Fewer arrivals lower silicon social inventories

【SMM Tantalum & Niobium Express】 Tianqi Lithium recently announced that, relying on core R&D platforms including the "Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory of Lithium Resource Comprehensive Utilization and Basic Lithium Materials for New Batteries", the company has accurately aligned with the industrial needs of its strategic partner Ningxia Orient Tantalum Industry, successfully achieved a breakthrough in the key technology of "efficient recovery of ultra-low-grade tantalum and niobium from lithium slag", and smoothly completed the industrial delivery of the first ton of tantalum-niobium concentrate. The project was completed and put into production in June 2026, realized stable production in July, and completed the delivery of the first ton of products on August 21, forming a closed loop from scientific research technology to industrial implementation. Tantalum and niobium are core rare metals in the fields of high-end manufacturing and precision electronics. This delivery provides a referable path for the high-value utilization of solid waste resources in the industry, and is another industrialization achievement of the company following the preparation of silicon-aluminum micropowder from lithium slag.

Moon River Moly Ltd. released an updated preliminary economic assessment for the Davidson molybdenum-copper-tungsten project in British Columbia. The study models average annual molybdenum production of 6,020 tonnes over a 20-year mine life at 10,000 tonnes per day. Initial capital is estimated at C$750.1 million. After-tax net present value at an 8% discount rate rises to C$1.23 billion, while estimated all-in sustaining cost falls to US$4.36/lb Mo, net of copper and tungsten credits. The company targets a pre-feasibility study in the first half of 2027. The assessment remains preliminary; no final investment decision or construction schedule has been announced.