Agoracom Blog Home

Archive for the ‘All Recent Posts’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Kibali Mine Production Soars Past Guidance to Post Another Record Year SPONSOR: Loncor Resources $LN.ca $ABX.ca $TECK.ca $RSG $NGT.to $GOLD

Posted by AGORACOM at 1:56 PM on Monday, January 27th, 2020
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Loncor-Small-Square.png

Sponsor: Loncor is a Canadian gold exploration company that controls over 2,400,000 high grade ounces outside of a Barrick JV.. The Ngayu JV property is 200km southwest of the Kibali gold mine, operated by Barrick, which produced 800,000 ounces of gold in 2018. Barrick manages and funds exploration at the Ngayu project until the completion of a pre-feasibility study on any gold discovery meeting the investment criteria of Barrick. Click Here for More Info

  • Barrick Gold’s Kibali mine beat its 2019 production guidance of 750,000 ounces by delivering 814,027 ounces
  • Kibali is 200km to the southwest of Loncor’s JV with Barrick in search for further Tier Once mining assets

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Jan. 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD) (TSX:ABX) - Barrick Gold Corporation’s Kibali mine beat its 2019 production guidance of 750,000 ounces of gold by a substantial margin, delivering 814,027 ounces in another record year.

Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow told a media briefing here that Kibali’s continuing stellar performance was a demonstration of how a modern, Tier One gold mine could be developed and operated successfully in what is one of the world’s most remote and infrastructurally under-endowed regions.  He also noted that in line with Barrick’s policy of employing, training and advancing locals, the mine was managed by a majority Congolese team, supported by a corps of majority Congolese supervisors and personnel.

Already one of the world’s most highly automated underground gold mines, Kibali continues its technological advance with the introduction of truck and drill training simulators and the integration of systems for personnel safety tracking and ventilation demand control. The simulators will also be used to train operators from Barrick’s Tanzanian mines.

“The completion of the Kalimva Ikamva prefeasibility study has delivered another viable opencast project which will help balance Kibali’s opencast/underground ore ratio and enhance the flexibility of the mine plan.  Down-plunge extension drilling at Gorumbwa has highlighted future underground potential and ongoing conversion drilling at KCD is delivering reserve replenishment.  All in all, Kibali is well on track not only to meet its 10-year production targets but to extend them beyond this horizon,” Bristow said.

“We’re maintaining a strong focus on energy efficiency through the development of our grid stabilizer project, scheduled for commissioning in the second quarter of 2020. This uses new battery technology to offset the need for running diesel generators as a spinning reserve and ensures we maximize the use of renewable hydro power.  The installation of three new elution diesel heaters will also help improve efficiencies and control power costs.  It’s worth noting that our clean energy strategy not only achieves cost and efficiency benefits but also once again reduces Kibali’s environmental footprint.”

Bristow said despite the pace of production and the size and complexity of the mine, Kibali was maintaining its solid safety and environmental records, certified by ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 accreditations.  It also remained committed to community upliftment and local economic development.  In 2019, it spent $158 million with Congolese contractors and suppliers and in December, it started work on a trial section for a new concrete road between Durba and the Watsa bridge.

NYSE: GOLD
www.barrick.com

Source: https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/junior-miner-news/press-releases/315-nyse/gold/72431-kibali-soars-past-guidance-to-post-another-record-year.html

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Loncor | Comments Off on Kibali Mine Production Soars Past Guidance to Post Another Record Year SPONSOR: Loncor Resources $LN.ca $ABX.ca $TECK.ca $RSG $NGT.to $GOLD

INTERVIEW: Lomiko’s $LMR.ca High Grade Graphite Is Now Strategic Under US Plan To Bypass China $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 7:00 PM on Sunday, January 26th, 2020

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in AGORACOM Via Satellite, All Recent Posts, Lomiko Metals | Comments Off on INTERVIEW: Lomiko’s $LMR.ca High Grade Graphite Is Now Strategic Under US Plan To Bypass China $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca

Vertical $VERT.ca Announces Financing $TORR.ca $FA.ca $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 2:34 PM on Friday, January 24th, 2020

VANCOUVER, BC / January 24, 2020 / VERTICAL EXPLORATION INC. (TSXV:VERT) (“Vertical” or “the Company”) announces that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement of up to 26 million units (“Units”) at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,300,000.00 (the “Offering”).

