everybody in in the United States and it's something that I think why it's getting a lot of attention is because it is a pretty big, it is a pretty big deal and it's something that, you know, we, we need these critical minerals, we need access to them. Um, there's a lot of them that are in our country today that we obviously can recycle and recover. That's another critical thing I think is, as you think about it and, and when I'm talking with the administration, that's something that's kind of, you know, front of mind with them is how do we also make sure that once we have these minerals and, and, and rare earths in our country, how do we continue to recycle them and recover them and that's a, that's a huge play right now that that our, you know, Service Solutions is working on and other companies in the United States to try to domesticate and localize that supply chain for the country. And so Bloomberg right now reporting that the administration, Trump administration prioritizing rare earth projects that is the plan. What is the typical timeline to get these projects up and running? Yeah, I mean, I think it depends on the, the scale, obviously, um, but usually you know when you're talking about uh an operation where you're recycling, recovering or processing these, these minerals out of the ground, for example, you know, these, these timelines depending on where you're getting if you're just recovering and recycling materials, it's a little bit a little bit easier because you don't have to get a permit for mining and things like that you just actually have to build. The facility and typically the build out of those facilities is between 18 months to 2 years um so it does take a little bit of time because you, you gotta, you gotta you construct a manufacturing plant if you're talking about mining things, obviously the administration is really focused on streamlining that process of getting mining permits and things like that which I think will help but those could take a little bit longer so you know my, my kind of you. My statement and a lot of this is we've got a lot of these minerals in the road on the road right now or in our homes right now. Let's make sure we just recover them now and and put these plants in operation to to use those critical minerals that are already in use and not not uh not in the ground to be to be recovered. Where do these minerals typically go into further use, the, the kind of secondary market, if you will, for them. Well, the nice thing is about these minerals, once you've recovered and recycled them, they're brand new again, right? So you're recovering them to a quality of like they just basically are are start of of life again. So you know, when you think about electric vehicles, for example, you got things like nickel and cobalt, lithium. On those materials are recovered out of a battery or it could be a cell phone, a laptop, whatever it might be, uh, those minerals are recovered and basically put back to the original state of their purity so they can go right back into another. Another battery, another phone, another laptop, whatever it might be, but then there's other applications out there that they use these metals for, you know, piping and things like that. We gotta build a lot of plants, a lot of manufacturing facilities, so the you have the opportunity to use those in secondary applications as well. David, thanks so much for taking the time here with us today. Thanks, Brad, appreciate the time.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why rare earth minerals are so crucial to US-China trade deal
Given China's dominance of the rare earth minerals market, the materials are a key component of trade negotiations between the US and China. Cirba Solutions CEO David Klanecky joins Catalysts with Brad Smith to discuss why rare earth minerals are so important to the deal. To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Catalysts here. The US and China reached a deal this week, a tentative deal on trade, once again opening access to China's much-needed rare earth minerals for American companies. China dominates the global mining and production of crucial materials, uh, which means essentially that the US could once again face a shortage if Beijing cuts off access. Joining me now to dive deeper into this rare mineral supply chain, we've got David Klanaski, who is the CEO of Cirba Solutions, a lithium battery recycling company. Good to have you here with us today. So, first, David, just walk us into the significance of China's dominance with rare earths and and what a deal with the US would ultimately signal. Yeah, good morning, Brad. Thanks for having me. Um, yeah, it's it's an interesting opportunity. I think that, obviously, the US and China have been working on trying to come up with some sort of trade deal there. As you mentioned, right, over over 70% of the rare earth minerals are are actually processed and produced in China, actually 90% of the rare earths in in the world that are used are processed in China, but China has access to a lot of those minerals. So