Mining faces gulf between ambition, reality

If Western countries and companies are serious about building new mines and processing facilities and reducing their reliance on China, the total bill is likely to be measured in trillions of dollars, rather than the billions currently being committed. — Reuters

MINING companies in the West are facing two overarching challenges in trying to produce enough metals to enable the energy transition, and at the same time build alternative supply chains to lessen their dependence on China.

The problem is that there is a vast gulf between the scale of the ambition and the reality of what’s actually happening, and what’s likely to happen in the next few years.