Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy
    Projects
    Op-Ed
    Sustainability

    Canada’s critical minerals race with the US: infrastructure and permitting lens

    February 12, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Canada’s critical minerals race with the US: infrastructure and permitting lens

    First reported on MINING.com

    30 Second Briefing

    Canada’s critical minerals push is lagging US urgency, with Washington proposing a US$12‑billion “Project Vault” stockpile and even floating single‑month permitting for strategic mines, while Canadian approvals remain “glacial”. Anthony Vaccaro argues Canada’s C$4‑billion Critical Minerals Strategy, 26 G7 Production Alliance-backed investments and talk of a Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund still lack the execution speed needed to convert world-class lithium, graphite, nickel and rare earth deposits into processing capacity. He warns that without rapid permitting reform and Arctic infrastructure – ports, rail, grids and logistics – Canada risks ceding geopolitical leverage to China and faster-moving allies.

    Technical Brief

    • Project Vault is framed as a US$12‑billion physical stockpile of unprocessed critical raw materials.
    • China is cited as controlling ~60% of global critical mineral mining and nearly 90% of processing.

    Our Take

    Within the 136 Policy stories in our database, very few discuss stockpiling on the scale of Project Vault’s proposed US$12 billion reserve, signalling that the U.S. approach to copper, graphite, rare earths and other critical minerals is being framed more like strategic petroleum reserves than traditional industrial policy.

    Canada’s nearly C$4 billion Critical Minerals Strategy, spread across 15 federal departments, contrasts with the more centralised U.S. State Department-led push; for project developers in the North and Canada’s Arctic this likely means more complex but also more diversified funding and permitting pathways than in the U.S.

    The note that 1.2 million tonnes of non-Chinese smelter capacity went idle in January underscores a recurring theme in our critical minerals coverage: even where Canada and the USA have upstream copper, nickel or cobalt resources, midstream processing bottlenecks remain the binding constraint on supply security.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Project Vault and US$12bn stockpile: regulatory takeaways for mine planners
    Policy
    about 6 hours ago

    Project Vault and US$12bn stockpile: regulatory takeaways for mine planners

    Project Vault will create a US$12 billion US critical minerals stockpile, combining US$1.67 billion in private capital with a US$10 billion Export-Import Bank loan to buy and store materials for automakers, tech firms and other industrial users. Following a Section 232 probe covering the full USGS critical minerals list plus uranium, the administration found imports threaten national security but chose negotiated price floors and trade mechanisms over tariffs. Forthcoming US–Mexico and US–EU–Japan action plans, under the new FORGE framework, will define which minerals are prioritised, how any border-adjusted price floor is calculated, and how rules of origin or downstream products are treated.

    BC investor’s C$500k mining misrepresentation fine: compliance lessons for project teams
    Policy
    about 7 hours ago

    BC investor’s C$500k mining misrepresentation fine: compliance lessons for project teams

    British Columbia investor Varandeep Singh Grewal has agreed to pay C$500,000 and accept a 10‑year ban from acting as a registrant, promoter or securities market consultant after the BC Securities Commission found he facilitated misleading investor relations for a supposed mineral exploration startup. Over two months in 2018, a third‑party IR provider, arranged by Grewal, claimed the company was actively mining, producing minerals and using “state‑of‑the‑art, environmental‑friendly” technology, when it in fact remained purely in the exploration phase with no such infrastructure. The case signals tighter scrutiny of promotional claims around early‑stage mining projects, particularly where production and proprietary technology are asserted without evidence.

    Gateway 3 delays and 5,000 empty homes: regulatory lessons for project teams
    Policy
    about 17 hours ago

    Gateway 3 delays and 5,000 empty homes: regulatory lessons for project teams

    Delays at the Building Safety Regulator’s Gateway 3 stage are linked by law firm Irwin Mitchell to 44 undecided schemes and 5,594 completed higher-risk residential units remaining unoccupied, with one case waiting 550 days against an eight‑week target. Of 158 Gateway 3 applications in 2023, 55 took more than three months for a decision, raising concerns over cashflow impacts on developers and handover timing for residents. The BSR disputes the interpretation, stating no new-build higher-risk building that passed Gateway 2 has yet applied for Gateway 3 and that current cases are mainly transitional legacy projects with significant safety issues.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.