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A partnership between the investment firm Orion Resource Partners, the U. S. International Development Finance Corporation and sovereign investor ADQ has launched a major critical-minerals fund, mobilising an initial $1.8 billion in capital with a target of up to $5 billion to support supply-chain development of essential raw materials. The initiative, known as the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium, aims to invest in and scale near-term producing assets for minerals such as copper, cobalt and rare earths, in line with partner-government industrial and security goals. The DFC has confirmed its cornerstone commitment, matched by funds managed by Orion and ADQ, creating the foundation of the expanding pool of capital.

The fund emerges amid heightened concern in Washington over the concentration of critical-minerals processing in rival economies and the lag in Western investment, with deferred permitting, falling ore grades and decelerating mine-development pipelines cited as systemic pressures. Orion, which manages around $8 billion in assets and has global mining-finance experience, brings its platform into the consortium, while ADQ’s prior joint venture with Orion—announced earlier this year for $1.2 billion—provides a blueprint for the strategic partnership. The fresh consortium will prioritise assets capable of delivering supply within a shorter timeframe rather than frontier exploration, signalling a shift towards faster-payback, lower-development-risk opportunities.

The strategic calculus ties directly into U. S. national-security and industrial-policy ambitions. “Securing critical minerals is a paramount matter of U. S. strategic interest and economic prosperity,” said DFC CEO Ben Black. Orion founder and CEO Oskar Lewnowski described the consortium as a “bridge” between emerging-market production jurisdictions and advanced-manufacturing demand in the U. S. and among allies. The fund will focus on eligible jurisdictions for DFC investment and will integrate production, processing and offtake structures.

The $1.8 billion commitment represents the current scale of the vehicle, with Orion CMC envisaged to grow further as aligned investors join. Observers note that while the headline target is $5 billion, execution will depend on securing suitable assets, navigating permitting and securing host-nation partnerships. The model mirrors the earlier ADQ-Orion joint venture launched in January, which committed to deploy $1.2 billion over its first four years across metals-and-mining investments in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

For Orion and ADQ, this represents an expansion of their earlier alliance: the Abu Dhabi-based JV served both to secure long-term resource links and to align with ADQ’s infrastructure-and-critical-minerals cluster. For the U. S., the consortium marks one of the largest private-sector-linked initiatives in the critical-minerals domain, aligning DFC’s mandate of mobilising private capital abroad with the administration’s aim to reduce strategic vulnerabilities in supply chains.

Challenges remain. Mining projects are long-horizon endeavours, and merely committing funds does not guarantee results. Host-country regulatory regimes, permitting timelines, environmental and social governance constraints and market-price volatility all play roles in investment outcomes. Industry analysts caution that while the push for supply-chain resilience is timely, the gap between intent and delivery is sizeable. Even with $5 billion in capital, global demand for some critical minerals is projected to outstrip supply capacity.

Operationally, the consortium’s emphasis on “existing or near-term producing assets” rather than early-stage exploration is intended to accelerate results and mitigate development risk. That strategy reflects frustration in industry circles with projects that take a decade or more to bring into production. The presence of sovereign-wealth capital, allied-government backing and private-sector mining-finance expertise may create a differentiated pathway for this fund compared with earlier, traditional mining-investment funds.

The government of British Columbia has introduced legislation that would permanently ban new crypto-mining operations from connecting to the provincial grid via BC Hydro, and impose formal limits on power access for AI and data-centre operators. The bill, known as the Energy Statutes Amendment Act, aims to steer the province’s clean-electricity supply toward mining, LNG and natural-resource industries viewed as higher-priority than the high-load crypto sector.

Under the new framework, BC Hydro will no longer approve fresh power-grid connections for crypto-mining facilities. The moratorium first established in 2022 is now set to become law. In parallel, beginning in late 2025 the province will introduce an allocation process for electricity demanded by AI and data-centres: only a capped amount of power will be available to those sectors, and they must compete for it under stricter criteria.

Government officials say the shift reflects a need to address surging grid-demand from emerging industries and to ensure that public electricity resources deliver broad economic and employment benefits. Premier David Eby said the move will help the province “move faster” on major transmission infrastructure and support industrial growth in a planned megaproject in the northwest. Energy and Climate Solutions Minister Adrian Dix added: “Our new allocation framework will prioritise vital growth in sectors like mining, natural gas and lowest-emission LNG, while ensuring our clean energy is directed to projects that deliver the greatest benefit to British Columbians.”

The backdrop encompasses the looming construction of the North Coast Transmission Line, a roughly $6 billion project designed to bring new clean-electricity capacity to the province’s sparsely-electrified northwest. That infrastructure is central to the government’s strategy of prioritising industrial connections over speculative, high-load users such as crypto-mining farms.

