Canada gets closer to building first EV battery refinery

The Government of Ontario is starting to warm up to electric vehicles (EVs) as it invests $250,000 into the development of North Aerica’s first battery-grade nickel sulfate facility.

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The government is investing this money alongside another $250,000 from Electra and $100,000 each from Glencore plc and Talon Metals.

The goal of these companies and the Ontario government is to study and collaborate on potentially building a nickel sulfate plant and a battery precursor cathode active materials plant beside an existing cobalt refinery and recycling factory.

Ideally, building these factories within the same area allows the companies to work more efficiently to transform raw metals and other mined materials into battery parts. In the future, Electra is hoping to supply 1.5 million EV batteries to the world annually.

The bodies involved are all hoping that Canada’s reliance on renewable hydroelectricity and the proximity to the feed materials will make the materials made in Canada some of the lowest carbon footprints around.

“The low carbon North American alternative that we are proposing is much more compatible with the transition towards zero-emission vehicles to lower global greenhouse gases,” said Electra CEO Trent Mell, in a press statement.

Electra is the company spearheading this operation, and it hopes get all of these buildings commissioned and under construction by 2025 at the latest. However, the company is getting closer to building the battery-grade cobalt sulfate refinery, so construction could launch as early as 2023.

Source: Electra