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In this aerial view melting icebergs crowd the Ilulissat Icefjord on July 16, 2024 near Ilulissat, Greenland.

Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Major ice loss from Greenland is exposing the island’s natural resources, inadvertently making some of the world’s largest untapped critical mineral reserves more accessible.

Greenland, a vast but sparsely populated island situated between the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans, has been transformed by the climate crisis in recent decades.

A major analysis of historic satellite images, published last year by researchers at the U.K.’s University of Leeds, showed that the autonomous Danish territory is turning increasingly green due to human-caused global warming.

The changing environment has seen parts of Greenland’s ice sheet and glaciers replaced by wetlands, areas of shrub and barren rock.

Scientists have repeatedly sounded the alarm over the melting snow and ice on the island, warning the loss of ice mass risks increased greenhouse gas emissions and rising sea levels.

For mining companies, Greenland’s ice retreat could facilitate the start of a mineral “gold rush.”

Landscape, on the Drygalski Peninsula, with icebergs in the Uummannaq Fjord System in the northwest of Greenland, north of the polar circle.

Reda | Universal Images Group | Getty Images

“What’s happening now is interesting because the waters around Greenland are opening up earlier and earlier each year and closing down later and later each year. And the ability to get into these far-flung places is a lot easier than it was 20, 30, 40 or 70 years ago,” Roderick McIllree, executive director of U.K.-based mining company 80 Mile, told CNBC via video call.

“Now, the ice probably only really forms for three or four months in the very northern latitudes and the rest of the country is seeing receding ice caps that is exposing rocks and potential mineral deposits that haven’t been seen before,” he added.

80 Mile currently has three projects it is actively developing in Greenland, including a large oil concession on the island’s east coast, a titanium project near the U.S. Pituffik Space Base in the northwest and its Disko-Nuussuaq project in the southwest.

Underlining the island’s strategic potential as a globally significant mining hub, McIllree said the firm’s Disko project could be one of the largest occurrences of nickel and copper on the planet.

A geopolitical storm

Tony Sage, CEO of Critical Metals Corporation, which is developing one of the world’s largest rare earth assets in Greenland, said ice melt on the island had done the mining company “enormous favors” from a logistical standpoint.

Sage said the company had been able to bring in large ships directly from the North Atlantic “right up to the edge of our ore body” at Tanbreez in southern Greenland, adding that the creation of fjords 80 meters deep meant the team had been able to make use of a floating dock rather than a port.

A boat carrying tourists manoeuvres among icebergs floating in Disko Bay, Ilulissat, western Greenland, on June 30, 2022.

Odd Andersen | Afp | Getty Images

“You can imagine, it’s easier now to do these things. If you go into Russia, for example, in Siberia, it’s under a lot of permafrost and ice and they still manage to mine a lot of minerals, as well as oil and gas. So, yes, there will be a mini gold rush into Greenland,” Sage told CNBC via video call.

Alongside Greenland’s harsh climate, remote landscape and small population, Sage highlighted a lack of infrastructure as a barrier for mining companies to overcome.

“It’s just logistics. The Danes never built a railway [and] didn’t build any roads,” Sage said.

“Once you’re outside of these little towns and cities, there are no roads. So, if you want to go in between, for example, Qaqortoq, where we are, to Nuuk, you have to take a helicopter. So, that is the issue that you’ll have with a gold rush,” he added.

Greenland, which has long pitched itself as a Western alternative to China’s near monopoly on rare earth elements, has been thrust into the center of a geopolitical storm in recent weeks.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to gain control of the territory, describing the prospect as an “absolute necessity” for purposes related to national security.

Speaking at a news conference earlier in the month, Trump refused to rule out the possibility of using military force to make Greenland a part of U.S.

Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said Monday that the island is open to closer ties with U.S., particularly in areas such as mining. Egede has previously insisted Greenland is “not for sale” and called for the international community to respect the island’s aspirations for independence.

Early stages

Jakob Kløve Keiding, senior consultant at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), said a 2023 survey of Greenland’s resource potential evaluated a total of 38 raw materials on the island, the vast majority of which have a relatively high or moderate potential.

These materials include the rare earth metals graphite, niobium, platinum group metals, molybdenum, tantalum and titanium. Greenland is also known to have significant lithium, hafnium, uranium and gold deposits.

Critical minerals refer to a subset of materials considered essential to the energy transition. The end-use of these materials, which tend to have a high risk of supply chain disruption, are wide-ranging and include electric vehicle batteries, energy storage technologies and national security applications.

A woman looks out from a tour boat as it sails away from a glacier between Maniitsoq and Sisimiut, west coast of Greenland on September 4, 2024.

James Brooks | Afp | Getty Images

“There is huge potential [in Greenland] but, at the moment, there is not actually much mining going on,” Keiding told CNBC via telephone.

