https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/
Canada can’t refine the mineral from hard rock right now but companies are looking to change that
A lithium exploration company working in the N.W.T. says getting a mine ready for production could be anywhere from six to eight years away – but already, it’s evaluating how it would get the material refined and battery ready without relying on China.
“It’s likely that Edmonton will be an obvious place for an energy hub for lithium processing in future,” said David Smithson, Li-FT’s senior vice president of geology. According to the International Energy Agency, worldwide demand for critical minerals – like lithium – is expected to double by 2040. Keeping the supply chain within Canada is one of the major tasks ahead.
Li-FT’s deposits, found in rock, can be crushed and separated but the material still needs to be converted into something that can be used in batteries – like lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, two final products typically used in lithium batteries.
For the rest of this article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/n-w-t-critical-minerals-lithium-processing-1.7501294