having a deal with China, you know, I think it's a short-term solution that eases a little bit of the tension there on things where these critical minerals and rare earths are used are using just about everything. That's why they're called critical minerals. Um, but but longer term, you know, I think the country continues needs to continue to think about domestic supply chain, domestic manufacturing, and how to reduce our dependence on, you know, uh, other countries supplying us with these minerals. How critical is this portion of the deal to the rest of a agreement between the US and China, knowing where there's so much of the technological purchases, knowing where there are other elements that in a multi-pronged approach, the two largest countries in the world by GDP would also like to have kind of a checklist struck in in this broader kind of whether it be a phase one or a larger phase two of a deal that comes forward. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, this is a pretty major major accomplishment, I think, for the administration, at least to get some sort of agreement there. If you look at where critical minerals are used, the question is where aren't they used, right? Everything we touched almost every day has a critical mineral, whether it's something in, you know, again, a vehicle, could be something in our home, in our kitchen, but also, you know, a lot of our defense systems and defense industry relies on rare earth and critical minerals. So when you think about that at a broader picture, that has a massive impact on the lives of everybody in in the United States. And it's something that, I think, why it's getting a lot of attention is because it is a pretty big, it is a pretty big deal. And it's something that, you know, we need these critical minerals. We need access to them. Um, there's a lot of them that are in our country today that we obviously can recycle and recover. That's another critical thing. I think is as you think about it, and when I'm talking with the administration, that's something that's kind of, you know, front of mind with them is, how do we also make sure that once we have these minerals and and and rare earths in our country, how do we continue to recycle them and recover them? And that's a that's a huge play right now that that our, you know, Cirba Solutions is working on and other companies in the United States to try to domesticate and localize that supply chain for the country. And so Bloomberg right now reporting that the administration, Trump administration, prioritizing rare earth projects. That is the plan. What is the typical timeline to get these projects up and running? Yeah. I mean, I think it depends on the scale, obviously, um, but usually, you know, you're talking about an operation where you're recycling, recovering, or processing these minerals out of the ground, for example, you know, these timelines depend on where you're getting. If you're just recovering and recycling materials, it's a little bit easier because you don't have to get a permit for mining and things like that. You just actually have to build a facility. And typically, the build out of those facilities is between 18 months to two years. Um, so it does take a little bit of time because you got to you got to construct a manufacturing plan. If you're talking about mining things, obviously, the administration is really focused on streamlining that process of getting mining permits and things like that, which I think will help, but those could take a little bit longer. So, you know, my kind of, you know, my statement on a lot of this is, we've got a lot of these minerals in the road, on the road right now, or in our homes right now. Let's make sure we just recover them now and and put these plants in operation to use those critical minerals that are already in use and not in the ground to be to be recovered. Where do these minerals typically go into further use? The kind of secondary market, if you will, for them? Well, the nice thing is about these minerals, once you've recovered and recycled them, they're brand new again, right? So you're recovering them to a quality of like they just basically are start of life again. So, you know, when you think about electric vehicles, for example, you got things like nickel and cobalt, lithium. Once those materials are recovered out of a battery, or it could be a cell phone or laptop, whatever it might be, those minerals are recovered and basically put back to the original state of their purity, so they can go right back into another battery, another phone, another laptop, whatever it might be. But then there's other applications out there that they use these metals for piping and things like that. We got to build a lot of plants, a lot of manufacturing facilities. So you have the opportunity to use those in secondary applications as well. David, thanks so much for taking the time here with us today. Thanks, Brad. Appreciate the time.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q&A: can recycling help companies prepare for a lithium boom?
