IJR News — today's news from every sidePriya Raman Higher energy costs keep pushing these prices up, so inflation looks stickier than hoped and rate cuts might wait. Rachel Meyers A manager who avoids direct feedback might feel kinder at first, but it leaves the whole team guessing and falling behind on real goals. Electra Studies $530M-$675M North American Nickel Refinery — Sep 16, 2026Electra Battery Materials announced initial engineering results for the first phase of a two-phase nickel refinery near Toronto that would convert mine-derived feedstock and recycled battery black mass into nickel metal and battery-grade nickel sulfate at about 20,000 tonnes per year, with nickel and cobalt recoveries above 97%. The project aims to strengthen North American supply chains, reduce reliance on Chinese processing, and may require roughly $530–$675 million for the first phase, with a second phase potentially adding another 20,000 tonnes of nickel capacity, as CEO Trent Mell emphasizes domestic refinement for industrial, military, and EV applications.
Maya Lindstrom This refinery could help secure battery materials for EVs without depending on Chinese processing, which is long overdue.
