Canada Nickel said on July 31 it received a positive Decision Statement from Canada's Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Nature for its Crawford nickel project in the Timmins district of northeastern Ontario, the first mining approval issued under the amended Impact Assessment Act since 2019. The project was referred to the federal Major Projects Office and selected for Ontario's One Project, One Process framework. CEO Mark Selby said the federal permit took four years and the project moved from its fifth drill hole to this milestone in under seven. The company will now advance detailed engineering, financing and remaining provincial and federal permits ahead of a construction decision targeted for 2027. Crawford would also be North America's only primary chromium source.

Canada Nickel's Crawford nickel project in Ontario has received federal approval following the completion of Canada's impact assessment process, clearing a key regulatory milestone for project development. The Crawford project is expected to become one of the world's largest nickel operations and is the first mining project approved under Canada's 2019 Impact Assessment Act. The company estimates the mine will have a 41-year operating life and play a strategic role in supplying low-carbon nickel for the electric vehicle battery and stainless steel industries.

[SMM Express] African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) has reaffirmed its commitment to long-term growth following board approval of the R15.2 billion Bokoni platinum project and the R753 million restart of the Nkomati nickel mine. Management described Bokoni as a high-grade, low-cost platinum group metals (PGMs) growth platform capable of producing 350,000–400,000 6E PGM ounces annually, supported by existing infrastructure, a 31-million-ounce measured resource and an expected post-tax net present value of R5.9 billion with a projected internal rate of return of 28%. The Nkomati restart is expected to re-establish South Africa's only primary nickel producer, targeting a 5.3-year payback period and a 28.4% internal rate of return. The investment announcement has, however, generated mixed market reactions. ARM shares have declined 21% this year, with some analysts expressing concerns over the timing and scale of the Bokoni investment and its potential impact on near-term cash flow. Others view the projects as a strategic response to tightening South African PGM supply and improving platinum market fundamentals, arguing that ARM's strong balance sheet and the projects' long-term economics could enhance production resilience and shareholder value through future commodity cycles.

​​​​​​​Falling nickel benchmarks, a fragmented overseas supply base and a Malaysian enforcement crackdown lift India's stainless scrap imports 11.4% while pushing the average import price down 6.6% in the 12 months to February 2026

With the booming development of the new energy vehicle industry, China's first wave of power batteries has entered a large-scale retirement phase. Recently, lithium battery recycling projects have been intensively launched across multiple regions nationwide, covering every link of the industrial chain — from dismantling and crushing to hydrometallurgy, from cascade utilization to material regeneration.

With the vigorous development of the NEV industry, China's first batch of power batteries entered a large-scale "retirement period." Recently, lithium battery recycling projects were intensively launched nationwide, from dismantling and crushing to hydrometallurgy, from second-life application to material regeneration, comprehensively accelerating the layout of all links in the industry chain.