Each unit will be comprised of one common share (“Share”) and one-half of one transferable Share purchase warrant of the Company (“Warrant”). Each full Warrant will entitle the Subscriber to purchase one Warrant Share for a 24-month period after the Closing Date at an exercise price of $0.07 per share. Proceeds raised from the Offering will be used to advance the Company’s St. Onge project in Quebec, for general working capital and unallocated funds as per Tier 2 status requirements.

Finders’ fees may be payable on the private placement, subject to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

This offering is subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance.

ABOUT VERTICAL EXPLORATION

Vertical Exploration’s mission is to identify, acquire, and advance high potential mining prospects located in North America for the benefit of its stakeholders. The Company’s flagship St-Onge Wollastonite property is located in the Lac-Saint-Jean area in the Province of Quebec.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Peter P. Swistak, President

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Telephone: 1-604-683-3995 Toll Free: 1-888-945-4770

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Vertical Exploration Inc | Comments Off on Vertical $VERT.ca Announces Financing $TORR.ca $FA.ca $WEED.ca $CGC $ACB $APH $CRON.ca $HEXO.ca $TRST.ca $OGI.ca

Cash Is Trash; Hold Some Gold – Billionaire Investor Ray Dalio SPONSOR: American Creek Resources $AMK.ca $SII.ca $TUD.ca $GTT.ca $AMK.ca $OSK.ca $RKR.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 2:04 PM on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020

SPONSOR: American Creek owns a 20% Carried Interest to Production at the Treaty Creek Project in the Golden Triangle. 2019’s first hole averaged of 0.683 g/t Au over 780m in a vertical intercept. The Treaty Creek property is located in the same hydrothermal system as the Pretivm and Seabridge’s KSM deposits. Click Here for More Info

For the second time in as many weeks, the world’s largest hedge fund is once again talking up gold as an important diversifier for investors.

Speaking to CNBC’s Squawk Box on the sideline of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, said that in the current environment, investors should hold a global diversified portfolio that includes some gold.

“Cash is trash,” he declared in the interview. He warned that investors should get out of cash as central banks continue to print money.

However, Dalio tempered his comments on the precious metal, saying that “a bit of gold is a diversifier.”

But it is not only cash that Dalio railed against. He also didn’t have anything nice to say about bitcoin, which is neither a medium of exchange nor a store of value.

He said that investors shouldn’t go anywhere near bitcoin because of its volatility. When it comes to a store of value, central banks will continue to prefer to hold hard assets.

“What are [central banks] going to hold as reserves? What has been tried and true? They are going to hold gold. That is a reserve currency, and it has been a reserve currency for a thousand years,” he said.

Although Dalio said that he sees a low chance of a recession in 2020, he warned investors to look further out. The risks are that because of where monetary policy is right now, it will be less effective when the downturn does come.

“At a point in the future, we still are going to think about what’s a storeholder of wealth. Because when you get negative-yielding bonds or something, we are approaching a limit that will be a paradigm shift,” he said.

Dalio has been fairly bullish on gold and for nearly three years has advocated that investors hold at least 5% to 10% of their portfolio in gold.

Dalio’s latest comments come less than a week after Greg Jensen, co-chief investment officer at Bridgewater Associates, said in an interview with the Financial Times that he sees gold pushing to $2,000 an ounce.

Jensen said that he sees higher gold prices through 2020 as inflation picks up but central banks, in particular the Federal Reserve, step away from the fight.

“The Fed won’t be pre-emptive,” he said.

Jensen said that he is also bullish on gold as geopolitical uncertainty dominates financial markets and investor sentiment.

“When you look at the geopolitical strife, how many foreign entities really want to hold dollars? And what are they going to hold? Gold stands out,” he said.

