Green hydrogen prices will remain stubbornly high for decades

Green hydrogen has been touted by politicians and business leaders alike as a key fuel for a carbon-free future. But it will remain far more expensive than previously thought for decades to come,... 

Goldman pushes back $3 000 gold forecast on fewer US rate cuts

Goldman Sachs Group said it no longer sees gold reaching $3 000 an ounce by the end of the year, pushing the forecast to mid-2026 on expectations the Federal Reserve will make fewer rate cuts.... 

Jervois signs rescue deal after cobalt price collapse

Cobalt miner Jervois Global will go private as part of a restructuring deal with one of its lenders, after struggling to compete with Chinese rivals as prices for the battery metal plunged. The... 

South Africa retains preferential US market access for 2025

South Africa will retain its preferential access to the US markets for its goods in 2025 despite strained relations between the countries. After undertaking an annual review of which nations are... 

Prosus chair’s trust sells €156m of shares for hotel growth

A family trust linked to Koos Bekker — one of South Africa’s richest people — sold about €156-million of shares in Internet investing giant Prosus to fund building operations at hotels in South... 

Eskom risk premium falls as turnaround wins over bond investors

Eskom Holdings’s risk premium is dwindling as a turnaround at South Africa’s State-owned electricity company gathers momentum. The extra yield investors demand to take on the risk of holding the... 

Mercuria partners with Zambia on metals trading venture

Mercuria Energy Group is teaming up with Zambia on a metals trading venture, the latest example of a commodity house partnering with a mineral-rich state to secure access to key resources. Mercuria... 

China’s niche metals export ban lifts prospects for Canada firms

China’s move to ban exports of niche metals to the US is creating opportunities for Canadian producers — though tariff threats by the incoming Trump administration may limit their prospects. A trio... 

Shipping industry’s $188bn binge cuts space to make new vessels

The biggest vessel-ordering program since the eve of the global financial crisis is putting a squeeze on the shipbuilding industry’s capacity to construct new vessels. Owners plowed more than... 

Saudi Arabia taps Aramco oil field brine in lithium battery push

Saudi Arabia is exploring projects that can produce lithium for batteries in an effort to ramp up production in the Middle Eastern oil exporter. The country, in the midst of revamping its economy... 

Namibia investigates China’s Xinfeng for alleged illegal mining

Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy is investigating Xinfeng Investments for alleged illegal mining in the lithium-rich Erongo region. The ministry is accusing the company, which has an... 

Chile’s Enami eyes lithium license in boost to partner search

Chilean authorities are expected to grant Enami a lithium operating license by year-end, paving the way for the State company to secure partners to develop the project. All six local indigenous... 

Glencore in talks to sell its Philippine copper smelting unit

Glencore is in talks to sell its copper business in the Philippines as the metal’s smelting industry reels from the lowest processing fees on record. The commodities giant is discussions with at... 

A glut of coal in China is set to push falling prices even lower

China’s booming coal production is running well ahead of demand at the onset of winter, leading to swelling inventories and plunging prices that analysts forecast will fall further. A gauge of... 

South Africa shuts 1 041 mom-and-pop stores as food deaths mount

South Africa has shut down 1 041 mom-and-pop stores in a bid to stop people from consuming pesticide-laden food, which has led to the deaths of 38 children across the country. President Cyril... 

BHP sees rising uncertainty for miners on trade as Trump returns

BHP Group, the world’s biggest miner, expects increasing uncertainty in the near term as US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to implement a slew of tariffs and other trade measures. “In the... 

Nouveau Monde Graphite gets $50m to fund Quebec project

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. received $50 million from two government entities to help fund a production facility for electric-vehicle battery materials in Quebec. The equity investment comes as... 

Gold holds decline as focus on fed for next year’s rate outlook

Gold held a decline ahead of the Federal Reserve’s upcoming rate decision, with traders watching for clues about next year’s monetary-policy path. Bullion was steady near $2,647 an ounce, after... 

Kenya plans IVF to save rare White Rhinos nearing extinction

Kenya plans to use assisted reproduction techniques to save the northern white rhino — a species that has only two females remaining worldwide — from the brink of extinction. It will involve... 

Israel sees signs of breakthrough in talks over Gaza ceasefire

Israeli officials say a ceasefire in Gaza is a more realistic prospect than at any time in the past year, suggesting a long-awaited deal to free hostages and boost aid to the beleaguered territory... 

