Kingston has become an unlikely hub for minerals recycling amid a talented labour pool, shipping access, and close proximity to auto manufacturers
Author of the article:Aimée Look, Special to Financial Post
Published May 29, 2023
Li-Cycle CEO Ajay Kochhar speaks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President of the European Union Ursula von der Leyen during a tour of Li-Cycle's Kingston location on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. PHOTO BY STEPH CROSIER/THE WHIG-STANDARD/POSTMEDIA NETWORK
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s first visit to Canada earlier this year included only two stops
The main one, of course, was Ottawa, where she met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and addressed Parliament.
Von der Leyen’s second stop was a bit of surprise. Dignitaries of her stature would normally add Toronto or Montreal to their itineraries. Instead, Trudeau and von der Leyen motored two hours southwest to Kingston, Ont., Canada’s 24th largest city, according to Statistics Canada, with a population of about 173,000 people.
Kingston is home to the Royal Military College, and Russia’s war with Ukraine was an important theme of von der Leyen’s visit. So, the tiny city at the confluence of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario made for a suitable backdrop.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s first visit to Canada earlier this year included only two stops
The main one, of course, was Ottawa, where she met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and addressed Parliament.
Von der Leyen’s second stop was a bit of surprise. Dignitaries of her stature would normally add Toronto or Montreal to their itineraries. Instead, Trudeau and von der Leyen motored two hours southwest to Kingston, Ont., Canada’s 24th largest city, according to Statistics Canada, with a population of about 173,000 people.
Kingston is home to the Royal Military College, and Russia’s war with Ukraine was an important theme of von der Leyen’s visit. So, the tiny city at the confluence of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario made for a suitable backdrop.
Capt. Bradley Hoople escorts Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen at Canadian Forces Base Kingston, Ont.
PHOTO BY ELLIOT FERGUSON/THE WHIG-STANDARD/POSTMEDIA NETWORK
But there were soldiers in Ottawa. What the national capital lacked was a way to amplify how Canada could help with von der Leyen’s second priority: securing a supply of the minerals that will be needed for the energy transition
That’s where Kingston came in. The city isn’t renowned for extracting minerals, but it’s becoming an unlikely hub for recycling them, which became apparent in early May when Swiss commodities giant Glencore PLC teamed with Kington’s Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. to help it build what could become Europe’s biggest battery recycling plant at an old lead refinery in Italy.
Geopolitical cameo
The EU estimated it will require 60 times its current amount of lithium to attain climate neutrality by 2050.
Von der Leyen and Trudeau spent part of March 7 visiting Li-Cycle’s new facilities, giving the upstart a brief cameo on the geopolitical stage.
Western democracies have spent much of the past year organizing to weaken China’s influence over the supply of the minerals and other inputs that go into the technology that will power the green economy.
But there were soldiers in Ottawa. What the national capital lacked was a way to amplify how Canada could help with von der Leyen’s second priority: securing a supply of the minerals that will be needed for the energy transition
That’s where Kingston came in. The city isn’t renowned for extracting minerals, but it’s becoming an unlikely hub for recycling them, which became apparent in early May when Swiss commodities giant Glencore PLC teamed with Kington’s Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. to help it build what could become Europe’s biggest battery recycling plant at an old lead refinery in Italy.
Geopolitical cameo
The EU estimated it will require 60 times its current amount of lithium to attain climate neutrality by 2050.
Von der Leyen and Trudeau spent part of March 7 visiting Li-Cycle’s new facilities, giving the upstart a brief cameo on the geopolitical stage.
Western democracies have spent much of the past year organizing to weaken China’s influence over the supply of the minerals and other inputs that go into the technology that will power the green economy.
No comments:
Post a Comment