Episode 160 | Local Lithium | Investissement Québec
I’ve asked the same question several times. The lithium supply chain circles the world. Is it possible to make a lithium-ion battery in the hemisphere? My guest believes they can build one in the same state (eh, province).
Investissement Québec is the Canadian province's economic development agency. My guest, Jean-François Béland is vice-president of Ressources Québec, a subsidiary tasked with forming a cohesive policy and investment strategy. He says Quebec has a tremendous amount of recoverable lithium. So far they have invested in at least two mining projects, Sayona’s Moblan Lithium Project and Nemaska’s Whabouchi Mine.
Both of these projects are located in Quebec’s James Bay region in the north. Jean-François says Canadians have been mining gold, copper, and diamonds there for years. “There’s at least 100 years of mining history,” he says of the region.
Lithium, however, is new, and Jean-François says there has been a mix of traditional mining firms and newer ventures staking claims in the region. “We see these companies move quickly,” he says. “When they see risk, they change course rapidly. They adapt.”
Compared to the solution mining operations in South America, the Quebec operations will be traditional open-pit mines. Jean-François says environmental concerns are a top priority for the province.
In addition to mining, Ressources Québec believes Quebec needs to manufacture the lithium it produces. Examples of plans in the region include a lithium refining facility (also Nemaska) and a cathode material/lithium recycling facility (GM, POSCO, BASF).
“The Quebec mining strategy is very focused and precise, from the mining to the cell,” says Jean-François, adding that this end-to-end supply chain will be “done in Quebec, under ESG criteria, with clean, green energy.”
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