Lithium is a “jewel” that Quebec has yet to exploit, Premier François Legault said on Sunday.
Speaking to the youth wing of the Coalition Avenir Québec meeting in Sherbrooke, Legault dreamed of a Quebec that would one day export lithium batteries around the world, noting that the province is home to the world’s third-largest deposit of lithium, an element essential to the manufacturing of batteries used by electric vehicles.
Along with other “strategic metals” that are also found in Quebec, Legault said it would be possible to construct “100-per-cent Quebec batteries.” “We have the potential to take our place in this enormous market,” Legault said.
Legault also touted the growing artificial intelligence sector in Montreal as a means that would allow Quebec to put itself on the map in the field of driverless cars.
The premier also pointed to Quebec’s abundance of hydro-electric power as a means to reduce the province’s importation of hydrocarbons, which presently costs $10 billion annually. “Between now and 2050, we can charge our batteries with our electricity and travel thanks to our expertise,” he said.
For the original source of this article: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-is-poised-to-be-a-leader-in-lithium-exploitation-legault-says