Latest news with #ArcadiumLithium
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rio Tinto Group (RIO) Announces Financial Results for First Half of 2025
Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) is included in our list of the . Copyright: tomas1111 / 123RF Stock Photo Despite a 13% decline in iron ore prices, Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) announced strong financial results for the first half of 2025 on July 30, 2025. Net profit decreased by 22% to $4.5 billion, while underlying EBITDA was down 5% to $11.5 billion. Strong performances from the copper and aluminum divisions, as well as a recovery in Pilbara operations after the Q1 cyclones, helped to support the results. Production rose 6% annually, with considerable increases in shipments of copper and bauxite, especially from Oyu Tolgoi. Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) announced a $2.4 billion dividend while maintaining its 50% payout ratio. Important projects were also advanced by Rio Tinto, such as the Simandou iron ore project, which is scheduled to export for the first time in November 2025, and significant advancements in the lithium industry, which were exemplified by the $6.7 billion purchase of Arcadium Lithium. Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) is well-positioned for long-term growth due to its strategic investments and varied portfolio. Rio Tinto stressed effective cash flow management and reiterated its output guidance for the future. Operating through its Iron Ore, Aluminum, Copper, and Minerals segments, Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO) is a global mining company. It is included in our list of cheap solid state battery stocks. While we acknowledge the potential of RIO as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None.
West Australian
30-07-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Rio Tinto trims dividend as Pilbara iron ore output and lithium investment weighs on bottom line
Pilbara cyclones, weaker iron ore prices and a lithium splurge have dented the dividend payout scores Rio Tinto's mum and dad shareholders are set to receive. Rio generated $US26.9 billion ($41.3b) of sales revenue during the first six months of 2025, a flat result compared to the same period a year prior. The average price Rio fetched for its most important commodity — iron ore — fell by 13 per cent year-on-year and production also went backwards after a series of cyclones in January and February savaged its key Pilbara port facilities. This was partially offset by Rio's 'improving operational performance' and a 'rising contribution' from its aluminium and copper divisions. Approximately $US6.9b of net cash was generated across Rio's global operations, down 2 per cent on the first-half 2024 result. Net debt ballooned by more than 160 per cent from $US5.5b to $US15b after Rio took on fresh loans to fund its $US6.7b purchase of Arcadium Lithium, which was completed in March. Rio progressed other lithium projects in South America and Europe during the first half. Group net profit was 22 per cent lower at $US4.5b and this cascaded through to a 16 per cent cut in the interim dividend to $US1.48. More to come . . .
ABC News
06-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Lithium mine closure shines light on Ravensthorpe community's resilience
For the first time in almost a decade, Ravensthorpe is without a working mine. The start of the new financial year saw the lithium mine at Mt Cattlin, just north of the town and about 500 kilometres south-east of Perth, placed into care and maintenance. It was the another casualty of market volatility that claimed a number of mines across Western Australia, and triggered the loss of hundreds of jobs. It is the second hit Ravensthorpe has taken, with 300 local jobs lost when the town's nickel mine was shuttered last year. But disruption isn't unusual for the community. It's the second time in 15 years the lithium mine has been mothballed. Beyond the mine closure, there have been floods, fires, a plane crash and a sex scandal that engulfed the local council. Lifelong Ravensthorpe local and shire president Tom Major said the run of adversity highlighted the strength of people in the town. "Look, we are a resilient community and it's just another page in the chapter of where we live," he said. "We'll soldier on. The agricultural industry is going really well, we're having a reasonable season, and the tourists just keep coming, so that industry is doing well. This most recent mine closure hasn't come as a surprise, with former owners Arcadium Lithium flagging the project for care and maintenance in September last year. Mr Major said unlike previous project closures, which happened almost overnight, the extended process had allowed the council to assess its priorities. The long lead time has given about 110 workers time to look for other jobs, with many staying in the community thanks to an improvement in services like NBN. "There have been people leave the community and school numbers are down a little bit, so I wouldn't say we've come through unaffected," Mr Major said. "We've got some of the some of the best fibre-to-the-premise internet you can get. "So we are seeing people move here that can work remotely or have online businesses, that sort of thing." Cheap and available housing, strong agriculture and a burgeoning tourism sector are also keeping the local economy ticking along. The influx of new people and a move towards showing off the region's unique features is spurring on Sue Leighton, chair of the newly formed Ravensthorpe tourism advisory group. "The community is sort of used to mining coming and going … and we have been eased into this," Ms Leighton said. She said the tourism sector would be pivotal in ensuring the region's survival. The Hopetoun local said now there was no active mining in the region, there was a chance to re-focus, and that the