Canadian development firm Nemaska Lithium has announced the production of 1.5 tonnes of battery grade lithium hydroxide produced from its Whabouchi spodumene mine in Quebec.
Nemaska president and CEO Guy Bourassa said: “This is the first time a new entrant to the market has produced battery grade lithium hydroxide from ore to final product.”
Bourassa said the move “is a major step forward for Nemaska Lithium as it confirms the quality of its product as well as the robustness of its electrochemical process”.
The announcement comes two years after Nemaska secured a $12.87m technology commercialisation grant to produce compounds for the lithium battery market.
Independent laboratory analyses confirm that the lithium hydroxide produced from Nemaska’s phase one demonstration plant in Shawinigan “meets the specifications of cathode manufacturers globally”, the company said.
The lithium hydroxide was scheduled to be shipped to a cathode manufacturer in Quebec, Nemaska said. “Production of lithium hydroxide from Whabouchi mine concentrate is on going at the phase one plant and additional deliveries of lithium hydroxide will occur on a regular basis over the next months.”
Nemaska said the lithium hydroxide was derived from a 6.3% Li2O spodumene concentrate that was produced from a bulk sample taken from Whabouchi this year. “Approximately 1,100 tonnes of concentrate were produced. This concentrate will be converted during the coming months into lithium hydroxide samples for customers globally to begin qualifying Nemaska Lithium’s products.”