“Greenland is what we would call a greenfield exploration area. So, [it is] in the early stages of exploration where, for many of the deposits, we don’t have that much data. But there are some large and well-established deposits with known resources.”

Keiding issued a note of caution when asked about the prospect of a mineral gold rush, saying that while Greenland’s retreating ice may remove some logistical hurdles, progress in terms of extraction will likely take “quite some time.”

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Delhi-ghtful! India mulls 2035 ICE ban, blocks fuel sales to older vehicles

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Delhi-ghtful! India mulls 2035 ICE ban, blocks fuel sales to older vehicles

In a bold bid to combat the crippling air pollution crisis in its capital, Delhi, Indian lawmakers have begun high-level discussions about a plan to phase out gas and diesel combustion vehicles by 2035 – a move that could cause a seismic shift in the global EV space and provide a cleaner, greener future for India’s capital.

Long considered one of the world’s most polluted capital cities, Indian capital Delhi is taking drastic steps to cut back pollution with a gas and diesel engine ban coming soon – but they want results faster than that. As such, Delhi is starting with a city-wide ban on refueling vehicles more than 15 years old, and it went into effect earlier this week. (!)

“We are installing gadgets at petrol pumps which will identify vehicles older than 15 years, and no fuel will be provided to them,” said Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa … but they’re not stopping there. “Additionally, we will intensify scrutiny of heavy vehicles entering Delhi to ensure they meet prescribed environmental standards before being allowed entry.”

Making it prohibitively difficult for Dehli’s residents to own and operate older, presumably more polluting vehicles is one way to reduce harmful emissions and air pollution, but Sirsa’s team isn’t just targeting newer vehicles. They’re also planning to deploy more than 900 electric transit buses, part of a larger plan to replace 5,000 of the city’s 7,500 total bus with lower- or zero-emission options this year alone.

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The Economic Times is reporting that discussions are underway to pass laws requiring that all future bus purchases will be required to be electric or “clean fuel” (read: CNG or hydrogen) by the end of this year, with a gas/diesel ban on “three-wheelers and light goods vehicles,” (commercial tuk-tuks and delivery mopeds) potentially coming 2026 to 2027 and a similar ban privately owned and operated cars and bikes coming “between 2030 and 2035.”

Electrek’s Take

2025 Xpeng G6 all-electric SUV with 5C ultra-fast charging “AI batteries” launched in China
Xpeng EV with Turing AI and Bulletproof battery; via XPeng.

After a Chinese government study linked air pollution caused by automotive exhausts and coal-fired power plants to more than 1.1 million deaths per year in 2013, the nation’s government took serious action, shuttering older coal plants and imposing strict emissions standards. The country also incentivized EV adoption through license-plate lotteries favoring electric cars and a nationwide EV mandate set to kick in by 2030.

The results were astounding, and the technological innovations that have come from an entire nation of talented engineers all “pulling in the same direction” have put the West to shame, with Western auto executives repeatedly sounding the alarm and lobbying for tariffs and other protectionist policies on both sides of the Atlantic.

To see India make move towards a gas and diesel ban like this, and on such an aggressive timeline, can only mean that they’ve been paying attention … and America is about to fall even further behind.

SOURCE: India Times; featured image by Sumita Roy Dutta.

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Parker launches Mobile Electrification Technology Center training program

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Parker launches Mobile Electrification Technology Center training program

Last week, Parker Hannifin launched what they’re calling the industry’s first certified Mobile Electrification Technology Center to train mobile equipment technicians make the transition from conventional diesel engines to modern electric motors.

The electrification of mobile equipment is opening new doors for construction and engineering companies working in indoor, environmentally sensitive, or noise-regulated urban environments – but it also poses a new set of challenges that, while they mirror some of the challenges internal combustion faced a century ago, aren’t yet fully solved. These go beyond just getting energy to the equipment assets’ batteries, and include the integration of hydraulic implements, electronic controls, and the myriad of upfit accessories that have been developed over the last five decades to operate on 12V power.

At the same time, manufacturers and dealers have to ensure the safety of their technicians, which includes providing comprehensive training on the intricacies of high-voltage electric vehicle repair and maintenance – and that’s where Parker’s new mobile equipment training program comes in, helping to accelerate the shift to EVs.

“We are excited to partner with these outstanding distributors at a higher level. Their commitment to designing innovative mobile electrification systems aligns perfectly with our vision to empower machine manufacturers in reducing their environmental footprint while enhancing operational efficiency,” explains Mark Schoessler, VP of sales for Parker’s Motion Systems Group. “Their expertise in designing mobile electrification systems and their capability to deliver integrated solutions will help to maximize the impact of Parker’s expanding METC network.”

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The manufacturing equipment experts at Nott Company were among the first to go through the Parker Hannifin training program, certifying their technicians on Parker’s electric motors, drives, coolers, controllers and control systems.