Industry analysts have mixed reactions. Supporters say the policy reflects sound planning in a jurisdiction dependent on hydroelectric power and facing increasing pressure from multiple large-scale electricity users. They note that the high energy-intensity of crypto-mining—with relatively modest job creation and economic multiplier effects—makes it a less compelling candidate compared with mining, LNG, hydrogen and industrial AI. On the other hand, critics warn that the framework gives the government wide discretionary power, potentially reducing transparency and favouring incumbents. As one Green-party MLA noted: “With no detail on this framework or the criteria for decision-making in Bill 31, we are concerned that the minister will be the one making these consequential determinations under the influence of friends or lobbyists.”

The government has indicated that data-centres and AI firms will still be eligible for power, but will face competition under the new mechanism: for example, BC Hydro reportedly will allocate only about 300 megawatts for AI and 100 megawatts for data-centre use every two years. Those thresholds will represent a major scaling down in open-access grid connections for such technology users and signal a shift away from first-come, first-served power allocations.

For prospective crypto-miners, the measure marks a turning point. Major mining projects that had anticipated low-cost Canadian hydro power will face altered calculus: either repurpose for non-crypto uses, or relocate to jurisdictions with more open grid access. This may induce capital flight or slow the growth of a nascent mining industry in the province. Conversely, proponents of the policy argue it will preserve affordability for households and existing industrial users by preventing unmanaged load growth.

The government’s timing is also notable. The bill not only formalises the ban on new crypto-mining connections, but synchronises with the broader policy shift to accelerate the NCTL and re-shape grid access rules. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026 and extend into the early 2030s. For the grid, this means a period of constrained supply allocation while demand from resource-intensive projects expands.

Community and Indigenous groups have been emphasising that increased industrial electrification must occur in consultation and benefit-sharing with First Nations. The legislation allows for First Nations co-ownership of the transmission line and signals a broader reconciliation dimension to the infrastructure strategy.

In the crypto-community the reaction is sharp. Firms and investors note that BC’s abundant hydro power was a major attraction to set up mining operations at scale. With the ban in place, developers will need to evaluate stranded-asset risk or shift to other Canadian provinces or international venues. Some warn that innovation in GPU- and AI-mining overlap may find itself constrained as power availability tightens.

From a global lens, British Columbia joins a growing cohort of jurisdictions imposing stricter controls on high-energy crypto-activities and re-examining how emerging tech intersects with energy policy. The regulation underscores the tension between rapid tech growth and public-utility responsibilities in regions reliant on renewables and constrained transmission.

By K Raveendran     When Google announced that Visakhapatnam would be home to its $15 billion project to build the company’s first artificial intelligence hub in India, the news landed like a thunderclap across the southern states. For Andhra Pradesh, it was nothing short of a jackpot — a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rewrite the […]

The article Google’s AI Hub: Visakhapatnam’s Jackpot, South India’s Heartburn appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Abu Dhabi’s MDGH GMTN priced a one-billion dirham Reg S five-year bond at par, carrying a coupon of 4.20 per cent. The issuer tightened guidance from an initial 4.45 per cent, and book orders surpassed AED 4.7 billion, not counting joint lead manager interest, signalling strong investor demand.

The unsecured bond is guaranteed by Mamoura Diversified Global Holding, with settlement set for 23 October and a planned listing on the London Stock Exchange Main Market. Fitch is expected to assign an “AA” rating in line with Mamoura’s sovereign backing. The issuance was led by a syndicate including Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Bank of China, Citi, Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Goldman Sachs International, HSBC, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, National Bank of Kuwait and Standard Chartered.

This city-currency issue follows a $750 million ten-year dollar bond issued less than ten days earlier by MDGH, priced at about 55 basis points over U. S. Treasuries under the same guarantee structure. That transaction underlined the group’s growing presence in global markets.

MDGH is wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company and plays a central role in Abu Dhabi’s strategy to diversify its economic base. In its 2024 financials, the company reported revenues of AED 39,528 million and a net profit attributable to owners of AED 37,376 million, with total assets reaching AED 596,168 million.

Credit agencies currently align Mamoura’s rating with the sovereign, with Fitch affirming an “AA” rating and stable outlook in late 2023. Moody’s and S&P assign comparable ratings of Aa2 and AA respectively.

Analysts note that the new issue shows how Abu Dhabi-linked issuers are able to tap demand for high-grade Gulf debt amid tighter global credit markets. The bond’s tight pricing and oversubscription point to strong appetite among fixed-income investors for Gulf credits backed by sovereign guarantees.

By K Raveendran Oil prices fell to their lowest level in five months on Tuesday, continuing a slide that has gathered pace over the past several weeks. The benchmark Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude futures have both dipped significantly, erasing much of the year’s earlier gains. In stark contrast, gold has soared to an […]

The article Gold Feeds On Oil’s Misfortune; One Hits The Roof, The Other Down In The Dumps appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).