Nickel

The metals lobby group is gearing up to meet with the European commission at the end of January to persuade it to grant the sector full exemption from the indirect carbon costs embedded in electricity prices.

Elissa Resources ("Elissa" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:ELI)(OTCQX:ELSRF)(PINKSHEETS:ELSRF) reports that drilling has commenced at its 100%- owned Thor heavy and light rare earth element (REE) project in Nevada. Multiple diamond core drill holes will initially target the Lopez Trend, a 1.6-mile (2.6-km) long REE-bearing monazite structure that is coincident with a prominent magnetic anomaly.

The Globe and Mail reports that Canadian one- and two-dollar coins, known as "loonies" and "toonies", will this spring be made from steel, replacing the more expensive nickel they are currently made from:

Reuters reports the London Metal Exchange has been approached by several   potential bidders and will consider takeover proposals in late February according to its CEO. The LME handles some 80% of global trade in metals futures and a takeover will help the the 134-year old trading floor to compete against rapidly-expanding Asian metal trading hubs.

German mining and commodity group Deutsche Rohstoff AG said on Wednesday it will develop mining operations in east Germany to exploit estimated deposits of 38,000 tonnes of rare earths.

Listed Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) hit a record high in shipment volumes last year amid strong demand from China, a disclosure to the local bourse showed yesterday.

Canadian mineral explorer Continental Nickel Ltd (CNI) is set to start mining the mineral in southern Tanzania following positive exploration results.

Rare Element Resources' stock was up 15.17% from its opening price today to $4.13 a share after announcing results of an updated NI 43-101-compliant mineral resource estimate showing a measured and indicated mineral resource of 6.8 million tons at 3.75% rare earth oxides at its Bear Lodge Property in Wyoming, USA.

Wind turbine prices have dropped nearly one-third since 2008 according to a study by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.