The consortium will focus on engineering, permitting, socio-economic and cost studies to build a nickel sulfate plant, in addition to a battery precursor cathode active materials (PCAM) plant beside Electra's cobalt refinery and recycling plant
Electra and partners will conduct battery materials park study in Ontario. (Credit: Akela999 from Pixabay)
Electra Battery Materials has collaborated with Government of Ontario, Glencore and Talon Metals to conduct a study for a battery materials park.
The consortium will focus on engineering, permitting, socio-economic and cost studies to build a nickel sulfate plant, in addition to a battery precursor cathode active materials (PCAM) plant beside Electra’s cobalt refinery and recycling plant.
The $549,844 (C$700,000) study will be sponsored by the government and the three participating companies.
The Ontario government and Electra will each provide $196373 (C$250,000), while Glencore and Talon will each offer $78549 (C$100,000) for the study.
The study is expected to help build North America’s first integrated, localised and environmentally sustainable battery materials park for the electric vehicle market.
The study will also focus on the construction of North American precursor manufacturing capacity, which will help reduce significant cost and carbon footprint through integration with refining operations.
Electra is negotiating with several PCAM manufacturers in Europe, Japan and Korea, as well as aims to collaborate with an established producer for an integrated and domestic battery materials park.
Electra battery materials CEO Trent Mell said: “Ontario is home to North America’s only battery grade cobalt refinery, an abundance of nickel and clean hydroelectric power.
“Together we can leverage Electra’s existing footprint and the Government of Ontario’s ambitions to build a world class battery supply chain in the province. The Government has been one of our biggest champions and we are grateful for their support.”
Electra is using a four-phased approach to construct battery materials park, which includes battery grade cobalt sulfate refinery that is expected to be commissioned in December this year.
The park also includes a battery recycling circuit that is expected to be operational in 2023, as well as a battery grade nickel sulfate and PCAM that are anticipated to be operational by mid-decade.
The joint study’s objective is the assessment of the technical, financial, and permitting requirements to build a battery grade nickel sulfate refinery and a PCAM facility situated near the firm’s hydrometallurgical facility in Ontario.
In addition, the consortium will focus on engineering, metallurgical work and other studies.