Name of the Project
Bécancour lithium carbonate refinery.

Location
Quebec, Canada.

Project Owner/s
Lithium and rare earths exploration and development company Lithium Universe.

Project Description
Lithium Universe aims to establish a Canadian-based lithium chemicals business, acquiring spodumene feedstock from domestic suppliers and international markets, including Brazil and Africa, and producing a battery-grade lithium carbonate product.

A definitive feasibility study – published in February 2025 – on the proposed Bécancour refinery has shown the project to be robust, even in a low pricing environment.

The project aims to produce up to 18 270 t/y of green battery-grade lithium carbonate using a smaller off-the-shelf-style plant rather than large, difficult-to-operate facilities. Feedstock will be sourced from Canada, Brazil and Africa.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has shown itself to be economically feasible, with a pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of about $718-million and an internal rate of return of about 21%, with a payback of 3.9 years. This is based on a price forecast of $1 170/t for spodumene concentrate, or SC6, and $20 970/t for battery-grade lithium carbonate.

Capital Expenditure
$549-million, which includes a contingency of $51-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Not disclosed.

Contact Details for Project Information
Lithium Universe, tel +61 2 8046 2799 or email info@lithiumuniverse.com.