SOURCE: https://www.kitco.com/news/2020-01-21/Cash-is-trash-hold-some-gold-billionaire-investor-Ray-Dalio.html

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, American Creek Resources Ltd. | Comments Off on Cash Is Trash; Hold Some Gold – Billionaire Investor Ray Dalio SPONSOR: American Creek Resources $AMK.ca $SII.ca $TUD.ca $GTT.ca $AMK.ca $OSK.ca $RKR.ca

Gold Market Update SPONSOR: Labrador Gold $LAB.ca $RIO.ca $WHM.ca $SIC.ca $NXS.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 11:58 AM on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is LAB-square-logo-2.png

SPONSOR: Labrador Gold – Two successful gold explorers lead the way in the Labrador gold rush targeting the under-explored gold potential of the province. Exploration has already outlined district scale gold on two projects, including a 40km strike length of the Florence Lake greenstone belt, one of two greenstone belts covered by the Hopedale Project. Click Here for More Info

At first glance gold looks like it may be about to advance out of a bull Flag, but there are a number of factors in play that we will examine which suggest that any near-term advance won’t get far before it turns and drops again, and that a longer period of consolidation and perhaps reaction is necessary before it makes significant further progress.

On the 6-month chart we can see how gold stabbed into a zone of strong resistance on the Iran crisis around the time Iran’s General was murdered, but after a couple of bearish looking candles with high upper shadows formed, it backed off into what many are taking to be a bull Flag.


The 10-year chart makes it plain why gold is vulnerable here to reacting back over the short to medium-term, because it has advanced deep into “enemy territory” – the broad band of heavy resistance approaching the 2011 highs, with a zone of particularly strong resistance right where it is now. It would be healthier and increase gold’s chances of breaking out to new highs if it now backed off into a trading range for a while to moderate what now looks like excessive bullishness.


Thus it remains a cause for concern (or it should be for gold bulls) to see gold’s latest COTs continuing to show high Commercial short and Large Spec long positions. Is it “going to be different this time”? – the latest Hedgers charts that we are now going to look at suggest not.

Click on chart to popup a larger, clearer version.


The COT chart only goes back a year. The Hedgers charts shown below, which are a form of COT chart, go back many years, and frankly, they look pretty scary.

We’ll start by looking at the Hedger’s chart that goes back to before the 2011 sector peak. On it we see that current Hedgers positions are at extremes that way exceed even those at the peak of the 2012 sucker rally, which was followed by the bulk of the decline in the bearmarket that followed. Does this mean that we are going to see another bearmarket like that – no it doesn’t, but it does mean that these positions will probably need to moderate before we see significant further gains.

Click on chart to popup a larger, clearer version.

Chart courtesy of sentimentrader.com


Looking at the Hedgers chart going way back to before the year 2000, we see that the current readings are record readings by a significant margin and obviously increase the risks of a sizeable reaction. We can speculate about what the reasons for a decline might be, one possibility being the sector getting dragged down by a stockmarket crash after its blowoff top, which may be imminent, as happened in 2008, since it remains to be seen whether investors will rush into the sector as a safe haven in the event of a market crash.

Click on chart to popup a larger, clearer version.

Chart courtesy of sentimentrader.com


Turning now to Precious Metals stocks, we see on its latest 10-year chart that GDX still looks like it is completing a giant Head-and-Shoulders bottom pattern. However, it is currently dithering just beneath resistance at the top of this base pattern, which means that it is vulnerable to backing off.


So, how then does gold stock sentiment look right now? As we can see on the 5-year chart for the Gold Miners’ Bullish Percent Index, bullishness towards the sector is now at a very high level, 84.6%, which makes it more likely that stocks will drop soon rather than rally, and what they could do of course is rally some to increase this level of bullishness still further, and then drop.


Does all this mean that investors in the sector should suddenly rush for the exits? No, it doesn’t, especially as the charts for many individual stocks across the sector look very bullish, and it may be that all that is needed is a cooling period of consolidation. However it does make sense to use Hedges at extremes, such as leveraged inverse ETFs and better still options as insurance, which have the advantage of providing protection for a very small capital outlay, a fine example being GLD Puts which are liquid with narrow spreads. We did this just ahead of the recent peak when Iran lobbed a volley of missiles at Iraq. We will not be selling our strongest gold and silver stocks, but instead look to buy more on dips.

