Electra, partners to conduct Ontario battery metals project study

Electra Battery Materials will conduct a study in partnership with the Government of Ontario, Glencore, and Talon Metals to determine the feasibility of building nickel sulfate and battery precursor cathode-active materials plants adjacent to its Ontario operations, the company said Feb. 23.

"Partnering with Glencore and Talon on this study provides a clear path toward subsequent implementation of the battery materials ark project," Michael Insulan, Electra's vice president of commercial operations, said in a joint statement.

"Glencore's position as a global powerhouse in the battery materials sector provides the possibility for immediate raw material feed for the proposed nickel sulfate plant whereas Talon's nearby Tamarack project is well-positioned to become one of the most important nickel suppliers in the western hemisphere."

The joint study will examine engineering needs, permitting, socio-economic impacts, and costs associated with the construction of the new facilities. Results are expected by the end of the year.

Electra expects to commission its 5,000 mt/year cobalt refinery in Ontario this year, and it will then pursue work to add battery recycling operations at the site. The study to pursue nickel sulfate processing and precursor production represents the next stages of the company's vision to build an integrated battery materials park concept at the complex to supply the electric vehicle market.

There is currently no cobalt, nickel sulfate, or cathode precursor production in North America.

Electra CEO Trent Mell said the domestic sourcing of raw material, along with the use of hydroelectric power and proximity to key end markets, will promote the company's production of nickel sulfate with a low carbon footprint.

"There has been insufficient scrutiny of the nickel supply chain, particularly the very high carbon footprint associated with producing battery-grade nickel from nickel laterite deposits, but that is starting to change," Mell said. "The low-carbon North American alternative that we are proposing is much more compatible with the transition toward zero-emission vehicles to lower global greenhouse gases."

Glencore produces nickel concentrate at its Sudbury Basin mining complex in Ontario, and Talon Metals is developing its Tamarack nickel-copper-cobalt project in Minnesota under a joint venture with Rio Tinto.