General Discussion Topics, page-60594

This is a great insight podcast piece from just a week ago which clearly re-enforces why Becancour is so important to the Growth of the Chemicals conversion strategies of the Companies it is attracting there.

So my main takeaways from this interview with Electra Battery Materials Corporation's CEO Trent Mell are as follows :-

a.) That production is not near enough after talking with Auto Partner's they are talking to and forecast by 2025 / 26 are nowhere near enough ( in terms of North American needs ) .

b.) Why Quebec : because Quebec ...you clearly have ALL the players gathering there in their Industrial Park at Becancour , they have to grow or someone else is going to do it for them , 2 cathodes and 2 pre-cursor Companies there with him being pretty sure there is a THIRD one coming .......

c.) Steps involved and advantages : Keep product in ' solution stage ' saving on capex and opex because you have 2 or 3 cathode producers ' On sight '. Plus recycling advantages not so dependent on DRCP materials. Doing pre-feasibility with appointment of 29 year experienced and ex -Vale executive ( while VALE has also chosen Becancour ) .

d.) Financial incentives : Far more expected from Quebec Government than the sub 10% they received on their Ontario re-fit at their First Cobalt plant ( which is running about 1 year behind schedule at the moment if you go by earliest published articles versus what he says in the podcast about commissioning in 6 months from now ) . Lots of money on BOTH sides of the border . Lots of Funding available to them across multiple jurisdictions , agencies , Provinces , National ...etc....

So the amount of support available for its SECOND facility at Becancour is ' Markedly ' different to that of what they received for their Ontario Plant. e.) Canadian Government wants to build ' CANADIAN CHAMPIONS ' - Canada has a ' Mining and Processing ' History ( advantage ) . FIRST MARKET MOVER advantage - BEFORE foreign investors plant their stake.

And Becancour and Ontario won't be the ONLY 2 Lithium Supply Chain Industrial Parks.

And so there are another couple of significant recent dates we can add to the ones which were provided in Post #: 62296320 in regards recent ' off-take ' dates .

Below are these additional dates together with some of the surrounding ' narrative ' in regards these recent developments at Becancour ( including GM / POSCO ).

In my view , these developments and the fact that they have BOTH happened in June 2022 would suggest and support the idea that a more nearer term announcement of strategic direction coming from Sayona is on the horizon.......( and perhaps Piedmont ) , and which should disclose the details with respects to their own decision to confirm Becancour as a genuine confirmed location as well as its broader plans for a Lithium Hydroxide Refinery operation at Becancour :-

And if Electra can get on the front foot at only pre - pre-feasibility stage developments , then why can't ....or moreover why shouldn't Sayona and Piedmont be doing the same. What exactly would be stopping them or holding them back.

Would it be because Nemaska is getting ' First bite at the Apple '.....? Or could it be that we are also being contemplated somehow in a ' Joint ' proposal with Nemaska's partners Livent / Pallinghurst ? Could this even be a possibility ?

Whatever the case , I reckon that Sayona and Piedmont ought to get a move along fairly quickly.

9th June 2022 - VALE announces per Miningdotcom and other published articles “The proposed project in Becancour, Quebec, would be the first fully domestic nickel sulfate production plant for the North American market,” Vale said.

The company had announced in May a long-term deal with Tesla Inc to supply the US-based electric vehicle maker with nickel from its Canadian operations, and said at the time it had a strategy of increasing its exposure to the electric vehicle industry.

22 June 2022 - In a June 22 news release,from Timmins.com as well as other media sources - Electra said they’ve started preliminary discussions with the Quebec government to build a new cobalt refinery that will be integrated into an larger battery material parks in that province.

“ Given a forecast deficit in domestic cobalt sulfate production by 2025, we have received significant interest from industry and government stakeholdersto build a second refinery in North America,” said company CEO Trent Mell in a statement.

“ The industrial park in Bécancour, Quebec is quickly becoming an important future hub for EV battery materials in North America given its numerous advantages, including a deep-water port, extensive infrastructure, hydro-electric power, strong support from the Quebec government, and a qualified work force.

Bécancour, a town of about 12,800 between Montreal and Quebec City, is being called “Lithium Battery Valley”for its strategic marine and rail logistics hub for companies to manufacture the advanced materials needed for lithium-ion batteries to power the electric vehicle revolution.