Canada Lithium produces battery-grade lithium carbonate in initial sample shipment to China off-take partner
24 July 2013
Canada Lithium Corp. has successfully produced battery-grade lithium carbonate from its processing plant near Val d’Or, Québec.
Initial commissioning of the solvent extraction and bi-carbonate sections of the hydrometallurgical circuit has resulted in the production of a number of batches of 99.5%, 99.6% and up to 99.9% battery-grade material. Sample shipments are en-route to Tewoo Group in China under a five-year off-take agreement.
Commissioning of all the plant hydrometallurgical circuits is ongoing and the company continues ramping up throughput.
Canada Lithium is nearing completion of the commissioning phase of an open-pit lithium carbonate mine and processing plant in Lacorne Township near Val d’Or, Quebec. Full production of an annualized 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate is targeted for later in 2013/early 2014.
| Onsite mine and process plant in commissioning phase. |
The company signed a five-year off-take agreement for a minimum of 12,000 tonnes per year with Tewoo-ERDC, one of China’s largest commodities traders. A second off-take for up to 5,000 tonnes per year was recently signed with Marubeni Corp., a major Japanese commodities trading company.
The Leaf uses around 20kg or so of lithium carbonate, so this is enough for around a million electric cars a year!
Of course, although BEVs are the shiny new toy on the block, by far the biggest use of lithium carbonate is for unglamorous industrial greases.
Posted by: Davemart | 24 July 2013 at 11:33 AM
This is the smallest plant of 6+, to open in the same area, in the next 5 years or so, if the price for battery quality lithium carbonate is right?
There will be no shortage of lithium and lithium batteries for future electrified vehicles.
Posted by: HarveyD | 24 July 2013 at 02:49 PM
The canard was that going from petrol to electric would simply replace dependency on imported oil from unstable countries with dependency on imported lithium from unstable countries.
Aside from the fact that the notion was absurd in the first place as you can't compare a resource which is burnt and vanishes to one which is built into car batteries as a one-off and even at the end of the batteries life can be recycled it is obvious that there are plenty of resources within NA.
So that lays to rest a second canard, that lithium is too scarce to be used to power cars worldwide.
People argue some incredibly daft things when they are seeking to rationalise a position they have already staked out.
Funnily enough the same people suffer from poor memory when the absurdity of their claims becomes too glaring to be denied anymore.
It wasn't them.
Posted by: Davemart | 24 July 2013 at 03:20 PM
Another reality is that future batteries will use a lot less recyclable lithium per kWh.
Yes, NA could produce and recycle all the lithium required to operate 300+ million EVs for 15,000+ miles/year each.
Producing more clean electricity is not a real challenge. Distributing (mostly at night time) it would require minor changes.
Posted by: HarveyD | 24 July 2013 at 04:16 PM