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New government regulations in the US and Europe are helping to push customers to buy rare earth products from suppliers outside China, Australia's Lynas Rare Earths CEO Amanda Lacaze said on Wednesday.

China is the world's largest and lowest-cost producer of the metals and magnets used in industries from automotive to defence, and for years has enjoyed a role as the world's default supplier. But its restrictions on some exports last year, in response to US. tariffs, left global automakers and other industries exposed.

Since then, Washington has pledged to support higher prices for its leading rare earths producer to spur non-Chinese supply, but convincing international customers to pay more when cheaper Chinese options exist has proven difficult.

The US is next year introducing new regulations guiding procurement, which includes restrictions on the acquisition of certain magnets, tantalum and tungsten, while the European Union in bringing in restrictions over sourcing of those supplies, under its critical raw materials framework, Lacaze said.

"In both cases, we are observing changed purchasing decisions so that consumers can comply with the regulations," she said speaking at an event in Canberra. Perth-headquartered Lynas, which has a processing facility in Malaysia, is the world's biggest producer of rare earths outside of China.

Lacaze called for governments to be more interventionist to encourage a rare earths industry to flourish outside China, including for governments beyond the U.S. and Japan to set floor prices.

Australia is revising its policies around building a strategic reserve, which will "no doubt" have an element of a floor price, the country's resources minister said in March, as the resources rich nation looks to cement its role as a key supplier to its allies.

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a global leader in process and laboratory measurement technology, offering a broad portfolio of instruments, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation.

Operational consistency, focused cost control and materially higher first-quarter earnings have strengthened the financial position of Sibanye-Stillwater.

In an operating update for the three months ended March 31, the Johannesburg- and New York-listed green metals and gold-mining company has achieved zero fatalities and across-the-board safety improvements, amid a 371% upsurge in earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) to R19.4-billion.

South Africa platinum group element (SA PGM) operations delivered 393%-higher Ebitda of R12.4-billion on 87%-higher four element (4E) PGM prices, and SA gold operations, including DRDGOLD, delivered 160%-higher Ebitda of R4.7-billion on a 49%-higher gold price and stable production.

In the SA PGM operations, continued investment in the value accretive and high return brownfields projects is progressing, including the Siphumelele/Bambanani brownfields project, and the Thembelani project. The ramp up at the K4 project at Marikana is progressing according to plan, with K4 producing 26 620 4Eoz, 21% higher year-on-year.

US PGM operations delivered 611%-higher Ebitda of R777-million on an 88%-higher 2E PGM price and Section 45X credits.

"Enhanced profitability and cash flow will support capital allocation strategic objectives providing a solid platform for continued execution of the simplification and performance excellence strategy, creating the conditions for sustainable long-term value creation for all stakeholders," Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Dr Richard Stewart stated in a media release to Mining Weekly.

"Safe production underpins operational excellence. A fatality-free quarter together with continued reductions in serious injuries and high potential incidents, demonstrates sustained progress in reducing risk across our operations.

"While we acknowledge there is further work required to sustainably meet our objectives, these results reinforce our conviction that fatality-free operations are achievable and strengthen our resolve to eliminate serious harm from our workplaces," Stewart added.

Consolidated recycling operations contributed Ebitda of R1.6-billion primarily from sales at higher prices of 1 343 043 oz of precious metals, made up of PGMs (8%), gold (3%) and silver (89%).

Ebitda of R467-million was delivered by Century zinc retreatment operation in Australia, while a staged ramp-up is underway at the Keliber lithium project in Finland, where 42 100 t of ore from mining at Syväjärvi has been stockpiled.

The Mt Lyell copper project in Tasmania is advancing towards a final investment decision, with exploration expenditure of R58.5-million being approved during the quarter.

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a global leader in process and laboratory measurement technology, offering a broad portfolio of instruments, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation.

Following South Africa's Northam Platinum reporting earlier this year that thousands of hydrogen-powered trucks are doing the rounds in China, France's Lhyfe added on Monday, May 4 that by the end of 2025, China had already built the world's largest hydrogen vehicle systems, with nearly 40 000 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and 574 refuelling stations.

Moreover, China's new hydrogen programme sets a target of 100 000 FCEVs by 2030.

Lowering costs is a central goal of China's new programme, which sets a target of cutting end-user hydrogen prices from $4.80/kg to below $3.50/kg by 2030. In advantageous regions with high renewable-energy potential, the target is $2.10.

Throughout December 2025, Chinese manufacturers, logistics operators, and regional governments delivered 700 hydrogen fuel cell electric trucks and buses across multiple provinces and ordered 1 400 additional units, backed by expanding refuelling infrastructure and dedicated freight corridors, Lhyfe reported.

Emphasised during the Lhyfe media briefing covered by Mining Weekly is the growing global awareness of the need for independent energy, which is what hydrogen can provide.

"In Sweden, we have a market that is really bullish on the steel industry, and we have customers there in the steel industry. There's a big push from truck manufacturers and in the southern part of Sweden, there is investment in refuelling stations," Lhyfe founder and CEO Matthieu Guesné reported.

In China, the same strategy used for solar panels and batteries is being applied to hydrogen. "If there's no reaction in Europe, the Chinese will be the hydrogen champions, and we'll have cars that will run on Chinese fuel cells. They're really plain, transparent and clear about their intention," Guesné added.

China uses its own market to scale up and lower costs.

Lhyfe constructs and operates green hydrogen production plants in the EU, the green hydrogen being produced from wind, solar or hydropower that is then stored in cells.

Displayed was a picture of taxis in Paris being refuelled with green hydrogen delivered to the refuelling station by Lhyfe, which also provides the hydrogen for fast-feeding into trucks, buses and everything with high payload.

Cars refuelled in five minutes can do 650 km to 700 km and hydrogen as a clean fuel is becoming increasingly price competitive.

There has for long been a belief that South Africa's large fleet of Toyota taxis should be supplied with hydrogen in the same way.

Lhyfe is also delivering to industrial customers who manufacture products such as glue, paint, and other materials.

"We deliver, for example, to the steel industry in Sweden," he reported. Lhyfe's projects include a 100 MW site in France and a 10 MW site in Sweden, with plans to expand to 100 MW sites. The company has invested €40-million in trailers for hydrogen transport and delivered 850 trailers last year. Guesné highlighted the importance of clear regulations for market growth. Lhyfe's strategy includes partnering with infrastructure and industrial partners for project development.

"Most of the world's car and trucks manufacturers believe in hydrogen . . . and more than half of the OEMs, they have plan for hydrogen.

"For the first time, the world has a smart way of using energy – not burning things but having a chemical reaction that is two to three times more efficient and that's silent," Guesné explained.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Meanwhile, there are six days to go before the call for proposals by the African Development Bank's (AfDB) sustainable energy fund for Africa closes.

The application window closes on May 11 and the proposals fall under the bank's new green hydrogen programme that is seeking to support green hydrogen and derivatives projects across ...

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a global leader in process and laboratory measurement technology, offering a broad portfolio of instruments, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation

ASX-listed Challenger Gold expects to generate first revenue this month soon after toll mining and processing started on ore from the Hualilán gold project, in Argentina, on May 1.

The company is processing ore through Austral Gold's Casposo mill, marking Challenger's transition from developer to gold producer.

A full-scale prefeasibility study (PFS) on the Hualilán project, in Argentina, will be released imminently.

Challenger initiated a toll-mining strategy for the project starting with ore transport and processing at the third-party Casposo mill to provide cash flow for future standalone operations.

Despite having faced minor ore hauling delays earlier in the quarter, Challenger is currently moving 1 000 t/d of ore, including through night shift operations from the second week of May.

The company has a three-year high-grade toll milling plan in place at the Casposo mill.

The tolling phase acts as a bridge to a planned, larger and permanent operation at Hualilán, which will double the company's production to more than 150 000 oz/y.

Meanwhile, the company says infill drilling at the Magnata pit at the Hualilán project is delivering results above expectations, with the average grade from completed holes having been 7 g/t – compared with 6.2 g/t modelled in the PFS for the toll milling part of operations.

Some standout intercepts include eight metres grading 17.1 g/t gold equivalent, seven metres grading 12.5 g/t gold equivalent and four metres grading 15.7 g/t gold equivalent.

Challenger says it has also discovered new high-grade zones within the pit, which points to potential resource upside.

The Magnata access ramp is on track for completion by mid-May, at which point the company intends to accelerate mining.

Challenger has A$20.6-million of cash on hand following peak mining activity expenditure of A$15.8-million in the first quarter. Mining rates have since been reduced to conserve cash ahead of first revenue.

The company advises that toll milling capital spend is more than 95% complete.

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a global leader in process and laboratory measurement technology, offering a broad portfolio of instruments, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation.

Hydrogen mobility and platinum group metals (PGMs) have been highlighted at North-West University (NWU) by the handing over of the mobile hydrogen refuelling and hydrogen generation system to Toyota South Africa Motors and the opening of the rapid prototype training and testing facility.

Strongly reflected is the collaboration between PGM producer African Rainbow Minerals (ARM), the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, NWU, South African National Energy Development Institute, Toyota and Hydrogen South Africa (HySA) in advancing hydrogen innovation through electrolysis technology development as part of South Africa's clean energy transition.

The on-site hydrogen generation is through proton electrode membrane (PEM) electrolysis, which is catalysed with the help of PGMs.

From a critical metals perspective, South Africa is the host of the overwhelmingly largest global volumes of PGMs, which serve as catalysts in electrolysers that separate water into hydrogen and oxygen and then play a second catalytic role by converting the hydrogen back into electricity that provides emission-free mobility.

The handing over of the mobile hydrogen refuelling station and the official opening of the rapid prototype training and testing facility at NWU's Potchefstroom Campus underscores South Africa's Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), hydrogen economy development, and net-zero carbon ambitions.

They form part of the broader energy research, development and innovation flagship programmes of the department, which includes HySA.

The mobile hydrogen refuelling station was completed through a partnership between the HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence and Toyota South Africa Motors.

The facility serves as a strategic platform to demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle technologies and showcases locally developed intellectual property. It further strengthens collaboration between public and private sector partners and contributes to building an integrated hydrogen value chain in the country.

The rapid prototyping, training and testing facility also located at the same campus is a partnership between the department, the university and PGM-mining company ARM.

The facility forms part of HySA Infrastructure's strategic research and innovation platform and is designed to accelerate the incubation, development, and demonstration of water electrolysis technologies. Its focus includes advancing green hydrogen production, component innovation, system integration, and the scaling of technologies from laboratory to pilot and industrial applications.

These initiatives are advancing hydrogen mobility in South Africa and support the decarbonisation of the transport sector, in line with the Hydrogen Society Roadmap.

The HySA national flagship programme was established to develop hydrogen technologies across the value chain of South Africa's mineral resources, particularly PGMs, which are critical catalysts for low-carbon hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.

HySA Infrastructure Competence Centre is directed by Professor Dmitri Bessarabov, who makes the point on LinkedIn that while South Africa hosts more than 80% of global PGM reserves, local deployment of these low-carbon technologies remains limited.

The launch of the rapid prototyping, testing and training facility marks a major step forward and is viewed by Bessarabov as signalling "real progress toward commercialisation of hydrogen technologies in South Africa".

Hydrogen is being viewed increasingly as a "freedom tool" in the geopolitical landscape. In hydrogen valleys, the strategy has shifted towards integrated clusters where production, storage, and heavy industrial use happen in the same 50 km radius, minimising infrastructure risk, EU e...