Talon Metals’ Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project Completes Public Comment Period for Environmental Review

According to Reuters on September 15, the Democratic Republic of Congo has established a “DRC-USA Task Force” to accelerate implementation of its strategic minerals cooperation agreement with the United States and move the partnership from a policy framework toward concrete investments and project execution. As a major global supplier of copper and cobalt, the DRC will use the task force to coordinate progress in critical mineral investment, project development and supply-chain cooperation. DRC Economy Minister Daniel Mukoko Samba said the mechanism is expected to improve the efficiency of implementation between the two sides. In recent years, the U.S. has strengthened cooperation with the DRC in copper, cobalt and other critical minerals through support for mining investment, expanded access to Western markets and regional logistics infrastructure. The creation of a dedicated implementation mechanism could further deepen U.S.-DRC minerals cooperation and potentially influence cobalt trade flows, the international buyer mix and Western capital participation in the DRC.

South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment will launch regulatory exemption projects to recover critical minerals from semiconductor process waste, used batteries and end-of-life solar panels. The government plans to test technologies that recover silicon, copper, titanium and tungsten from semiconductor waste such as used silicon and targets, while reviewing regulatory changes to use such byproducts as circular resources rather than waste. Critical mineral recovery from used batteries and end-of-life solar panels will also be included in the demonstrations.

Kia unveiled the PV7 for the first time at IAA Transportation 2026, the world’s largest commercial vehicle exhibition, held in Hanover, Germany, on September 14. The PV7 is Kia’s second dedicated electrified PBV following the PV5 launched last year. It is a large model that combines a flexible body structure that can be adapted for different use cases with electrified performance, in-vehicle software and fleet operation solutions. The PV7 is based on Kia’s dedicated PBV electric platform, E-GMP.S. Based on the platform, Kia secured a wide, flat interior and cargo space while applying 71.5 kWh and 96.2 kWh NCM high-voltage batteries, a high-efficiency electric drive system and an 800 V charging system. The model will be offered in Standard and Long Range versions. The Long Range Cargo Long variant can travel more than 460 km under Europe’s WLTP standard, based on Kia’s own measurements.