Ontario Construction News staff writer
Electra Battery Materials Corporation has awarded a $25-million construction package to complete the solvent extraction (SX) building at its cobalt sulfate refinery complex north of Toronto, as the company advances work on what it describes as North America’s only cobalt sulfate refinery.
The contract was awarded to WB Melback Corporation, a locally based industrial construction firm. The package covers concrete and civil works, structural steel erection, piping installation, and electrical and instrumentation integration tied to the refinery’s SX circuit.
Electra issued a limited notice to proceed to allow early works to begin while a definitive construction agreement is finalized.
Early execution activities now underway include engineering verification, construction sequencing, quality assurance and health, safety and environment (QA/HSE) planning, shop drawing development, material verification, site investigations, and enabling civil and structural works to support mobilization.
“The project remains aligned with our budget and schedule expectations,” said Paolo Toscano, vice-president, projects and engineering. “With key construction packages awarded, long-lead equipment delivered, and contractors mobilized on site, we are moving through the construction and toward commissioning next year.”
Recent work completed at the site includes:
- Mobilization of construction management, inspection, and contractor coordination teams across the refinery site
- Completion of concrete work for the pregnant leach solution filter
- Completion of concrete work and installation of the steel structure for the neutralization clarifier
- Delivery and staging of major long-lead equipment and process materials
- Refinery-wide quantity verification, spool development, and tie-in planning activities
- Demolition preparation and sequencing reviews for retrofit installation scopes
The company also reported delivery and staging of major long-lead equipment, refinery-wide quantity verification and tie-in planning, and demolition sequencing for retrofit work.
Current construction activity across the refinery complex includes SX building site preparation and civil works, material staging and structural steel coordination, neutralization clarifier installation, crystallizer piping fabrication and spool development, and broader piping installation and tie-in work.
Skilled trades, engineering teams and construction management personnel are now fully mobilized on site.
Electra says the refinery project is part of a broader strategy to onshore critical mineral refining capacity in North America and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. In addition to the cobalt sulfate refinery, the company is advancing black mass recycling initiatives and evaluating opportunities in nickel refining and other battery materials.
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