SOURCE: https://www.clivemaund.com/gmu.php?art_id=68&date=2020-01-19

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Labrador Gold | Comments Off on Gold Market Update SPONSOR: Labrador Gold $LAB.ca $RIO.ca $WHM.ca $SIC.ca $NXS.ca

Ultra-Flat Graphene Goes Wrinkle Free SPONSOR Gratomic $GRAT.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca #TODAQ

Posted by AGORACOM at 5:40 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020
http://blog.agoracom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GRAT-square2.png

SPONSOR: Gratomic Inc. (TSX-V: GRAT) Advanced materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. Collaborating with Perpetuus, Gratomic will use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. For More Info Click Here

A new technique to make ultra-flat, wrinkle-free films of graphene could pave the way for a host of applications, including graphene-based flexible electronics and high-frequency transistors. The technique works by introducing protons into the film as graphene is synthesized using chemical vapour deposition (CVD), and its inventors say that it might be extended to other two-dimensional materials such hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and the transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). It could also aid the development of hydrogen storage devices made from layered 2D structures.

Graphene – a 2D honeycomb of carbon atoms just one atom thick – boasts several unique electronic properties. In contrast to conventional semiconductors, which have an energy gap between the electron valence and conduction bands, graphene is a “zero-gap” semiconductor. This means its electron valence and conduction bands just touch each other. At the point of contact, the electrons move at near-ballistic speeds, and their behaviour is governed by the Dirac equation for relativistic electrons – hence the name “Dirac point” for this section of graphene’s band structure.

Linear defects

So far, this electronic behaviour has only been observed in small flakes of graphene that have been shaved off, or exfoliated, from samples of bulk graphite. These flakes are not big enough to be practical for electronic circuits, and although larger, wafer-sized graphene films can easily be produced via CVD, their electronic performance is not as good. This is because CVD-grown graphene, unlike the exfoliated type, contains grain boundaries, atomic vacancies, impurities and wrinkles. These defects act as centres off which electrons can scatter as they travel, thus degrading the material’s electronic properties.

CVD-produced graphene is prone to wrinkling because the graphene must adhere to the surface of a substrate as it grows. If the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate does not match that of the graphene itself, a change in temperature can lead to linear defects – wrinkles – forming as the ensemble strives to release compressive strain.

Researchers have attempted to reduce wrinkling by performing CVD at low temperatures, using substrates with a similar thermal coefficient to that of graphene, and developing single-crystalline substrates. A team of researchers led by Libo Gao at China’s Nanjing University has now shown that reducing the interaction between graphene and its substrate might be a good, alternative, strategy.

Intercalating hydrogen molecules

The Nanjing team began by introducing a plasma of protons – hydrogen ions – into the graphene’s growth chamber. During the CVD process, some of this hydrogen became intercalated between the graphene and its substrate, causing the two materials to decouple.

Gao and colleagues found that some of the wrinkles disappeared entirely from the graphene thanks to this proton penetration. They believe this is due to decreased van der Waals interactions between the carbon sheet and the substrate, as well as – possibly – an increase in the substrate’s distance from the growth surface thanks to the intercalation process.

High-quality bilayer graphene goes large

The researchers also found that the electronic band structure of their graphene films shows a V-shaped “Dirac cone” (representing the density of states around the Dirac point) similar to the one observed in exfoliated graphene. They argue that this proves the proton-assisted CVD-grown graphene is indeed decoupled from its substrate.

The technique, which is detailed in Nature, could be extended to grow ultra-flat versions of other 2D materials, such as h-BN and the TMDCs, Gao says. It might also make it possible to develop hydrogen storage devices made from these layered materials.

“The physical and electronic properties of our ultra-flat graphene films are homogenous on the large scale, which means they might now be used in higher-performance electronic and photoelectronic devices,” he tells Physics World.

