The Top 5 Stories this Week in Mining

Tesla's Graphite Gamble: Why Syrah Resources Had to Succeed

Tesla has withdrawn its threat to terminate its contract with Syrah Resources, accepting that the company's Vidalia plant in Louisiana is now producing conforming Active Anode Material (AAM) for its electric vehicle batteries.

As the only large-scale, vertically integrated producer of graphite anode materials outside of China, the Vidalia facility is a critical piece of infrastructure in the US push to localise battery supply chains.

The dispute had been rumbling on since July 2025, with Tesla extending its remedy deadline four times before finally withdrawing the termination notice, a move that underscores its commitment to securing non-Chinese graphite.

How Epiroc & Ericsson Scaling Connectivity for Mining

Sweden-headquartered Epiroc and telecommunications giant Ericsson are partnering through a global agreement to scale LTE and 5G connectivity for the mining industry.

Under the agreement, Epiroc will offer Ericsson’s technology through its customer centres worldwide, strengthening its portfolio in connectivity and digital solutions for mining.

Pankaj Malhotra, Head of Product and Engineering, Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions, says: "This collaboration is about enabling real operational impact for mining customers, safer operations, higher productivity and greater efficiency." 

US Passes New Legislation for Stronger Mineral Security

The US House of Representatives has passed the DOMINANCE Act, legislation designed to strengthen American mineral security and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains.

The Developing Overseas Mineral Investments and New Allied Networks for Critical Energies Act was introduced by Young Kim and Ami Bera, co-chairs of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific.

This will develop stronger resilience for mineral supply chains, limiting risk as global demand increases.

Metso Advancing Mineralogy: Minerals Processing and Metals

Metso, a publicly traded industrial company, says it has invested in new mineralogy capabilities at its Pori research centre in Finland. 

Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, Metso focuses on equipment and technology for mining and metals refining. It operates in 50 countries globally. 

McKinsey says that the mining industry is lagging in innovation and many existing assets are declining, with deteriorating ore quality at mature sites adding that new ones are more challenging to develop.

Syrah Resources: Navigating Africa's Resource Nationalism

Mozambique has ushered in new laws that enforce 15% state ownership in all mining ventures and processing of materials.

It is the third African state to tighten regulations around critical minerals, following Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), raising the question of how Western mine operators in the African region will navigate state relationships going forward.

All three countries are home to large reserves of minerals critical to the world’s transition to green energy. Zimbabwe is the continent’s leading producer of lithium, the DRC is the world’s biggest producer of cobalt and second biggest producer of copper.