Lithium Mine Claims Annual 500K BEV Output Potential
North American fans of BEVs will welcome news that a lithium mine claims it will be able to produce enough of the battery ingredient to power 5M vehicles in the next 10 years.
Snow Lake Resources claims this amounts to the potential production of around 500,000 electric vehicles per year. Based in Manitoba, Canada, the company is developing the world’s first all-electric lithium mine to enable domestic supply of this critical resource to North America. The site boasts access to the US rail network via the Arctic Gateway railway, which reduces transportation from thousands of miles by road and boat to just several hundred by train.
The company plans to establish a joint venture to create a lithium hydroxide processing plant and is seeking a partnership with an automotive manufacturer or a battery manufacturer to deliver this. The proposed plant will be located in CentrePort Canada in Southern Manitoba and a scoping study is underway to identify the most effective approach to deliver a world-class lithium hydroxide plant within the Manitoba Province.
The 55,000-acre site is expected to produce 160,000 tons of 6% lithium spodumene a year over a 10-year period. Currently, the company has explored approximately 1% of its site and is confident that further exploration will increase estimates over the course of the next year. Its planned mine will be operated by almost 100% renewable, hydroelectric power to ensure the most sustainable lithium manufacturing approach. It anticipates that mining operations will transition to commercial production targeted for 2025.
Philip Gross, CEO Snow Lake Lithium said: “As we rapidly transition to electrification, it’s essential for the future of the North American automotive industry that we build a rock to road battery supply chain. Local sourcing of critical raw materials, such as lithium, is the only logical step to create a vertically integrated domestic supply chain. Snow Lake Lithium has access to a rich lithium resource and is on the doorstep of North American manufacturers. This is enough lithium to power 500,000 electric vehicles a year produced in North America, which would significantly reduce logistics and emissions that would be created by importing raw materials from China.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
