Ontario Construction News staff wrirter
Wyloo has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Greater Sudbury to purchase a parcel of land to build a downstream battery materials processing facility.
The new facility will fill a critical gap in Canada’s electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain by establishing Canada’s first mine-to-precursor cathode active material (pCAM) integrated solution.
Wyloo CEO Canada Kristan Straub says the facility will produce low-carbon nickel sulphate and nickel-dominant pCAM, key ingredients for EV batteries.
“Recognizing the global demand for electric vehicles and other clean technologies, Canada has invested over $40 billion to date to establish the country as a global hub for the EV industry. While we commend this investment, it has exposed a significant gap in the North American EV supply chain, specifically, the conversion of ore to battery chemicals,” he said.
“The urgency to bolster North America’s capacity for processing metals – in particular, nickel – has never been more apparent. Our facility will be the missing piece that builds the capacity to process battery materials right here in Sudbury.”
Nickel for the facility will be supplied by Wyloo’s proposed Eagle’s Nest mine in the Ring of Fire region of northern Ontario, as well as other sources of third-party nickel-bearing feed and recycled battery materials.
“With Eagle’s Nest as our anchor, combined with third-party feed from other North American sources, we are building enough capacity to meet 50 per cent of the nickel demand from the announced EV investments,” Straub said.
“Our commitment is to deliver a responsibly sourced supply of high-grade clean nickel from extraction to processing, establishing a stable and ethical supply chain without relying on imports from overseas.
Greater Sudbury was selected as the location for the facility due to its global leadership in the mining sector and forefront in the shift to clean technologies, as well as its commitment to Indigenous reconciliation with First Nation communities.
“Greater Sudbury has the land, the talent and the resources that are needed for the future of mining and BEV technology, as demonstrated by Wyloo selecting our community for the first Canadian facility of this kind,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre.
“Our rich mining history, decarbonization efforts and sustainable mining practices set us apart, and have ensured that we are ready to support and drive innovation. We are a global mining hub that is investing in the future, and we look forward to working with Wyloo and local Indigenous partners as this project progresses.”