USA and Canada

Lithium Exploration Group has begun the initial testing of its ultrasonic generator in Pennsylvania, United States.

The testing begins today and will run for ten days. The purpose of the test is to operate all of the componentry together, bring the generator to optimal speed and pressure to harness the cavitation and produce steam, and identify the optimal settings for all of the stages of the unit.

Dryden, Ontario has a great future based on the gold being developed by Treasury Metals at its flagship Goliath Gold project: with its pulp industry on the wane it needs the jobs – and Treasury needs its people.

The Kenora district of Ontario has only lately attracted serious commercial attention for its gold deposits.

UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp, has closed on the sale of its fire and security branch operations in the US to Comvest Investment Partners.

The company provides integrated building solutions, including heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, building controls and automation, and fire and security systems.

To mark the centennial of its parent company Holcim Ltd, the cement plant in Ada, Oklahoma is participating in a year-long community service initiative.

Holcim (US), one of the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of cement and mineral components, is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year by participating in Together for Communities, an initiative in which Holcim employees lead local volunteer projects.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. (TAQA) has sold its seven percent stake in US electric automaker Tesla Motors, making a profit of $113 million (£71m) on the sale.

The 75 percent state-owned utility had 7.3 million Tesla shares transferred to it by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority in late 2010. A spokesman said TAQA had "admiration for Tesla's vision, technology and products", but that the automaker was a non-core investment for the organization.

Sapphire Energy, Inc., one of the world leaders in algae-based green crude oil production, has secured the final tranche of $144 million investment funding.

Readers of our 1 April story about profal oil need not be sceptical. It’s not the first of April today.

With this final investment round, San Diego-based Sapphire Energy’s total funding from private and public sources has risen to over $300 million.

Cypher Environmental has been working hard to provide the mining industry with high quality dust control, soil stabilization and water treatment products that meet the growing requirement for sustainability, as president Todd Burns explains.

Air Products has brought onstream an expansion of its high-purity hydrogen selenide (H2Se) production capabilities at its electronic specialty materials manufacturing facility in Hometown, Pennsylvania.

The new capacity was added to serve the growing copper indium gallium selenium (CIGS) thin-film solar cell manufacturing market. 

Air Products can deliver H2Se to semiconductor and photovoltaic customers at more than 99.99 percent purity levels.

Continental Tire the Americas held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new plant in Sumter, South Carolina today.

Attended by state and local governmental officials, the ceremony marked the beginning of the construction process, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

By early 2014, the plant will manufacture passenger and light truck tires to meet the increasing demand for Continental and General brand tires from both aftermarket business and automotive manufacturers.

Sumitomo Corp. of America (SCOA) is to become a 50-50 equity partner in two large-scale wind farms Duke Energy Renewables is building in Kansas.

Today’s announcement revealed that SCOA, part of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Corp, is buying a 50 percent stake in the 131-megawatt (MW) Cimarron II Windpower Project in Gray County and the 168-MW Ironwood Windpower Project in Ford County. Construction of both wind farms will be completed later this year.