Researchers at Northeastern University have introduced a new technique that can double the efficiency of rare earth element extraction. The study reveals a method for recovering rare earth elements from coal tailings, waste materials left after mining, using chemical treatment combined with a specially designed microwave reactor for precise temperature control. This approach achieves extraction rates two to three times higher than previous methods.

Zimbabwe Cabinet received and approved the Report on Tours to Economic Flagship Projects in Midlands and Masvingo Provinces, which was presented by Honourable Vice President Gen. (Rtd.) Dr. C.G.D.N. Chiwenga.The Vice President led a high-profile delegation on a comprehensive tour of key economic flagship projects in Midlands and Masvingo Provinces as part of the ongoing nationwide assessment of their contributions to Gross Domestic Product, community development, and alignment with the country’s industrialisation and beneficiation objectives. The tour encompassed various mining, industrial, infrastructure, and health projects across both provinces, highlighting their strategic significance and developmental impact. In view of the observation that all the mining companies visited are engaged in ore extraction and the exportation of raw minerals, Cabinet reaffirms its commitment to maintaining the ban on raw mineral exports. This measure is intended to promote value addition, beneficiation, industrialization, and manufacturing initiatives. Additionally, Cabinet has directed that the Great Zimbabwe Hydro-power model be replicated at other dams across the country to enhance power generation capacity.

Recently, Hyundai Motor Group signed a cooperation agreement with Zhejiang Huayou Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. to jointly build an EV power battery recycling system in Indonesia. The cooperation covers the recycling and reuse of battery production scrap and end-of-life batteries, aiming to achieve a closed-loop resource system across the entire battery life cycle. Background of the Cooperation As the world’s largest nickel producer, Indonesia is pushing with unprecedented determination to transform itself from a raw material exporter into a global EV battery manufacturing hub. According to the Indonesian government’s plan, by 2030 the country will achieve total EV battery capacity of 100 GWh and plan to produce about 600,000 pure EVs annually. The HLI Green Power battery plant, jointly established in Indonesia by Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution, is a key part of this strategy. Located in Karawang, West Java, the plant has a total investment of $1.1 billion and began operations in 2024. It has annual capacity of 10 GWh and can supply battery cells for more than 150,000 EVs. The plant mainly supports EV models of Hyundai Motor Group in Southeast Asia, India, and other markets. However, with the rapid expansion of battery capacity, the disposal of end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap has become an increasingly prominent issue. The Indonesia Battery Association forecasts that by 2030 the country’s end-of-life power batteries will reach 120,000 mt. But the existing recycling system has clear shortcomings: insufficient processing capacity, lack of technical standards, and more than 70% of processing handled through informal recycling channels. In the suburbs of Jakarta, multiple open-air acid-leaching lithium workshops have even emerged, causing soil heavy metal levels to exceed EU limits by 50 times. This cooperation carries multiple implications for the development of Indonesia’s battery industry and even that of Southeast Asia as a whole: Improving the Local Industry Chain: Through the New Energy Law, the Indonesian government has designated EVs as a national strategic industry and requires foreign automakers to commit to building battery plants in Indonesia, with 40% local sourcing of parts to be achieved by 2027. The cooperation between Hyundai Motor and Huayou Recycling helps Indonesia build a complete industry chain spanning mineral extraction, battery manufacturing, and recycling. Addressing Resource Challenges: Although Indonesia is rich in nickel resources, it produces almost no cobalt, and its lithium resources depend on imports from Australia. Through battery recycling, it can partially reduce its import dependence on critical minerals and improve resource security. Attracting More Investment: The Indonesian government has introduced fiscal incentives such as zero import tariffs, exemption from luxury sales tax, and a reduction in VAT from 11% to 1%, to attract foreign investment into the battery industry. The battery recycling cooperation in Indonesia between Hyundai Motor Group and Huayou Recycling is not only a commercial move by the two enterprises, but also a reflection of the global battery industry's transition toward a circular economy. With the rapid expansion of the EV market, battery recycling has shifted from an environmental protection issue to a matter of resource strategy and economics.

Real GDP rose 0.1% in January, with an advance estimate of 0.2% in February, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. Growth was driven by the goods-producing sector, which expanded 0.2% for a second straight month, as gains in mining and oil and gas extraction offset a decline in manufacturing. Motor vehicle and parts manufacturing fell 10.8%—the largest drop since September 2021—as winter plant shutdowns extended into January, dragging auto output down 23.5% and wholesale trade down 1.2%. If March growth is flat, the economy is on track to expand at an annualized rate of 1.5% in the first quarter, slightly above market expectations of 1.4%.

Zijin Mining's 2025 annual report sent a clear industry signal: its lithium business has officially moved from strategic reserve to the stage of scaled monetization.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Vietnam has issued Consolidated Document No. 21/VBHN-BNNMT, detailing a number of provisions, including regulations on the management of rare earth elements. Specifically, in addition to complying with regulations on strategic and important minerals, the surveying, exploration, exploitation, processing, and use of rare earths must follow the national rare earth usage strategy. Activities related must ensure the principles of resource protection, environmental protection, and sustainable development; link extraction and processing with deep processing to increase added value and ensure technological self-reliance; not export rare earth minerals that have not met the required deep-processing standards; and only export deeply processed products.