Source:https://physicsworld.com/a/ultra-flat-graphene-goes-wrinkle-free/

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Gratomic | Comments Off on Ultra-Flat Graphene Goes Wrinkle Free SPONSOR Gratomic $GRAT.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca #TODAQ

More precious than gold: Why the metal #palladium is soaring $NAM.ca $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca $GLEN

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:07 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020

SPONSOR: New Age Metals Inc. The company owns one of North America’s largest primary platinum group metals deposit in Sudbury, Canada. Updated NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate 2,867,000 PdEq Measured and Indicated Ounces, with an additional 1,059,000 PdEq Ounces Inferred. Learn More.

More precious than gold: Why the metal palladium is soaring

  • The price of the precious metal palladium has soared on the global commodities markets.
  • It has jumped by more than 25% in the last two weeks alone, and almost doubled in value over the last year.

At about $2,500 (£1,922) an ounce of palladium is more expensive than gold, and the pressures forcing its price up are unlikely to ease anytime soon.

But what is palladium, what is it used for, and why is its price rising?

What is palladium?

It is a shiny white metal in the same group as platinum, along with ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, and iridium.

The majority of the world’s palladium comes from Russia and South Africa. Most of it is extracted as a byproduct in the mining of other metals, usually platinum and nickel.

What is it used for?

Its key commercial use is as a critical component in catalytic converters – a part of a car’s exhaust system that controls emissions – found mainly in petrol and hybrid vehicles.

The vast majority of palladium, more than 80%, is used in these devices that turn toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide, into less harmful nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Catalytic converters are relatively easy to remove from vehicles

It is also used, to a far lesser extent, in electronics, dentistry, and jewellery.

The metal’s soaring value in recent years has seen a jump in the theft of catalytic converters around the world.

London’s Metropolitan police said the number of thefts in the first six months of 2019 were more than 70% higher than the whole of the previous year.

Why is its price rising?

In short, it is because demand for palladium outstrips supply, and it has done for some time.

The amount of the metal produced in 2019 is forecast to be below global demand for the eighth year in a row.

As a secondary product of platinum and nickel extraction, miners have less flexibility to increase palladium output in response to rising prices.

And that shortfall looks set to continue, with South Africa, which produces around 40% of the world’s supply, last week saying its output of platinum group metals, including palladium, fell by 13.5% in November compared to a year earlier.

Meanwhile, demand for palladium from car makers has increased sharply for a number of reasons.

Around the world governments, notably China, are tightening regulations as they attempt to tackle air pollution from petrol vehicles.

At the same time the diesel emissions scandal in Europe has also had an impact. Consumers there have been shifting away from diesel cars, which mostly use platinum in their catalytic converters, and are instead buying petrol-driven vehicles, which use palladium.

The US-China trade deal, which was signed earlier this month, has also boosted prices. Traders expect the agreement to help ease downward pressure on global economic growth and slow the decline in Chinese car sales.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51171391

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, New Age Metals | Comments Off on More precious than gold: Why the metal #palladium is soaring $NAM.ca $WG.ca $XTM.ca $WM.ca $PDL.ca $GLEN

It’s Now Time To Look At Junior Gold Developers And Explorers – Red Cloud SPONSOR: Affinity Metals $AAF.ca $SII.ca $TUD.ca $GTT.ca $AMK.ca $OSK.ca $RKR.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 2:54 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020

Sponsor: Affinity Metals (TSX-V: AFF) a Canadian mineral exploration company building a strong portfolio of mineral projects in North America. The Corporation’s flagship property is the Drill ready Regal Property near Revelstoke, BC. Recent sampling encountered bonanza grade silver, zinc, and lead with many samples reaching assay over-limits. Click Here for More Info

(Kitco News) – The merger and acquisition activity that swept through the mining sector in 2019 is only going to pick up momentum this year as mine developers and junior explorers are next on the auction block, according to one financing company.

In a recent webinar, Derek Macpherson, vice president of research at Red Cloud, said that with gold in the early inning of a new bull market, he expects to see more M&A activity in the mining sector.

However, he added that sentiment is a little different than it was in 2019.

“The M&A activity we saw last year focused on production assets,” he said. “As we see fewer of those assets become available companies will have to look further down cap. I think we are getting a lot closer to seeing junior explorers benefit from M&A activity.”