Australian graphite maker jumps on $755m US plant funding

Shares in Australian synthetic graphite maker Novonix surged after it received a conditional $755-million loan from the US Department of Energy to build a manufacturing plant in Tennessee. Novonix... 

Samarco to invest more than $1bn to resume full capacity

Samarco Minercao expects to invest more than $1-billion to return its iron-ore operations to full capacity by January 2028 — a date that’s more than 12 years after the operation was first sidelined... 

Rio Tinto’s $2.5bn lithium plan is a win for Milei

Rio Tinto Group plans to invest $2.5-billion in a new lithium mine in Argentina in a win for President Javier Milei’s efforts to deregulate the country’s economy and lure foreign investment. The... 

Exxaro is said to have discussed acquiring Tshipi manganese mine

Exxaro Resources has held talks with the owner of one of South Africa’s largest manganese mines about buying the asset, as the coal producer seeks to diversify its business, according to people... 

Australia’s opposition reveals A$331bn nuclear power plan

Australia’s main opposition group laid out a A$331-billion plan to create a taxpayer-funded nuclear power industry in just over a decade, despite the nation’s top scientists saying renewable energy... 

Canada weighs export taxes on uranium, oil if Trump starts trade war

Canada is examining the use of export taxes on major commodities it exports to the US — including uranium, oil and potash — if incoming President Donald Trump carries out his threat to impose broad... 

China is urging EV firms to invest in South Africa, official says

China is encouraging its electrical vehicle manufacturers to invest in South Africa as it seeks to broaden ties between the two nations. “We encourage the Chinese companies to consider, very... 

Court blocks ICTSI bid to appeal South Africa port-deal ruling

A South African court denied a bid by International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) to appeal a decision that temporarily stops the nation’s state-owned logistics firm from going ahead with... 

‘We can’t sit back’: Canada’s Premiers float retaliatory options against Trump

Canada’s provincial premiers are helping to assemble a list of possible retaliatory measures if President-elect Donald Trump follows through on a threat to apply 25% tariffs against all goods the... 

V&A plans R20bn Granger Bay development

Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront plans a R20-billion expansion of the adjacent Granger Bay precinct and has sought permission from authorities in South Africa’s second-biggest city for the development.... 

South32 hopeful Trump will allow access to Alaska copper region

South32 is optimistic the incoming Trump administration will open up access to a copper-rich region in northwest Alaska, where the Australian miner has development rights. If the building of a... 

South African inflation inches up, leaving rate cut hopes intact

South Africa’s inflation rate crept up by less-than-expected in November, creating room for the central bank to deliver another cut in borrowing costs next month. The consumer price index rose 2.9%... 

Zimbabwe wants 26% free-carry stake in new mining projects

Zimbabwe is planning to hold 26% of new mining projects on a free carry basis, and will also negotiate with existing operators to acquire a similar stake. “We need to move to a level where we reach... 

Guinea plans sovereign wealth fund backed by iron-ore income

Guinea plans to use some of its income from mining the world’s largest iron-ore reserve to create a sovereign wealth fund. The facility will fund key development projects in the government’s... 

Trump vows fast permits for those investing $1bn in US

President-elect Donald Trump said his administration would help expedite permits for any person or company that invested at least $1-billion in the US. “Any person or company investing ONE BILLION... 

BHP, Rio accused of allowing sexual harassment on mine sites

BHP Group and Rio Tinto Group allowed environments on their Australian mining sites where female staff faced systemic sexual harassment and gender discrimination, according to two class actions... 

Barrick said to seek buyer for Tongon mine as bullion soars

Barrick Gold Corp. is seeking buyers for its Tongon gold mine in Côte d'Ivoire in an effort to sell the aging operation when bullion prices are surging. The world’s No. 2 gold miner started... 

South Africa business confidence jumps as government hopes grow

South Africa’s business confidence soared to the highest level in nine years last month, suggesting a significant improvement in the economic outlook as businesses take encouragement from the... 

Newmont cuts management jobs in major corporate restructuring

Newmont let go of nearly a dozen managers, including a member of its executive team, as part of a sweeping corporate overhaul, according to people familiar with the matter. The world’s top gold... 

Zimbabwe power users raise $250m for solar plan

Zimbabwe’s industrial power users have secured $250-million from the African Export-Import Bank to build floating solar panels at the world’s largest man-made lake. The Intensive Energy User Group,...