An anticipated spike in lithium demand is causing companies to reconsider their supply chains, with the International Energy Agency estimating that lithium supply for clean energy technologies needs to increase by 90% to meet its Sustainable Development Scenario. To help meet this target, the need to establish a robust and sustainable recycling industry is more pressing than ever before. Danielle Spalding, VP of communications & public affairs at battery recycling company Cirba Solutions, says that the rising role of AI and data centres is driving energy storage demand and challenging critical mineral supply, putting an additional squeeze on the industry. Mining Technology speaks to Spalding about the current state of the lithium recycling industry, the need for international collaboration to diversify supply chains, and how companies in Australia and beyond can look to bolster their recycling capabilities. Danielle Spalding (DS): The last five years have been very different to the past 25 in the world of recycling. I think one of the biggest reasons for the shift is the focus on electrification for all. Countries are realising that to compete on a global scale, they have to be able to strengthen domestic supply chains, to do more business domestically and have stronger exports of critical minerals. The most recent insights show that around 25% of lithium supply will come from recycled materials (what we call secondary content) by 2040. That is a quarter of all lithium supply coming from recycled content. To compare this, cobalt will have over 35% recycled content by 2040 and nickel will have a slightly smaller percentage – around 12%. We are really at the cusp of a big change in recycling – one that has already begun. The trick at the moment is for us to consider how we can collaborate internationally to generate these additional resources. Places like Australia and Europe are looking at how to enhance technology to domesticate critical mineral refinement. They are also now having to meet renewable energy targets, reduce emissions, as well as manage the pressures of various geopolitical issues. All of this comes into play when considering the lithium supply chain. DS: The more control you have over the supply chain, the more stable you are. China currently has the highest refinery of any of the critical minerals. More than likely, the majority of battery materials in Australia are going to China or South Korea for refinement. The goal now should be to domesticate more of this process than is currently seen to close the loop on these critical minerals. We are already seeing mining companies trying to diversify portfolios into recycled content options. There is no longer a focus on one particular element of the supply chain, because companies now know they have to demonstrate the ability to increase their critical minerals supply to meet increasing demand. DS: It is a tough pivot for companies that have historically focused on traditional types of refinement, because refining a used battery is very different from refining a virgin material. While there may be some similarities in the feedstock or the input of material in used batteries, the overall process is different by chemistry. We are seeing Europe and North America currently sharing a lot more with regards to information resources, and you see a lot more of the regulatory landscape changing. In the UK there is the battery passport – every region has its own unique approach to controlling the critical minerals sector. Because Australia has such vast resources, spread out over huge areas, it has different needs when it comes to transportation networks and infrastructure developments when compared with places in Europe. So, the shift to more stable battery refining processes is under way, but it is not an easy change for companies. DS: The computing power of AI tools is only going to increase. That means you need more data powering capacity, which means you need power backups. Often that has to be battery power at this point. We are going to need a significant increase in battery power as we see this increase in computing demands. However, there is also an element of AI that is being used in the battery recycling process itself, where it is being used to integrate software into material recovery facilities. There are now tools being implemented to sort and scan materials for battery content, so it doesn't go into the wrong kind of processing. We have had multiple versions of AI usage in our own organisation, whether that is through X-ray scanning or AI-learning tools to help it sort the materials coming in. I think that you are going to see significant battery adoption from an AI computing standpoint ─ and you are going to want to see those companies add in partnerships with organisations that help recycle. DS: This is going to sound simplistic, but I can assure you, it is not. I think the barrier is education. A lot of consumers don't understand they can recycle their batteries and, even if they do, they often don't know where to go to recycle them. Part of this education is establishing the infrastructure to help people recycle batteries. In somewhere like Australia where there is a lot of farmland, people may not have a convenient location to bring the batteries from their farming equipment – all of these processes take work and they take time. It is going to continue to be a little bit higher of a cost, but we have to get up to that point so we can then help make batteries more cost effective. We want to be able to help support a reduction in consumer and business costs so that this recycling process becomes a known, viable option. DS: We need to see those types of partnerships in greater magnitude for the future to help reach critical mineral supply goals, both in terms of what organisations have set for themselves and the goals that each individual country has set for itself. Consumers today are demanding a more renewable product overall. Each generation that comes into the market has a higher expectation of that. Even without this environmental, social and governance element, there is also an incentive to strengthen supply chains from a national security perspective. DS: There is a significant opportunity to expand the infrastructure necessary to safely collect, process and reuse lithium batteries at scale. We also need to close the education gap so that consumers and businesses better understand the value of lithium battery recycling and the importance of recovering those critical resources to be reused. Equally important is addressing the economic model of the industry. The industry needs to set reasonable expectations, so we can create a thriving and diversified market for the future. "Q&A: can recycling help companies prepare for a lithium boom?" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Q&A: can recycling help companies prepare for a lithium boom?
