Lithion, a developer of technologies to recycle lithium-ion batteries and create a circular supply of materials, announced Monday it has completed construction of its first commercial critical mineral extraction plant, Lithion Saint-Bruno, in St-Bruno-de-Montarville, near Montreal, Québec.
The build marks the first lithium-ion battery critical mineral extraction plant in North America’s north-east, the company said.
In 2022, Lithion recieved C$22.5 million ($16.1m) in funding from the Quebec government, including a 15 million equity investment in the company’s capital stock through Investissement Québec and C$7.5 million in grants from the Fonds d’électrification et de changements climatiques. Lithion also received funds the same year from Quebec-based Fondaction, and from Korea’s IMM Investment Global, to fund the plant construction.
Lithion Saint-Bruno is now in the commissioning phase, and has a team of 20. At full capacity, the plant will employ 60 people, it said.
The opening of a storage facility based in the US will soon follow, the company said, adding that discussions are underway with business partners to deploy similar plants in the US and Europe.
“Today, we’re adding a new link to our integrated battery value chain. From mining to recovery, Québec stands out for producing the greenest battery in the world. The inauguration of the first commercial plant for Québec-based Lithion Technologies strengthens our industry and opens the door to a battery circular economy in Québec,” Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, said in a media statement.
“To ensure circularity and reduce pressure on resources and the environment, the energy transition underway in Quebec requires the creation of a value chain for our critical materials,” the Minister said.