The comments come as junior explorers continue to struggle to attract investor attention. The sector was still largely ignored in 2019 as the M&A activity focused on creating mega-gold companies and larger producers.

Macpherson said that although some companies are struggling to attract attention, investors should focus on the companies that are activity developing and de-risking their projects.

“In this environment and with the potential for more M&A activity, the drill bit is the key to value,” he said.

Macpherson added because of solid production and higher prices in 2019 many mid-tier mining companies are in good shape to go shopping in the market again. Further divestitures from the major gold producers also means more opportunities to buy.

Not only are miners in a hurry to replace dwindling reserves, but Macpherson noted that a strong gold price will add to growing confidence in the marketplace. He noted that there are growing calls for $2,000 gold.

“I think gold at $1,600 is in the mix but I also don’t think $2,000 is out of the realm of possibilities,” he said.
Looking at the gold market, the financial firm sees strong investment demand for the yellow metal as central banks around the world maintain ultra-loose monetary policy.

“More money printing and negative yielding debt make gold a very attractive asset class,” he said.

Macpherson also noted that with equity markets at record valuations, it wouldn’t take much for investors jump out off the S&P and into more safe-haven assets.

SOURCE: https://www.kitco.com/commentaries/mining/2020-01-20/It-s-now-time-to-look-at-junior-gold-developers-and-explorers-Red-Cloud.html

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Affinity Metals, All Recent Posts | Comments Off on It’s Now Time To Look At Junior Gold Developers And Explorers – Red Cloud SPONSOR: Affinity Metals $AAF.ca $SII.ca $TUD.ca $GTT.ca $AMK.ca $OSK.ca $RKR.ca

Graphene-Enhanced Batteries Could Be About To Finally Hit The Market SPONSOR – ZEN Graphene Solutions $ZEN.ca $LLG.ca $FMS.ca $NGC.ca $CVE.ca $DNI.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 2:06 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020

SPONSOR: ZEN Graphene Solutions: An emerging advanced materials and graphene development company with a focus on new solutions using pure graphene and other two-dimensional materials. Our competitive advantage relies on the unique qualities of our multi-decade supply of precursor materials in the Albany Graphite Deposit. Independent labs in Japan, UK, Israel, USA and Canada confirm this. Click here for more information

The battery race shows no sign of letting up, even though the gains feel increasingly marginal. Whether it’s phones or portable consoles, maximising the life eked out of a slim lithium-ion battery is getting harder and harder. 

For some time, graphene has been touted as one possible solution, a material that hasn’t been efficiently harnessed yet but which could help improve charging times and battery life in one fell swoop. Now Real Graphene, a tech business from Los Angeles, is apparently preparing to change that. 

It has a range of portably power banks on the market, and ambitious plans to crowdfund the wider production of banks that go even further with their use of Graphene. For now, Real Graphene’s banks come in two sizes, a 10,000mAh version and another with 20,000mAh, and have a number of apparent advantages over lithium banks.

For one thing, they charge far more quickly themselves, with the smaller variant charging completely in 50 minutes, far less time than the hours most banks need to power themselves up. 

Graphene as a material is also extremely lightweight, so down the line it could lead to lighter batteries, always a welcome change. However, for now, even Real Graphene’s own batteries are not pure graphene — they’re a blend of graphene and lithium which gains in speed but remains affordable to build and sell.

Even so, the reality is that graphene-enhanced batteries will be more expensive than current lithium equivalents, to the tune of a 30% bump in cost at Real Graphene’s own estimation. That’s a sizeable leap, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise if the tech can’t make too many mainstream waves until it’s even more affordable in comparison.

SOURCE: https://www.pocket-lint.com/phones/news/150808-graphene-enhanced-batteries-could-be-about-to-finally-hit-the-market

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Zen Graphene Solutions | Comments Off on Graphene-Enhanced Batteries Could Be About To Finally Hit The Market SPONSOR – ZEN Graphene Solutions $ZEN.ca $LLG.ca $FMS.ca $NGC.ca $CVE.ca $DNI.ca

Volvo to Build an Electric Vehicle Battery Plant in the U.S. SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals $LMR.ca $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca

Posted by AGORACOM at 12:26 PM on Tuesday, January 21st, 2020

SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko owns 80% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property , Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information

Swedish automaker Volvo announced plans to build an electric battery plant at its assembly factory in Ridgeville, South Carolina to support the launch of electrified Volvo models for the U.S. market. Construction of the battery assembly plant will be completed by the end of 2021.

