First Solar outlook steady as Ohio plant starts

The photovoltaic producer forecast $3.5bn-$3.7bn in revenue for 2019, flat from its prior outlook, even as revenue dropped in the third quarter. It also expects to ship 5.4-5.6GW of modules. Production also started at its Perrysburg, Ohio, series 6 module manufacturing facility. The plant will be scaled up to 1.9GW/yr of capacity, which adds to its current capacity across all locations of 6.7GW/yr. Series 6 modules utilize up to 264 cells of thin film cadmium-telluride (CdTe). CdTe modules can require as much as 83.51kg of cadmium and 90.38kg of tellurium to generate a MW of electricity, according to a 2017 study from the World Bank Group. By these estimates, the new facility could consume as much as 171.7 t/yr of tellurium and 158.6 t/yr of cadmium when running at full capacity. Market participants expect consumption to fall below these figures. Based on the year-to-date trend for 2019, the US would have to more than triple imports of tellurium, as its only on pace to hit 47.6t for the year, according to US Commerce Department data. Over the first nine months of the year, First Solar shipped 3.8GW of modules, up from 1.7GW in the prior year period. Revenues for the quarter fell by 19pc to $547mn, while profits declined by 47pc to $31mn. Bookings edged up to 5.4GW in 2019 from 5.2GW in the same period of 2018source: Argus Media

First Solar outlook steady as Ohio plant starts

Copper slips as US data stokes worries about rate-cut policy

El Salvador sitting on $3 trillion worth of unmined gold, president says

Gold price could extend record run into 2025, Heraeus says

Trump tariff risk roils gold and silver as New York prices jump

Rio Tinto’s $2.5 billion lithium plan is a win for Milei

Copper price jumps on China policy, but we’ve been here before

Zimbabwe wants 26% free-carry stake in new mining projects

Glencore ties up with Cyclic Materials in copper recycling push

Lithium supply surplus set to stay with battery makers’ help

China tightens rules to curb methane emissions from coal mines

Rio Tinto, BHP, and BlueScope to build ‘green iron’ plant

Arcadium Lithium investors sue miner over Rio Tinto takeover

Skeena advances Eskay Creek permitting, unlocks Orion funding

US foreign investment panel split on Nippon-US Steel deal

Norge Mining acquires Europe’s largest natural graphite producer

Australia’s CEFC invests $75m in homegrown critical minerals

Forensic technology aids Brazil’s crackdown on illicit Amazon gold trade

Mobarakeh steel is producing green steel through scrap recycling

BHP seeks Brazil growth to emerge from shadow of mining disaster

Norilsk Nickel plans to sell all it produces in 2025