Lithium refinery opens in British Columbia, Canada
This comes as the provincial Government of Ontario announces the building of a Mine Rescue Training Institute.
Mangrove Lithium in British Columbia opens what it claims is North America’s first commercial electrochemical lithium refining facility.
The company says the plant will be able to supply 1,000t p.a. of lithium, enough for 25,000 electric vehicles.
The event was marked by a ribbon cutting at its new headquarters and single stack plant in the city of Delta, with speakers including the Canadian Government's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
The national government says Canada’s total lithium resources are an estimated 6.5Mt, with the country currently the world’s seventh-largest producer. By refining more lithium at home, Canada hopes to capture additional market value, strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on highly concentrated foreign processing markets, enhancing supply chain and energy security.
Meanwhile, Ontario is investing $125mln into a Mine Rescue Training Institute in Sudbury, aiming to train 540 volunteers a year.
The 120-acre institute will be funded by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to deliver advanced, hands-on training in realistic underground and surface mining environments.