While many people consider Detroit home of the automobile, the southeast region of the U.S. is becoming a hotbed for auto manufacturing. Automakers BMW, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai built assembly plants in the region to manufacture vehicles for the U.S. and global markets. 

Most recently, Toyota and Mazda recently announced they will be opening a new $1.6 billion plant in Huntsville, Alabama, adding around 4,000 new jobs to the region. Now Volvo becomes the latest automaker to expand its U.S. manufacturing with a new electric vehicle battery plant.

The automaker announced plans to build an electric battery plant at its assembly plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina to support the launch of electrified Volvo models for the U.S. market. Construction of the battery assembly plant will be completed by the end of 2021, a Volvo spokeswoman said to Automotive News.

The battery production plant is part of a previously announced $600 million project that is already underway at Volvo’s plant in Ridgeville, S.C., which includes adding a second production line and Volvo Car University. The 2.3 million sq. ft. facility includes a body shop, paint shop, final assembly, a vehicle processing center and an office building.

The Ridgeville plant is Volvo’s first in the U.S. Construction began in 2015. 

At that facility, employees will assemble and test the lithium ion battery packs that will power the electric XC90. By assembling the packs on at the plant, Volvo hopes to reduce shipping costs involved in transporting the heavy batteries.

Dallas Bolen, a manager with Volvo’s product launch group, told local media outlet the Post and Courier that local battery production would be more cost-effective than building batteries off-site then having to transport them to the factory.

The Ridgeville plant is currently the production home of the Volvo S60 sedan. The U.S.-built S60s are exported around the world through the Port of Charleston, one of the busiest ports in the U.S.

Volvo’s next EV will be the XC40 Recharge. It will arrive at U.S. dealers later this year.

The South Carolina plant will become the global production center for the third-generation XC90 flagship crossover. Volvo plans to build the next generation XC90 sport utility vehicle in 2022, along with a fully-electric version. The plant has the capacity to build 150,000 vehicles annually.

Volvo has not said how much of the XC90’s production at the $1.1 billion factory will be devoted to the battery-electric variant. 

That next-generation XC90 will be built on the next version of Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture platform, referred to as SPA2. The new electric vehicle architecture is designed to make it easy to add new technology, such as microprocessors, sensors and camera technology.

Volvo declined to release its production capacity for the battery assembly plant or say how many jobs it will create. Overall, the planned XC90 production line is expected to create about 1,000 jobs.

The XC90 would be Volvo’s third battery-powered model following the electric version of the popular XC40 compact crossover, was unveiled in October. 

The electric XC40 is expected to arrive in U.S. dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2020. The crossover will be competitively priced under $48,000, after the $7,500 federal tax credit, Volvo said.

The new battery plant will support Volvo’s push to electrify around half of its lineup. The automaker aims for EVs to account for half of its global sales by 2025. Over the next five years, Volvo expects to launch a fully electric vehicle every year.

“A Volvo built in 2025 will leave a carbon footprint that is 40 percent lower than a car that we build today,” Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said during a press event in October. “We made safety part of the brand. We should do the same with sustainability.”

In November 2019, Volvo Cars announced it will be the first carmaker to implement global traceability of cobalt used in its batteries by applying blockchain technology, ensuring that customers can drive battery-powered Volvos knowing the raw materials for the batteries has been responsibly sourced.

SOURCE: https://www.futurecar.com/3731/Volvo-to-Build-an-Electric-Vehicle-Battery-Plant-in-the-U-S-

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in All Recent Posts, Lomiko Metals | Comments Off on Volvo to Build an Electric Vehicle Battery Plant in the U.S. SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals $LMR.ca $CJC.ca $SRG.ca $NGC.ca $LLG.ca $GPH.ca $NOU.ca

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »