Peru’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Francisco Ísmodes, and the Vice-Minister of Territorial Governance, Raúl Molina, held a meeting this weekend with the Cusco Regional Governor, Jean Paul Benavente, where they addressed the situation regarding a blockade affecting Las Bambas copper mine.

SANTIAGO – Chile's Antofagasta expects to reach an agreement with miner BHP to help ensure water supply at its Zalidvar copper mine in the country's northern desert, a company official told a Chilean newspaper on Friday.

Canadian miner Hudbay Minerals (TSX, NYSE: HBM) scored a big win this week after the U.S. Forest Service approved the company’s mine plan of operations (MPO) for its $1.9-billion Rosemont copper project, in Arizona.

World’s largest miner BHP (ASX, NYSE:BHP) took a key step this week towards increasing its presence in Ecuador, the new darling of copper prospectors, by signing an earn-in and joint venture deal with Canada’s Luminex Resources (TSX-V:LR).

Poland’s Supreme Audit Office (NIK) has lambasted state-controlled miner KGHM (WSE:KGH) for buying Sierra Gorda copper mine in northern Chile, saying that company has spent more than PLN 19.6 billion (about $5.2B) managing the operation and the ore processing plant in the last three years.

Me-Metals – Saad Abdi – Planning and Observation Manager of National Iranian Copper Industries Co. (NICICO) said: With maximum production, execution of developmental plans, localization and making use of the experiences of the predecessors at the four main axes of the copper company, we have been able to implement the production program of 1397 - the solar year - (equal to half of 2018 and half of 2019).

Queensland Rail had stowed a train carrying copper, lead and zinc concentrate from Glencore's operations in the Australian state on 31 January as a precautionary measure.

The Angas zinc mine, just outside Adelaide and currently under care and maintenance, is about to become the site of 5 MW advanced compressed air energy storage or A-CAES project which will provide synchronous inertia, load shifting and frequency regulation to the area's electrical grid.

A study by Wood Mackenzie forecasts that global lead production, excluding that of China, will increase in 2019 by about 250 kt, which is equivalent to over 10% of current output.

Iranian experts developed a new technology to process lead and zinc ores, using pyrometallurgy method.

Hudbay Minerals’ (TSE, NYSE: HBM) second-largest investor, Waterton Global Resource Management, is seeking to oust the Canadian miner’s chief executive officer and overhaul its board.

Nakhlak lead concentrate processing plant was inaugurated by chairman of the board of IMIDRO.

The world's top diamond producer by output, Alrosa (MCX:ALRS), ran an experiment at its Zapolyarnaya pipe, which is a part of the Verkhne-Munskoye deposit in the west of Yakutia, and found that the area has the potential to become one of its richest in large diamonds deposits.

The Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board issued a Type B water license approving TerraX Minerals’ (TSXV: TXR) broad exploration plan for its Yellowknife City gold project, located in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Paulson & Co. isn’t the only Newmont Mining Corp. shareholder that’s expressing concerns over the terms of the gold miner’s $10 billion purchase of Goldcorp Inc.

Paulson & Co., which holds 14.2 million shares of Newmont Mining (NYSE: NEM), said on Thursday that it does not support Newmont's proposed acquisition of Goldcorp (NYSE: GG, TSX: G) as it is structured.

Canada’s Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX) (NYSE:GOLD) could close its Golden Sunlight mine in Montana as soon as May, unless the company finds a way to keep the 44-year-old and nearly depleted operation in business.

Wheaton Precious Metals, (TSE: WPM) one of the largest precious metals streaming companies in the world, announced record gold production and sales in 2018 and declared a $0.09 per share first quarter dividend for 2019 on Wednesday.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell developed a technique that uses only water, carbon dioxide and cobalt metal particles that have surface nanostructures measuring billionths of a meter in size, to produce hydrogen on demand at relatively low temperature and pressure and to use to power the next generation of electric vehicles.

Delrey Metals (CSE: DLRY) signed a non-binding term sheet this week with respect to the right and option to acquire an 80% interest to certain mineral licences that comprise the Four Corners project in western Newfoundland, Canada.

Exploration and development company Bacanora Lithium (LON:BCN) is expanding its footprint in Germany after securing another five-year exploration licence this week in the Erzgebirge (meaning Ore Mountain) region of Saxony, Germany.

Secova Metals (TSXV: SEK) acquired this week 100% interest in 3,809 hectares of vanadium mineral claims located in three land packages in the eastern Canadian province of Quebec.

Battery metals tracker Adamas Intelligence says Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers deployed 253% more nickel in passenger EV batteries in January this year compared to 2018.

Odisha contributes almost entirely towards chrome ore production in India. Chrome Ore Production in Jan’19 was noted to be 601,338MT . It is about 76% higher as compared to the previous month viz., Dec’18.

It’s not a great time to be a coal miner, but there’s never been a better time for their shareholders.

Trade statistics released by Canada custom shows that the iron ore exports by the country recorded at 47.68 MnT in CY'18. The exports depicted rise of 16% as compared to CY'17 exports at 41.12 MnT.

After remaining stable over the last two weeks, China’s higher grade Graphite Electrode prices plunged down by RMB 2,000/MT (USD 298/MT) this week.

Indian metallurgical coal imports have increased by 5.35% to 4.5 million tonnes (MnT) in Feb’19, as compared to 4.27 MnT in Jan’19, as per the latest vessel lineup data compiled by CoalMint Research.

Russian imports of iron ore, ferro alloys and coal dropped in Jan'19 amidst falling temperature and congestion at rail and port terminals.

In the 1st week of March 2019 (2-9th Mar), Indian domestic trade activities were subdued. The mid sized mills reported mix response from domestic buyers over uncertainty in the market.

In the February issue of International Cement Review, Buzzi Unicem reviews its cooperation with Fives in the development of the FCB Horomill® technology.

A partnership of First Nations, exploration companies and provincial government representatives is working well, as the three groups collaborate to progress mineral exploration and mining in northwest British Columbia.

Within Fives, the Cement | Minerals Business Line recently set up a new operational entity in the Middle East to support customers with services and technical assistance.

The REFRAJET® Addmix technology is an innovative injection system that was developed specifically for the installation of cement-free sol-gel bonded refractory concretes of the REFRAJET® Nanobond type.

The Iranian cement industry’s fall from grace has turned into a continuous freefall.

Refratechnik Ceramics GmbH, Germany (formerly BURTON), and HK-CERAM Kft., Hungary, are among the world’s leading companies for the design, development and manufacture of refractory products for the ceramics industry.

In October 2018, an Arvedi ESP (Endless Strip Production) line installed in a plant belonging to the Chinese steel producer Rizhao Steel Group Co., Ltd (Rizhao) produced ultra-thin hot strip with a thickness of just 0.6 millimeters for the very first time.

Outotec has been awarded a contract to design and deliver a mine paste backfill system to a nickel mine in Canada.

Metso is expanding its digital Metso Metrics offering with the launch of a new predictive maintenance solution for mining equipment, aimed to help maximize the uptime and performance of comminution circuits.

Only 7 days to replace and improve the cold reversing mill automation process control

Outotec has finalized the negotiations with employee representatives announced on October 26, 2017 to outsource its German-based project engineering function to Citec. As a result of the negotiations, 59 Outotec employees have transferred to Citec as of April 1, 2018.

The accelerating adoption of electric vehicles and energy storage technologies has been attracting new investors into the mining industry as demand for battery materials spike.

MMTC- a leading international trading company in India and one of the major global players in minerals trade has invited tender for export of 15,000 MT Billets (150*150mm).

Brazilian mining giant Vale (NYSE:VALE) announced this weekend that the Sul Superior Dam at the Gongo Soco mine is in a critical condition when it comes to stability. This, following the work of an independent auditor, hired to evaluate the state of the structure.

Beauce Gold Fields (TSX: BGF) announced this week that it is testing a new Russian technology at Quebec's Rang St-Gustave Road in St-Simon-les-Mines.

Secova Metals (TSXV: SEK) acquired this week 100% interest in 3,809 hectares of vanadium mineral claims located in three land packages in the eastern Canadian province of Quebec.

Indian Silico Manganese prices remain unchanged in Raipur but rises steeply in Durgapur, as producers in Durgapur mostly rely on imported Ore.

India's largest iron ore miner - National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has announced a hike in floor prices in upcoming Karnataka e-auctions scheduled on 1st Mar’19. Iron ore base prices at NMDC Kumaraswamy have increased by around INR 400/MT in both fines and lumps.

The London Metal Exchange (LME) is launching seven new cash-settled futures contracts on Monday, including hot-rolled coil (HRC) steel, alumina and cobalt, aiming to attract more business after profits fell last year.

Me-Metals – Bahman Ayyar Rezaei – an experienced member of the board of directors of Isfahan’s Mobarakeh Steel Co. (MSC) stated: Mobarakeh Steel Co. (MSC) with 130,000 Billion rials capital, multiplied distance from the second company in stock exchange.

The Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) has launched a probe into mining giant Vale SA's filings related to the mining dam collapse in the town of Brumadinho, where the collapse of a dam at the company’s Córrego do Feijão mining complex on Friday killed at least 60, while more than 300 missing people are feared dead.

The third stage of a plan to sell Iranian oil through the stock exchange will kick off this week, the oil minister said.

After a strong start to 2018, the value of the world’s largest mining stocks began turning down well before summer as worries about a China–US trade war continued to mount.

Tehran Stock Exchange and Iran Fara Bourse – an over-the-counter market for securities and other financial instruments in Tehran - announced changes in trading procedures as part of new directives.

Director of the Central Insurance of Iran said the country’s insurance industry has successfully avoided being affected by the anti-Iran sanctions.

The share of life insurance in the overall portfolio of the Iranian insurance industry is meager, a fact that a board member of Middle East Insurance Company, which specializes in life insurance, ascribes to the lack of an insurance culture in the country.

Iranian insurance companies have started evaluating the losses caused by the recent massive earthquake that shook the western Kermanshah Province near the Iraqi border and processing payment of compensations.

Mellat Insurance, affiliated with Bank Mellat, announced that it has signed a contract with France’s SCOR SE, based on which the major reinsurer will provide excessive loss coverage for Mellat.

The collective figure of Iranian insurance companies’ premiums during the first half of the current fiscal year to Sept. 22 has reached 166 trillion rials ($4.15 billion), which indicates an increase of 20% compared with the corresponding period of last year.

The president of the Central Insurance of Iran elaborated on the four-year outlook of Iran’s insurance industry through the end of President Hassan Rouhani’s second and final term in office.

Established companies offer the greatest potential for digital transformation. However, traditional industrial companies are too focused in the concentration of their digitisation strategy on optimisation of the processes used in their existing business.

Human rights advocate Amnesty International has accused the electric vehicle (EV) industry of selling itself as environmentally friendly while most of the batteries they produce use polluting fossil fuels and unethically sourced minerals.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is "ready" to set up its own trade mechanism with Iran, allowing companies from the two neighboring countries to continue with their "legitimate" business amid the hostile US sanctions.

Iran-Singapore Commercial Committee was officially established on Wednesday, the deputy head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture for international affairs said.

Tehran and Canberra are determined to further increase industrial cooperation as representatives from the two countries signed an agreement in Tehran.

Iran has boosted its textile production by two percent and its exports by 40 percent in the first nine months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2018-December 22, 2018), a senior Iranian industry official announced.

The US administration today imposed sanctions on Venezuelan state-owned National Development Bank (Bandes) and other financial institutions to protest the arrest yesterday of a top aide to Juan Guaidó, whom Washington recognizes as the country's interim leader.

In return for an 8.5% stake in online taxi company TAP30, Saman Electronic Payment (SEP), affiliated to Bank Saman, has invested an undisclosed amount in the ride-hailing firm.

Ajoint commercial forum, scheduled in Tehran on March 13, will host businesses from Iran and India.

Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati says recommendations of the anti-money laundering body, the Financial Action Task Force, are part and parcel of international banking norms and thus essential for financial ties to the outside world.

Banks lent 51.9 trillion rials ($384 million) to 626 knowledge-based companies by the end of the third quarter of the current fiscal on December 21.

Japan’s ambassador to Tehran expressed his country’s resolve to proceed with economic cooperation with Iran.

According to the latest reports, Indian steel major, JSW Steel is all set to invest USD 150 million (amounting INR 1,000 crore) in the first phase to set up a new steel facility in Texas, U.S.

Iran mine and mining industries sector has attracted $5 billion of China’s $20billion finance in Iran concurrently with President Rouhani’s visit to China, Chairman of the board of IMIDRO announced in 9th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum.

Those worried that the positive momentum in the mining and metals sector is beginning to wane after two years of strong gains may find encouragement from a new survey by private capital tracker Preqin.

A delegation of high-ranking officials from Qatar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications as well as Qatar Ports Management Company arrived in Tehran on Monday to survey avenues of expanding cooperation and increasing bilateral trade with their Iranian counterparts.

China invested a total of $126.6 billion in renewable energy in 2017, the highest figure ever and accounting for 45% of global green energy investment, the "Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018" report showed.

Total capitalization of Iran's capital market, including equity and fixed-income, is currently standing at around $130 billion.

In the last few years, Iran has demonstrated its strong political will to reemerge as a regional transportation hub.

Iran's government spent 316.3 trillion rials ($5.27 billion) on development projects in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year (March 21, 2017-Feb. 19), 70.1% more than the similar period of the year before.

The Economy Ministry sold 2 trillion rials ($41.6 million) of Islamic bonds on Iran Fara Bourse on Sunday to finance the establishment of a railroad connecting three major cities.

China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation Changchun Railway Company (CRRC CRC) and Tehran Wagon Company have won the tender to build and supply 630 cars for Tehran’s Subway on Wednesday.

A hot mix asphalt production plant has been established in Qazvin Province’s Alamut region, Managing Director of Qazvin Roads and Urban Development Organization Masoud Haqlotfi said.

In line with its ambitious railroad expansion plans stipulated in Iran's Sixth Five-Year Development Plan (2017-22), the Iranian government is strengthening its cooperation with China.

SteelMint learned from market participants that Indian HRC export prices to Nepal have remained stable in recent bookings concluded for April end shipments.

Bangladesh- one of the world's largest ship re-cycler and has remained still in the top buyers list of ship breaking scrap in Feb’19. Scrapped ship imports fell to 21 in Feb'19, as per the SteelMint’s assessment.

SteelMint learned from market participants that imported scrap trades in SE Asia remained limited on high offers and availability of stocks in hand. Most of the steel mills likely to wait for the next couple of weeks to start end-April & May delivery shipments.

Islamabad is eyeing the help and cooperation of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in restoring rail network among Islamabad, Tehran, Istanbul and central Asian countries.

Iran has banned Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 from its airspace due to safety concerns raised following the deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight last week.

Gorgan International Airport will start operating two new flights to three new destinations, namely Rasht, Tabriz and Aktau in Kazakhstan, in the new Iranian year (starting March 21), the director general of Golestan Airports Company announced.

The UK’s crude oil loadings remained below 800,000 barrels per day for the third month in a row in February, while authorities expect Britain’s crude production to decline through at least 2024, Fotios Katsoulas, Liquid Bulk Principal Analyst, Maritime and Trade at IHS Markit, said.

Investments needed to ensure stability in the global oil industry are returning after a downturn, but the pace is still slow, OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo said.

The phases 22 to 24 of Iran’s giant South Pars gas field located in the southern province of Bushehr are slated to be inaugurated in coming days, the project’s manager said.

Five people were killed and six injured on Thursday in a gas pipeline explosion in southwestern Khuzestan Province, Ahvaz governor said.

The president of Iran voiced the country’s readiness to expand trade ties with Iraq and increase exports to the neighboring state.

Pakistan plans to offers dozens of gas field concessions in the coming year to fill in a fuel shortage, a senior official said, with Islamabad hoping a sharp drop in militant violence and changes to exploration policy will attract foreign investors.

Venezuelan state-owned PdV utilized less than a quarter of the nameplate processing capacity at its main oil refineries in July, reflecting a shrinking pool of domestic feedstock and chronic equipment breakdowns.

South Pars Oil and Gas Company (SPOGC) has curbed the flaring of natural gas at the so-called 3rd South Pars refinery in the city of Asalouyeh, Bushehr Province, by 70% in the present fiscal year (ends March 20), the refinery's director said on Wednesday.

Saudi oil giant Aramco will buy an equity stake in Malaysian firm Petronas' major refining and petrochemical project, pumping in $7 billion in its biggest downstream investment outside the kingdom, the companies said on Tuesday.

Tehran has finalized an agreement worth $2 billion (2.3 trillion won) with South Korea's Daelim Corporation to renovate and expand a refinery in Isfahan Province, head of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, Abbas Kazemi, said on Friday.

A member of the Iranian parliament said implementation of the ethylene oxide plant in the southwestern city of Andimeshk would prove the ineffectiveness of the US sanctions on Iran.

Construction of a new ethylene oxide plant will begin soon in Andimeshk, Khuzestan Province, director of public relations of Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company said Saturday.

A $1.1bn Venezuelan project to refurbish a mothballed refinery on the Dutch-controlled island of Aruba has derailed because of US sanctions on national oil company PdV.

Iranian scientists could manufacture ultracentrifuges with the capability of spinning 60,000rpm, to become the third nation with the needed hi-tech to manufacture such centrifuges after the US and Japan.

Canadian company Pembina Pipeline Corp. says it is going ahead with a $4.5-billion joint venture with Kuwait's Petrochemical Industries Co. to build an integrated propane dehydrogenation plant and polypropylene upgrading facility northeast of Edmonton.

A private sector company opened a chemical plant in Markazi Province on Sunday to produce 'dimethyl carbonate ammonium hydroxide' for the first time in Iran.

As Pakistan faces worsening water scarcity - and trouble sourcing international cash for hydropower dams it says it needs - it has turned to an unlikely source of cash: A fundraising campaign backed by the country’s top court judges.

Indian power generation from conventional sources have recorded slight growth on the month after witnessing drastic fall in Nov'18, but the rate of output has remain almost flat m-o-m in Dec'18.

Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian, in a meeting with Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Khan Mohammad Takal, exchanged views on ways to bolster bilateral cooperation in the water and energy sectors.

Iranian and Afghan commissaries held the 19th meeting of their joint committee in Tehran on Saturday to address the issue of the water right of the Helmand River.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that water and electricity bring security for the country, and called for a 10 to 20 percent reduction in agricultural consumption of water with the use of new methods.

HYFLUX has suspended a contract for a seawater reverse osmosis desalination package in Iran, which the company said on Friday is expected to have a material adverse effect on its financial performance. NAVIN SREGANTANnavinsre@sph.com.sg@NavinSreBT

The National Iranian Oil Company is eager to develop offshore oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea in collaboration with foreign majors.

Iran Marine Industrial Company, Sadra, is building 10 offshore platforms to develop the remaining phases of the giant South Pars Gas Field in the Persian Gulf, the deputy for development and engineering at the National Iranian Oil Company said.

Egyptian Oil Minister Tarek El Molla has signed three offshore oil and gas exploration and production deals worth a total of at least $220 million with France's Total, Britain's BP and Italian oil major ENI's Egyptian subsidiary IEOC, the ministry said on Wednesday.

Oil exploration in the Persian Gulf is now on the agenda of the National Iranian Oil Company's exploration department that is why "Sahar 1" drilling rig will be employed to expand explorations in the region, Saleh Hendi, director of drilling operations at NIOC said Monday.

The global offshore oil industry could cut exploration costs by more than 30% if it would just agree to use standardized equipment, according to the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA).

As per industry sources report to SteelMint, Pakistan’s Government has indicated a hike in electricity tariffs by upto around 25% over the next few months period.

China’s state-owned State Grid Corp promised further power price reductions for industrial and business users to support the economy, the company said on Sunday.

An Iranian official said the country’s nuclear power plant near the southern port city of Bushehr has been shut down for periodic maintenance and fuel reloading, and will be reconnected to the national grid in a couple of weeks.

Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian highlighted the neighboring countries’ willingness to import electricity from the Islamic Republic and said they cannot find a better option.

The Indian government is stepping up efforts to guarantee electricity supplies to all households ahead of national elections, but actual coverage may fall short of the stated goals.

Electricity experts from Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan are in Moscow, discussing technicalities of creating an energy corridor that envisages the export of electricity from Russia to Azerbaijan and Iran, Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky said Monday.

The president of the European Union’s financial mechanism for trade with Iran known as the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) has traveled to Tehran to hold talks with senior Iranian officials on ways to make the mechanism operational.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said the 28-member bloc would continue to make sure that Iran will reap the benefits of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers as the issue of sanctions relief was an integral part of the deal.

While it seems to fly in the face of everything we believe and have been taught about nuclear power, it may actually be the safest form of power production that we have. Ironically, the immense potency of the power of splitting an atom is simultaneously what makes nuclear weapons so dangerous as well as what makes nuclear power so safe.

The European Union expressed its “resolute commitment” and “continued support” for the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers, stressing that it will continue working with the international community to maintain the multilateral accord despite Washington's withdrawal.

US Senator Jim Inhofe wants to codify President Donald Trump’s measures against the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers so that it will not be re-established, a report said.

An Iranian deputy foreign minister said Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany have reaffirmed their strong support for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and for Tehran after the US withdrawal from the accord.

Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said that the country is after boosting its renewable energies capacity, urging relevant bodies in the country to spare no efforts to this end.

Orbex has introduced the world’s largest metal rocket engine 3D printed in a single piece on the SLM®800. Founded in 2015, the UK-based spaceflight company develops small satellite launch vehicles and introduced Prime, their revolutionary and environmentally-friendly rocket at the grand opening of their new headquarters in Forres, Scotland. The novel Orbex launcher not only uses 100% renewable fuel to cut carbon emissions by 90% and a novel zero-shock staging and payload separation resulting in zero orbital debris, but was also design-optimized for selective laser melting, helping to create a structure 30% lighter and 20% more efficient than any other launch vehicle in its category.

Renewable energy sources will be the world’s main source of power within two decades and are establishing a foothold in the global energy system faster than any fuel in history, according to BP.

Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri is scheduled to open 4 new solar power plants in the Western Province of Hamedan on Tuesday, where €28 million worth of foreign investment has been devoted to the expansion of renewable energies.

Russia’s government approved on Thursday a ten-year modernization program for Russian power plants, expected to attract $28.8 billion in private investments in the sector, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said.

Chairman of the Biotechnology Development Council Mostafa Qaneie said on Sunday that Iran is planning to take up to 3% market share of global biotechnology industry, adding that the country is enjoying an asset of 15,000 biotechnology graduates to reach this goal.

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings has signed a memorandum of understanding with Danish energy business Orsted to work together on offshore wind projects.

Sportswear giant Nike has signed its second major wind power agreement with Avangrid Renewables. The deal is for 86 megawatts of wind power from the Karankawa Wind Farm in Bee and San Patricio counties in Texas.

Google, the biggest corporate buyer of renewable energy, is buying even more—536 megawatts of wind power from four power plants.

In line with efforts to enhance the country's renewable power production capacity, preliminary talks are underway with Norway’s Norsk Vind Energi to construct a 200-megawatt wind farm in Iran, the deputy energy minister for international affairs said.

A South Korean company is to invest in construction of three wind farms in the south-eastern Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchestan.

Germany’s Medio Energy signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a wind and a solar power plant in south Iran.

Metso has signed a distributor agreement for its valve solutions with Grønbech & Sønner A/S in Denmark.

Domestic manufacturers are capable of providing technical services and producing 80% of advanced oil equipment to develop downstream and midstream projects that will be tendered by the Oil Ministry soon, the head of the Society of Iranian Petroleum Industries Equipment Manufacturers said.

Metso's valves service center in Turkey has relocated to Söke in the Aegean region to be close to important customer hubs. The new location and larger facilities strengthen Metso's presence and ensure better service availability for customers in an area that has lacked a service center of this volume.

Following in Apple's footsteps, Microsoft has purchased 100% of the renewable output from Sunseap Group's new 60-megawatt solar project and will use it to power datacenter operations in Singapore.

Upgrading the South Pars Gas Field’s central power plant to the combined-cycle system has been planned, which can use both gas and steam to generate electricity, the director of production at Pars Oil and Gas Company said.

Norway’s Saga Energy signed a €2.5 billion ($2.94 billion) deal in Tehran on Tuesday to build solar power plants in Iran, the company said, just days after US President Donald Trump unveiled a more confrontational policy toward Tehran.

While it seems to fly in the face of everything we believe and have been taught about nuclear power, it may actually be the safest form of power production that we have. Ironically, the immense potency of the power of splitting an atom is simultaneously what makes nuclear weapons so dangerous as well as what makes nuclear power so safe.

When OPEC started an oil-price war in late 2014, most people believed U.S. shale was doomed. In reality, the giant oil majors suffered most — burdened by expensive mega-projects, Chevron Corp., BP Plc and the rest struggled to adapt to the fall in energy prices.

Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said that Tehran and Baku are discussing ways to boost cooperation in the energy sector, highlighting that Azerbaijan will serve as a link to connect Iran’s electricity grid with Russia and Georgia.

The Federation of Energy Industries of Iran (FIEEI) in collaboration with ECO Secretariat, ECO CCI and ICCIMA (Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mining and Agriculture), Iran Energy Association and Iranian Biofuel Society is to hold the “2nd International ECO Energy Conference in Tehran on March 3 and 4.

Iranian Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said that the country is after boosting its renewable energies capacity, urging relevant bodies in the country to spare no efforts to this end.

Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami unveiled 5 successful industrial and research achievements of the Energy Sources Development Organization (ESDO) on Wednesday.

Iran traded $312 million worth of commodities with Turkmenistan during the 10 months to Jan. 20, according to Iran's commercial attaché to Turkmenistan.

The volume of Iran’s non-oil goods exported to Pakistan in the first 8 months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21- November 22) has registered a 58% increase in comparison with the same period last year, reaching a total sum of $860 million worth of commodity.

Chairman of Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce Yahya Ale-Ishaq said the two countries are in negotiations to finalize a currency swap agreement in a bid to boost trade ties between the two neighboring countries.

Concrete and mortar mixers weighing more than 711 tons and worth 51.55 billion rials ($1.6 million) were imported into Iran during the five months to Aug.

Japan’s Hitachi Construction Machinery Company has launched an after sales service in Iran in collaboration with industrial vehicle holding firm ‘Arian Sarmaie’.

The average price of each square meter of a residential unit in Tehran stood at 100.6 million rials ($76.8) in the 11th Iranian month (Jan. 21-Feb. 19), showing a 3% rise compared with the preceding month and an 86% increase compared with the same month of last year.

An Iranian firm will provide engineering consultancy services for the construction of a major dam on the Rufiji River in Tanzania, where the $3 billion project is expected to create the largest reservoir in East Africa and double the electricity supply of the country.

FATA’s fully automated Eco-Rec Sand Regeneration System can save significant sums on operating costs.

Bank Melli Iran, the nation’s biggest bank, is set to issue its first-ever housing bonds soon and experts believe that will lead to a drop in the price of bonds in the over-the-counter Fara Iran Bourse.

A hot mix asphalt production plant has been established in Qazvin Province’s Alamut region, Managing Director of Qazvin Roads and Urban Development Organization Masoud Haqlotfi said.

Deutsche Messe brings its woodworking industry expertise to Iran.

AJapanese space probe named after a falcon, Hayabusa 2, has touched down on an asteroid more than 300 million km from Earth on a mission to seek clues about the origins of life, Japan’s space agency said on Friday.

Iranian scientists could manufacture ultracentrifuges with the capability of spinning 60,000rpm, to become the third nation with the needed hi-tech to manufacture such centrifuges after the US and Japan.

Within Fives Group, the Automation team (Facility in Montévrain, near Paris, France) has developed a collaborative robotic cell to assemble small sub-components for one major car manufacturer in Europe.

Chairman of the Biotechnology Development Council Mostafa Qaneie said on Sunday that Iran is planning to take up to 3% market share of global biotechnology industry, adding that the country is enjoying an asset of 15,000 biotechnology graduates to reach this goal.

Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari said that the growth of IT start-ups in his country is unparalleled in the whole region, highlighting that the current administration is determined to strengthen knowledge-based economy.

The UK government's plan to install smart meters in every home by 2020 will not be met because it has underestimated the time it takes to install and the technical standards for the second generation of smart meters, the National Audit office said Friday.

Established companies offer the greatest potential for digital transformation. However, traditional industrial companies are too focused in the concentration of their digitisation strategy on optimisation of the processes used in their existing business.

Iran Electronics Industries (Sairan) has signed an agreement with local Internet service provider HiWeb for establishing a mobile virtual network operator.

The Eighth International Amirkabir Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Competitions (AUTCup 2019) opened Saturday at the Tehran International Fairgrounds.

Anational student robotic contest Roboticup 2019 opened Thursday at the Tehran University with the participation of more than a thousand elementary and high school students.

Broadband Internet services will be available in almost all rural areas in Iran by the end of the next Iranian year (March 2020), according to the ICT Ministry.

NASA gave its final go-ahead on Friday to billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX company to conduct its first unmanned test flight of a newly designed crew capsule to the International Space Station on March 2.

Danieli Automation acquires Telerobot Labs

Iran’s largest steelmaker, Mobarakeh Steel Company, has been selected as Asia’s 11th Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise in 2017.

Tertiary metallurgy center makes speciality steels for the aerospace industry

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said sharing nuclear knowhow with neighboring countries will pave the way for regional development.

Head of Iranian Mineral Processing Research Center(IMPRC) announced that IMPRC is ready to transfer technical know-how of rare earth elements to other countries.

Ehdasse Sanat and FLSmidth companies signed Memorandum of Understanding aimed to cooperation in technical knowledge transfer in cement industry, training experts and joint venture.

The preliminary design of a solar car named 'Sepehr' (Sky) will be unveiled at the Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) this week.

In the Asia University Rankings, THE employed the same performance indicators used for its World University Rankings ㅡ 13 indicators in 5 areas including Teaching, Research, Citations, International Outlook and Industry Income ㅡ but more weight was given this year to the industry income indicators as industry-academia cooperation has become a crucial issue to universities.

Chairman of the board of IMIDRO invited the region countries to collaborate in mineral processing research projects.

The First International Mineral Processing Activists Symposium (IMPAS 2016) is scheduled to be held in Tehran on October 25-26.

1st International Mineral Processing Activists Symposium (IMPAS 2016) & 3rd Workshop of Iron Ore and Base Metals Processing (ECO Experts) will be held by IMPRC on 25-26 October, IMPRC administrator announced.

In the Asia University Rankings, THE employed the same performance indicators used for its World University Rankings ㅡ 13 indicators in 5 areas including Teaching, Research, Citations, International Outlook and Industry Income ㅡ but more weight was given this year to the industry income indicators as industry-academia cooperation has become a crucial issue to universities.

IMIDRO will pay special attention to training and research sector as the prerequisites of the technology and innovation development in mine and mining industries sector in the next Iranian year (20 March 2016_19 march 2017), Director of the IMIDRO’s training ,research and technology department announced.

Anational student robotic contest Roboticup 2019 opened Thursday at the Tehran University with the participation of more than a thousand elementary and high school students.

Banks lent 51.9 trillion rials ($384 million) to 626 knowledge-based companies by the end of the third quarter of the current fiscal on December 21.

Broadband Internet services will be available in almost all rural areas in Iran by the end of the next Iranian year (March 2020), according to the ICT Ministry.

AJapanese space probe named after a falcon, Hayabusa 2, has touched down on an asteroid more than 300 million km from Earth on a mission to seek clues about the origins of life, Japan’s space agency said on Friday.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said that Iran has made great progress in scientific fields, and called for expanded cooperation with other countries to further forward national developments in areas of economy and industry.

Iran Telephone Directory Center that can be accessed by dialing 118 throughout the country will soon offer service in English and Arabic.

German manufacturer of molding machines Krauss Maffei Group has appointed Karan Sima Fam as its new agency in Iran and aims to strengthen its market position in injection molding and reaction injection molding machinery in the country, the German machinery supplier has announced.

The success of the latest edition of Germany’s specialized exhibition for the machine tools and metalworking sector known as “AMB Iran” has prompted organizers to start planning the next event in 2017.

The new 45MN front-loading press will be the largest in Spain and one of the most modern worldwide

The Iranian capital hosted the first Alu-Tech Partnership Seminar last week with a focus on technological developments in the production of structural parts as well as in automotive industry.

Great success in Dubai for the highly technical day that took place in order to explain the importance of innovation and the practical feasibility of the new technologies in aluminium extrusion and finishing and in waste water. The new concepts of green technology and the aluminium technology of the future have been presented in front of a special invitation audience of about 75 selected delegates, representing 38 companies from 13 middle east states.

North America’s largest-dimension high-pressure die casting machine to debut next June

The REFRAJET® Addmix technology is an innovative injection system that was developed specifically for the installation of cement-free sol-gel bonded refractory concretes of the REFRAJET® Nanobond type.

Less than a year after the publication of Seven’s first brochure for the aluminium industry, satisfied customers in several countries have been won. Deliveries have gone to Germany, Italy, the Slovak Republic, Russia, and Taiwan.

Seven’s growth over the last years has triggered substantial expansions: In 2016, the main plant in Divača/Slovenia was expanded with fully integrated production, shipping, and storage systems. New and improved lines for dry-mixing and taphole clays are complemented by a brand new 300m2 laboratory.

Immediately after the start of Seven’s focus on aluminium, we were entrusted with a crucial task.

Indian Silico Manganese prices remained unchanged for Durgapur. However prices fell by INR500/MT in Raipur amid persistent low demand.

Graphite electrode makers around the globe had a wonderful run for almost a year starting from the latter half of 2017 amid supply-side structural changes in China which led to the promotion of steel production through electric furnace (EAF) route, ultimately resulting in the significant rise in the graphite electrodes demand and prices in China.

Graphene and gold are now being used in ultrasensitive biosensors to detect diseases at the molecular level with near perfect efficiency.

China’s largest Graphite electrodes (GE) producer, Fangda Carbon has recently announced its performance forecast for the year 2018.

According to the latest reports, Iran’s IMIDRO (Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation) has sought remaining funds required by Mar’19 for the completion of the first graphite electrodes plant in the country.

U.S. based graphite electrode producer, GrafTech has announced its fourth quarter (Sep-Dec) results as well as annual performance for the fiscal year 2018. The key highlights of the company's performance are as below.

Metso has delivered the first valves with 3D printed parts from its Helsinki plant. The valves include 3D printed metal components that allow the valves to perform in a particularly demanding application where they need to withstand numerous fast open-close cycles without maintenance.

Metso has closed the acquisition of the UK-based combustion solutions and technology provider Kiln Flame Systems Ltd., KFS, to extend its pyro processing portfolio and capabilities.

With the start of winter heating season in November came the output restrictions in China’s steel sector as a part of country’s anti-pollution campaign.

Datong YuLinDe (YLD) Graphite Equipment Co. Ltd is China’s one of the leading graphite electrode (GE) and graphite electrode equipment manufacturing company located in Datong city of Shanxi province in China

As per the latest updates that SteelMint has received, the Board of Directors of graphite electrode major, HEG Ltd at its meeting held today at 12:00 Noon has approved the capacity expansion plan for its plant in India.

On October 18, 2018, the Chinese aluminum producer Henan Mingtai Al. Industrial Co., Ltd. has granted SMS group the final acceptance certificate for the new aluminum cold rolling mill established at the Gongyi location.

Import prices of petroleum coke have decreased substantially over the month, though India’s domestically produced pet coke prices have continued to remain unchanged from the rates that prevailed since the start of this month.

The atmosphere of satisfaction was general among the 120 expositor brands of Metallurgy 2018 - Fair and International Congress of Technology for Foundry, Steel, Forging, Aluminum and Services [Feira e Congresso Internacional de Tecnologia para Fundição, Siderurgia, Forjaria, Alumínio e Serviços], held from September 18 to 21, in Joinville, SC.

Tata Motors is narrowing the gap with homegrown rival Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) to challenge the position of third biggest passenger vehicle maker in India by sales.

Esfordi Phosphate Industrial and Mineral Complex produced 14,859 tons of phosphate concentrate in the first two months of the current Iranian year (started March 20), indicating a 22% rise compared to last year’s corresponding period, Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization reported on its website.

“The Bright World of Metals” will be taking place in Düsseldorf again from 25. to 29. June 2019