Rock Tech Lithium and Siemens Canada have signed a non-binding MoU to develop digitalised lithium conversion capacity for Rock Tech’s planned converter in Ontario, using Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio, including COMOS, gPROMS and PCS 7 for integrated engineering and process control. The partnership targets model-based design, advanced process simulation and automation across multiple project phases, aiming to optimise energy use, reagent consumption and plant uptime. For engineers, this signals early integration of OEM-grade digital twins and control architecture into a greenfield lithium chemicals facility in Canada’s critical minerals supply chain.

Florence Copper in Arizona has produced its first copper cathodes from Taseko Mines’ new commercial in-situ copper recovery (ICSR) operation coupled with a solvent extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) plant, following electrowinning start-up in late February. The project uses in-situ leaching of a deep porphyry deposit and on-site SX/EW to generate LME-grade cathode without a concentrator, tailings storage facility or smelter. For geotechnical and hydrogeological teams, the move to full commercial ICSR-SX/EW operation sharpens focus on leach-wellfield design, solution containment and long-term groundwater management.

Rio Tinto is proceeding with construction of a pilot plant in Quebec to extract primary gallium from its alumina refining process, backed by a conditionally approved contribution from Natural Resources Canada under the Global Partnerships Initiative. The project, developed with Indium Corporation, follows successful first gallium extraction in May 2025 using process streams from Rio Tinto’s alumina refineries. If scaled, the technology could turn refinery residue and intermediate liquors into a new critical metal stream without major changes to existing Bayer process infrastructure.