community remained open to new possibilities. "There's always activity for mining, for exploration and research," Ms Leighton said. "The townspeople are very resilient and look if new new mine starts up, we'll welcome all those people to come into town. "Then if they go again, we'll be sad that they're gone, but we've made good friends." Community consultation over the shutdown began almost 12 months ago, before any announcement that the project would be placed on care and maintenance. Shortly after Arcadium Lithium announced the closure, the company was snapped up by mining giant Rio Tinto. While Rio Tinto's reputation in WA has suffered in recent years, its approach in Ravensthorpe has been hailed within the community and the company as best practice. "I haven't seen a relationship between a mine and a community as strong as the one that I've seen here between the Mt Cattlin mine and the town of Ravensthorpe," said Rio Tinto's general manager of technical services Leigh Slomp. While Mt Cattlin's operating future remains uncertain, Mr Slomp said they were proud of how they had worked with the community. "That strong community consultation group … that's the sort of thing we want to be doing while we're in operation, not just when we get to a point where we might have to make a difficult decision," he said. "We've always been very open with the community … we need to be as transparent as we can be and that transparency then is reciprocated because the community understands the situation." Mr Slomp said Rio Tinto would remain active in the community while the project was on care and maintenance, and other miners could benefit from a similarly transparent approach. "Not only just to gain that social licence to operate, it's because we're operating within the community," he said. "We we need to be working with the community, we're not separate to the community. "I think this exercise that we've gone through in this care and maintenance phase with the town of Ravensthorpe should be held up as a model for other companies."
Business Times
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- Business Times
Producing lithium is slow and dirty. Is there a fix?
A SUBSTANCE seen as critical to the green energy revolution, lithium, is at risk of a future supply crunch. Even though a recent surplus of the metal has been crashing prices, demand for lithium is set to grow by almost nine times over the next 15 years in a scenario where the world meets the Paris Agreement goals for limiting global warming, according to estimates from the International Energy Agency. Extracting lithium from the rocks and salt water where it is found can be a slow process that often harms the environment. So a race is on to develop more efficient, less damaging production methods. One promising area of innovation is direct lithium extraction (DLE), which can slash the time it takes to remove the metal from brine from as long as 18 months to a matter of days, or even hours. DLE remains an uncertain technology, with daunting technical challenges to be overcome before it can be rolled out at scale. Still, its importance to lithium's future was underscored in October, when mining giant Rio Tinto unveiled a planned US$6.7 billion takeover of Arcadium Lithium, a company's that's been deploying DLE technology in Argentina. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up Why is lithium so important? Lithium is a key ingredient in the batteries that power electric vehicles and store the energy generated by wind farms and solar panels. The low mass and radius of lithium atoms ensure that lithium-ion batteries can quickly absorb and store more electricity than other batteries of the same weight. The weight aspect is crucial when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs) as a lighter car will travel further on the same charge. The anticipated surge in demand raises the risk of future supply bottlenecks that could inflate prices of lithium and potentially slow the global shift to EVs. Hence the search for more efficient extraction methods that could open up new, commercially-viable sources of the metal. What are the traditional ways of producing lithium? Lithium is a soft, silvery-white metal in its pure form, extracted either from rocks or from lakes of salt water that are common in elevated expanses within mountainous regions – mostly in Latin America or in the west of China. It needs to be processed further into a fine powder – usually lithium carbonate or hydroxide – before it's added to batteries. Extracting lithium from rock requires several stages of processing to remove unwanted materials and get at the mineral. These include a technique known as leaching, in which the ore is bathed in sulphuric acid to extract the lithium and convert it into a salt form. In the second method, brine found on the Earth's surface or sucked up from underground is pumped into a series of ponds. The lithium concentration of the solution increases as the water evaporates under sunlight. Large amounts of fresh water are used to process the raw material. What are the problems with lithium mining? These techniques are time consuming and energy intensive, limiting the number of lithium reserves that are commercially viable. What's more, the damage often caused to the environment is tarnishing the green image that's an important selling point for electric vehicles. EVs are supposed to lower the world's carbon-dioxide emissions. But mining spodumene, a primary source of lithium, is an energy-intensive process that's often powered by carbon-spewing fossil fuels. And there's the risk that the sulphuric acid will leak into the local water system, posing a threat to wildlife. What is DLE? DLE uses new approaches to recover lithium from brine using industrial equipment rather than via the long, slow process of evaporation. Some, for example, use lithium-attracting beads. Others employ membranes that selectively filter the metal. Startups have pursued DLE for years, but the technology has only recently matured to a point at which it can potentially compete with existing methods. Why is DLE so hard? There are still uncertainties surrounding the technology. Recovery rates of lithium can be low with DLE, and capital costs are high. Every source of brine is different, and that unique composition usually requires modifications in the process. The fact that each DLE project requires site-specific adjustments adds to the complexity and cost. BLOOMBERG