“We are proud to be recognized for our unwavering dedication to advancing mobile electrification technologies and delivering cutting-edge solutions,” says Nott CEO, Markus Rauchhaus. “This milestone would not have been possible without our incredible partners, customers and the team at Nott Company.”

In addition to Nott, two other North American distributors (Depatie Fluid Power in Portage, Michigan, and Hydradyne in Fort Worth, Texas) have completed the Parker certification.

Electrek’s Take

electric bobcat track loader
T7X all-electric track loader at CES 2022; via Doosan Bobcat.

With the rise of electric equipment assets like Bobcat’s T7X compact track loader and E10e electric excavator that eliminate traditional hydraulics and rely on high-voltage battery systems, specialized electrical systems training is becoming increasingly important. Seasoned, steady hands with decades of diesel and hydraulic systems experience are obsolete, and they’ll need to learn new skills to stay relevant.

Certification programs like Parker’s are working to bridge that skills gap, equipping technicians with the skills to maximize performance while mitigating risks associated with high-voltage systems. Here’s hoping more of these start popping up sooner than later.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Parker Hannifin.

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ReVolt extended range electric semi trucks score their first customer

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ReVolt extended range electric semi trucks score their first customer

Based on a Peterbilt 579 commercial semi truck, the ReVolt EREV hybrid electric semi truck promises 40% better fuel economy and more than twice the torque of a conventional, diesel-powered semi. The concept has promise – and now, it has customers.

Austin, Texas-based ReVolt Motors scored its first win with specialist carrier Page Trucking, who’s rolling the dice on five of the Peterbilt 579-based hybrid big rigs — with another order for 15 more of the modified Petes waiting in the wings if the initial five work out.

The deal will see ReVolt’s “dual-power system” put to the test in real-world conditions, pairing its e-axles’ battery-electric torque with up to 1,200 miles of diesel-extended range.

ReVolt Motors team

ReVolt Motors team; via ReVolt.

The ReVolt team starts off with a Peterbilt, then removes the transmission and drive axle, replacing them with a large genhead and batteries. As the big Pete’s diesel engine runs (that’s right, kids – the engine stays in place), it creates electrical energy that’s stored in the trucks’ batteries. Those electrons then flow to the truck’s 670 hp e-axles, putting down a massive, 3500 lb-ft of Earth-moving torque to the ground at 0 rpm.

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The result is an electrically-driven semi truck that works like a big BMW i3 or other EREV, and packs enough battery capacity to operate as a ZEV (sorry, ZET) in ports and urban clean zones. And, more importantly, allows over-the-road drivers to hotel for up to 34 hours without idling the engine or requiring a grid connection.

That ability to “hotel” in the cab is incredibly important, especially as the national shortage of semi truck parking continues to worsen and the number of goods shipped across America’s roads continues to increase.

And, because the ReVolt trucks can hotel without the noise and emissions of diesel or the loss of range of pure electric, they can immediately “plug in” to existing long-haul routes without the need to wait for a commercial truck charging infrastructure to materialize.

“Drivers should not have to choose between losing their longtime routes because of changing regulatory environments or losing the truck in which they have already made significant investments,” explains Gus Gardner, ReVolt founder and CEO. “American truckers want their trucks to reflect their identity, and our retrofit technology allows them to continue driving the trucks they love while still making a living.”

If all of that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of Hyliion.

Hyliion electric semi truck

Hyliion Hypertruck ERX; via Hyliion.

Before it changed its focus to develop Carnot-cycle generators and gensets, Austin-based Hyliion built a number of EREV Peterbilts using the then-new 15L Cummins diesel as a generator and employing the same sort of battery and e-axle-arrangement as ReVolt.

In addition to being located in the same town and employing the same idea in the same Peterbilt 579 tractor, ReVolt even employs some of the same key players as Hyliion: both the company’s CTO, Chandra Patil, and its Director of Engineering, Blake Witchie, previously worked at Hyliion’s truck works.

Still, Hyliion made their choice when they shut down their truck business. ReVolt seems to have picked up the ball – and their first customer is eager to run with it.

“Our industry is undergoing a major transition, and fleet owners need practical solutions that make financial sense while reducing our environmental impact,” said Dan Titus, CEO of Page Trucking. “ReVolt’s hybrid drivetrain lowers our fuel costs, providing our drivers with a powerful and efficient truck, all without the need for expensive charging infrastructure or worrying about state compliance mandates. The reduced emissions also enable our customers to reduce their Scope 2 emissions.”

Page Trucking has a fleet of approximately 500 trucks in service, serving the agriculture, hazardous materials, and bulk commodities industries throughout Texas. And, if ReVolt’s EREV semis live up to their promise, expect them to operate a lot more than 20 of ’em.

SOURCES | IMAGES: ReVolt; via Power Progress, TTNews.

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