Name of the Project
Electra Battery Metals Material Park.

Location
Ontario, Canada.

Project Owner/s
Electra Battery Materials Corporation, formerly First Cobalt.

Project Description
Electra is building North America’s only fully integrated, localised and environmentally sustainable battery materials park.

The park will host cobalt and nickel sulphate production plants, a large-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility, and battery precursor materials production, which will serve North American and global customers. 

The cobalt refinery is expected to have an installed capacity of 6 500 t/y of cobalt.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
As at February 2022, the project’s control budget remains at $67 million (C$84-million).

Planned Start/End Date
Commissioning is on schedule for December 2022.

Commercialisation of the battery recycling plant is expected in 2023.

Latest Developments
Electra announced a financial commitment of C$250 000 from the Canada government in March 2022 in support of a recently announced battery materials park study.

The study was initially announced on February 23 as a partnership with the government of Ontario, Glencore and Talon Metals. Project contributions from all parties total C$950 000 and will be completed in phases, with  results expected in the third and fourth quarters of 2022.

The project will be expanded to encompass additional environmental social and governance studies, as well as further engineering and cost studies associated with the construction of a nickel sulphate plant and a battery precursor cathode active materials plant adjacent to Electra’s cobalt refinery and recycling plant.

The culmination of this work will result in the creation of North America’s first integrated, localised and environmentally sustainable battery materials park.

Electra reported in February 2022 that fabrication of major long-lead equipment packages was under way, including solvent extraction, crystallisation and filters, with the arrival of key equipment on site starting in May 2022.

Detailed engineering for the new solvent-extraction plant was 60% complete, with all major components procured. In the new crystallisation facility, all equipment has been sized and is being manufactured.

Brownfield mechanical equipment verification was 50% complete, with all major existing equipment having been tested and the demolition of redundant circuits under way.

Construction of the new solvent-extraction building and crystallisation facility was scheduled to start at the end of the first quarter, with major mechanical installations and overland pipe installations forecast to start in in the second quarter.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Ausenco Engineering Canada (independent fea­sibility study); Knight Piésold (geotechnical drilling); Story Environmental (permit to take water); and Metso Outotec (design and manufacturing of solvent extraction cells, as well as technical support for the layout of a new solvent extraction plant and its process control).

Contact Details for Project Information
Electra Battery Materials Corporation, tel+1416900 3891 or email info@ElectraBMC.com.