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
5 Ways To Invest in the Tesla Ecosystem and Maximize Your Returns
Tesla has become one of the most recognized names in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, but its reach goes far beyond just cars. The company relies on a vast network of suppliers and partners to build its vehicles, energy products, and battery systems. Investing in Tesla stock is one option, but there are other ways to benefit from the company's rapid growth and innovation. Discover More: Read Next: Looking into the companies that supply Tesla with key components and raw materials, there are opportunities for investors to diversify their portfolios, tapping into the broader EV ecosystem. These suppliers often offer unique opportunities for growth, sometimes with less volatility than Tesla's own stock. Here are five ways to invest in the Tesla ecosystem and maximize your returns, focusing on companies that play a crucial role in Tesla's supply chain. Lithium is a critical component in the batteries that power Tesla's electric vehicles and energy storage products. Several major lithium producers have signed supply contracts with Tesla, making them attractive options for investors. According to Nasdaq, Ganfeng Lithium powers Tesla's vehicles and energy storage products, making lithium producers central to the company's success. Arcadium Lithium, which is set to be acquired by Rio Tinto, also has supply deals with Tesla, offering another route for exposure to the lithium market. Liontown Resources started shipping lithium spodumene concentrate to Tesla in 2024, and Piedmont Lithium supplies spodumene concentrate from its North American operation. These companies are directly tied to Tesla's battery production, and as demand for electric vehicles increases, their growth prospects look strong. Check Out: Tesla's battery technology is central to its success. According to Investing News Network, the company still relies on several major battery manufacturers to meet its needs. Panasonic has been a longtime partner, co-owning and operating the Nevada Gigafactory with Tesla, and continues to supply battery cells for Tesla's vehicles. LG Energy Solutions, the world's second-largest battery supplier, also provides cells containing nickel and cobalt for Tesla's cars. Since 2020, CATL has supplied lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for Tesla's Shanghai facility, covering 80% of China's battery energy storage system manufacturing. BYD, another Chinese battery giant, is supplying Tesla with its Blade battery for some models in Europe and is also involved in energy storage projects. Investing in these battery makers allows investors to benefit from the global shift toward electric vehicles and renewable energy. Tesla's supply chain includes companies that provide essential industrial products, machinery and specialty materials. Emerson Electric and Danaher Corporation are two large-cap companies that supply industrial products and automation solutions used in Tesla's manufacturing process. Nucor Corp, a major steel producer, supplies steel for Tesla's vehicles and Gigafactories, making it a key partner in Tesla's expansion plans. These companies benefit from Tesla's growth but also serve a wide range of industries, which can help reduce risk for investors. As Tesla continues to scale up production and build new factories, demand for industrial automation, steel and specialty materials is likely to increase, supporting the growth of these suppliers. Beyond lithium, Tesla's batteries require other important raw materials like nickel and cobalt. BHP, an Australian mining company, supplies nickel to Tesla, which is essential for high-energy-density battery cells. According to SME Mining Engineering, an Anglo-Swiss mining company known as Glencore, also provides cobalt to Tesla. These companies are not only significant suppliers to Tesla but also have diversified operations in other metals and minerals, offering stability and growth potential. As the electric vehicle market expands, demand for nickel and cobalt is expected to rise, potentially boosting the fortunes of these mining giants. Investors interested in commodities can gain exposure to the EV revolution by considering these suppliers. While established suppliers offer stability, some smaller or emerging companies in Tesla's ecosystem present higher risk but also higher potential rewards. Modine Manufacturing supplies battery chillers for Tesla's vehicles, a niche but important component in electric vehicle performance. Rohm and Haas Company provides specialty materials used in Tesla's battery and vehicle manufacturing. Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group, a Chinese chemical company, has a long-term agreement to supply battery-grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate to Tesla through 2030. These companies may not have the same scale as the giants, but they are closely tied to Tesla's innovation and expansion. Investors seeking growth opportunities might consider these riskier suppliers, keeping in mind the potential for both higher returns and increased volatility. More From GOBankingRates These Cars May Seem Expensive, but They Rarely Need Repairs This article originally appeared on 5 Ways To Invest in the Tesla Ecosystem and Maximize Your Returns Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