An anticipated spike in lithium demand is causing companies to reconsider their supply chains, with the International Energy Agency estimating that lithium supply for clean energy technologies needs to increase by 90% to meet its Sustainable Development Scenario. To help meet this target, the need to establish a robust and sustainable recycling industry is more pressing than ever before. Danielle Spalding, VP of communications & public affairs at battery recycling company Cirba Solutions, says that the rising role of AI and data centres is driving energy storage demand and challenging critical mineral supply, putting an additional squeeze on the industry. Mining Technology speaks to Spalding about the current state of the lithium recycling industry, the need for international collaboration to diversify supply chains, and how companies in Australia and beyond can look to bolster their recycling capabilities. Danielle Spalding (DS): The last five years have been very different to the past 25 in the world of recycling. I think one of the biggest reasons for the shift is the focus on electrification for all. Countries are realising that to compete on a global scale, they have to be able to strengthen domestic supply chains, to do more business domestically and have stronger exports of critical minerals. The most recent insights show that around 25% of lithium supply will come from recycled materials (what we call secondary content) by 2040. That is a quarter of all lithium supply coming from recycled content. To compare this, cobalt will have over 35% recycled content by 2040 and nickel will have a slightly smaller percentage – around 12%. We are really at the cusp of a big change in recycling – one that has already begun. The trick at the moment is for us to consider how we can collaborate internationally to generate these additional resources. Places like Australia and Europe are looking at how to enhance technology to domesticate critical mineral refinement. They are also now having to meet renewable energy targets, reduce emissions, as well as manage the pressures of various geopolitical issues. All of this comes into play when considering the lithium supply chain. DS: The more control you have over the supply chain, the more stable you are. China currently has the highest refinery of any of the critical minerals. More than likely, the majority of battery materials in Australia are going to China or South Korea for refinement. The goal now should be to domesticate more of this process than is currently seen to close the loop on these critical minerals. We are already seeing mining companies trying to diversify portfolios into recycled content options. There is no longer a focus on one particular element of the supply chain, because companies now know they have to demonstrate the ability to increase their critical minerals supply to meet increasing demand. DS: It is a tough pivot for companies that have historically focused on traditional types of refinement, because refining a used battery is very different from refining a virgin material. While there may be some similarities in the feedstock or the input of material in used batteries, the overall process is different by chemistry. We are seeing Europe and North America currently sharing a lot more with regards to information resources, and you see a lot more of the regulatory landscape changing. In the UK there is the battery passport – every region has its own unique approach to controlling the critical minerals sector. Because Australia has such vast resources, spread out over huge areas, it has different needs when it comes to transportation networks and infrastructure developments when compared with places in Europe. So, the shift to more stable battery refining processes is under way, but it is not an easy change for companies. DS: The computing power of AI tools is only going to increase. That means you need more data powering capacity, which means you need power backups. Often that has to be battery power at this point. We are going to need a significant increase in battery power as we see this increase in computing demands. However, there is also an element of AI that is being used in the battery recycling process itself, where it is being used to integrate software into material recovery facilities. There are now tools being implemented to sort and scan materials for battery content, so it doesn't go into the wrong kind of processing. We have had multiple versions of AI usage in our own organisation, whether that is through X-ray scanning or AI-learning tools to help it sort the materials coming in. I think that you are going to see significant battery adoption from an AI computing standpoint ─ and you are going to want to see those companies add in partnerships with organisations that help recycle. DS: This is going to sound simplistic, but I can assure you, it is not. I think the barrier is education. A lot of consumers don't understand they can recycle their batteries and, even if they do, they often don't know where to go to recycle them. Part of this education is establishing the infrastructure to help people recycle batteries. In somewhere like Australia where there is a lot of farmland, people may not have a convenient location to bring the batteries from their