An active – and critical – new year ahead

And just like that, it’s here. The final weeks of 2022. As cliché as it sounds, it really does not seem possible. Here at North American Mining magazine, we’re wrapping up the year with this, our final issue until January/February, but we do it with our eyes and targets fully fixed on the coming year.

What a great new year it is expected to be with NAM – we’re growing to nine issues in 2023 and we already have an exciting line-up of editorial features for all of them. It is also going to be exciting for everyone with our sister SEMCO Publishing titles – for example, if you happen to work in the cement sector as well as mining, we will be hosting the 2023 International Cement Seminar and Exhibition. Just announced, it will be held in Atlanta, Ga., on November 14-15.

In addition, SEMCO and our contemporary title Rock Products are backing a brand-new collective of professionals from across North America: Women in Aggregates. Its leader, Josephine Patterson, is our managing editor; she’s excited to see the group grow and NAM is anxious to help support the efforts of women in aggregates, in addition to women in mining.

For more information on WIA, check out womeninaggregates.com and also hear more from Josephine in the Women in Mining (or in this case, Aggregates) profile in this issue.

Our radar is set on numerous things in the news that have long-term impacts, from Shell’s electrification initiative (pg. 27) to some new releases that are not only groundbreaking, but also promising for what’s to come in the industry both short- and long-term.

Another ongoing trend as 2023 grows closer: the impact of new technology. It has been a focs of my editorial letters and Final Word columns all this year, from seabed mining to unexpected third parties entering the mining fold through partnerships (like that with AMC Theaters).

The latest comes to us via an analysis column from GlobalData. Specifically, its senior analyst in thematic intelligence Dr. Lil Read discusses the recent news that 1) Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) has agreed to buy an approximate 25% stake in cobalt producer CMOC for around US$3.7 billion, and 2) Tesla is in talks to buy a stake in Glencore. Given third-party interest in cobalt producers, especially by EV battery makers, the first announcement might not seem earth-shattering, but pair it with Tesla’s continuing interest in the industry, and the plot seems to be thickening for critical minerals, and technology playing a greater role in backing mining’s future. “Tesla’s and CATL’s moves highlight a cross-industry trend whereby electric vehicle (EV) and battery leaders are vertically integrating their supply chains by acquiring mines and stakes in mining companies – securing materials that would otherwise be sourced from China or other geopolitically sensitive regions.”

Anyone else more ready than ever to see what the new year will bring? Happy holidays to all, and the best in 2023.

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