South America’s Lithium Triangle holds about 64 million tonnes of identified lithium resources (43% of the global 150 million tonnes), yet geologist José Cabello’s review of 43 salt flats across Argentina, Bolivia and Chile shows that variable brine chemistry, impurities and groundwater behaviour make recovery and costs highly site-specific. Salar de Atacama benefits from ultra‑dry climate, relatively clean brines and strong logistics, while other basins such as Altoandinos, Pedernales, Hombre Muerto Oeste, Rincón, Sal de los Ángeles and Sal de Vida face tighter water and hydrogeological constraints. Direct lithium extraction (DLE) could unlock lower‑grade or impurity‑rich brines, but Cabello stresses that trade‑offs between brine withdrawal and freshwater consumption mean technology selection must be tailored to each basin’s hydrology and ecosystem.

EU regulators have granted strategic status under the Critical Raw Materials Act to KGHM’s 9.5‑billion‑zloty ($2.44bn) Retków‑Grodziszcze mine and Legnica smelter conversion, unlocking faster permitting, streamlined administration and access to preferential financing. Retków‑Grodziszcze is planned to deliver over 100 million tonnes of ore by 2055, yielding about 1.5 million tonnes of copper and 5,000 tonnes of silver, while Legnica’s recycling line targets 135,000 tonnes of electrolytic copper and 250 tonnes of nickel per year. The move materially boosts EU copper and nickel recycling capacity, central to the CRMA’s 25% recycling target.

Mastermyne Group has secured a new mining services contract with GMT Mining Pty Ltd for the restart and ongoing operation of the Tahmoor underground coal mine in New South Wales. The mine was recently acquired by a consortium of M Group – Mastermyne’s largest shareholder – and Golden Energy and Resources (GEAR), and will be operated by GM3. The deal signals a structured restart pathway for Tahmoor, with clear separation between ownership (M Group/GEAR), operations (GM3) and contracted underground services (Mastermyne).