farming equipment – all of these processes take work and they take time. It is going to continue to be a little bit higher of a cost, but we have to get up to that point so we can then help make batteries more cost effective. We want to be able to help support a reduction in consumer and business costs so that this recycling process becomes a known, viable option. DS: We need to see those types of partnerships in greater magnitude for the future to help reach critical mineral supply goals, both in terms of what organisations have set for themselves and the goals that each individual country has set for itself. Consumers today are demanding a more renewable product overall. Each generation that comes into the market has a higher expectation of that. Even without this environmental, social and governance element, there is also an incentive to strengthen supply chains from a national security perspective. DS: There is a significant opportunity to expand the infrastructure necessary to safely collect, process and reuse lithium batteries at scale. We also need to close the education gap so that consumers and businesses better understand the value of lithium battery recycling and the importance of recovering those critical resources to be reused. Equally important is addressing the economic model of the industry. The industry needs to set reasonable expectations, so we can create a thriving and diversified market for the future. "Q&A: can recycling help companies prepare for a lithium boom?" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Cision Canada
03-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Cirba Solutions to Host Public Battery Recycling Collection Events to Celebrate World Environment Day (June 5)
Recycling events will take place at Cirba Solutions' operational facilities in Arizona and Michigan CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 3, 2025 /CNW/ -- In honor of World Environment Day (June 5), the leading experts in the battery recycling materials and management industry, Cirba Solutions, is working to enhance education on the importance of battery recycling and making battery recycling more accessible to the greater public. To do this, Cirba Solutions will be hosting battery recycling collection events at its Mesa, Ariz. and Wixom, Mich. facilities that are free for the public to participate in by dropping off their end-of-life batteries for recycling. Mesa, Ariz. Collection Event: The public is welcome to drop off batteries in Mesa on Thursday, June 5 from 9:00am to 1:00pm local time. The facility is located at 618 E Auto Center Dr. STE 111, Mesa, Ariz. 85204. Wixom, Mich. Collection Event: The public is welcome to drop off batteries in Wixom on Thursday, June 5 from 9:00am to 1:00pm local time. The facility is located at 4930 Holtz Dr. Wixom, Mich., 48393. Cirba Solutions recycles all battery chemistries and formats across its operational sites throughout North America, and on the day of the collection events, will be accepting these materials for recycling: Cirba Solutions will also accept damaged, defective and recalled batteries for safe and proper recycling. At this time, Cirba Solutions will not be accepting e-cigarettes/vape pens and large electronics (TVs, lawncare equipment, vacuums, e-mobility, electric vehicle battery packs, appliances, etc.). Prior to dropping off batteries for safe handling and recycling, consumers and businesses are asked to tape the terminals of the batteries. In total, there is a 200 lb. maximum limit, per vehicle, of batteries that can be dropped off for recycling. "Batteries are everywhere, and there are knowledge gaps regarding how and where to recycle end-of-life batteries. For example, in a recent survey we conducted, nearly 50% of respondents are aware that lithium batteries should not be disposed of in regular trash bins, but they do so anyway because they are unsure of where to dispose of them," said Karen Gay, Cirba Solutions' Community Engagements Manager. "To keep batteries out of landfills, enhance safety in the recycling stream and increase our domestic critical minerals supply chains, we must do a better job educating consumers on how and where to recycle batteries. Hosting public collection events is just one avenue to bridge the education and access gaps." Visit this page for more information on the Mesa, Ariz. collection event. Visit this page for more information on the Wixom, Mich. collection event. Through the recycling of batteries, Cirba Solutions is committed to extracting the critical minerals found within the batteries to process and refine them to be put back into the supply chain. The creation of a closed-loop supply chain will enhance our nation's domestic supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign sources for these critical materials. To learn more about Cirba Solutions, visit the company's website. About Cirba Solutions Cirba Solutions is a premier battery recycling materials and management company extracting critical materials from scrap and used batteries and then supplying those battery-grade metals back into the supply chain. As the only vertically integrated team with an operational, differentiated platform and a full suite of capabilities, Cirba Solutions is leading the creation of a circular battery supply chain.
