Electric battery facility to be built in Sudbury, creating hundreds of jobs
Wyloo Metals has a deal with Greater Sudbury for land to build a battery materials processing facility in the city.
In a news release Wednesday, the city said the facility will fill a gap in Canada’s electric vehicle battery supply chain by establishing Canada’s first “mine-to-precursor cathode active material integrated solution.”
The facility will cost between $800 million and $900 million and will employ hundreds of people.
Wyloo CEO Canada Kristan Straub said the facility would provide the missing piece in Canada’s aspirations to develop a domestic EV battery supply chain, by producing low-carbon nickel sulphate and other 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,” Straub is quoted as saying in a news release.
“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.”
“The urgency to bolster North America's capacity for processing metals – in particular, nickel – has never been more apparent,” he added.
“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 … I want to thank the City of Greater Sudbury for its vision in fostering local industry and also want to acknowledge the support of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nations who we look forward to partnering with as we progress this project.”
Partnership with Wyloo
“We look forward to continuing the conversation and developing a partnership with Wyloo for this project,” Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Gimaa Craig Nootchtai said in the news release.
“Working together ensures our traditions and culture are incorporated in the economic development of the lands.”
“Being involved in these conversations is vital to our communities,” added Wahnapitae First Nation Chief Larry Roque.
“The partnership set to be developed with this project will showcase what needs to be done for other First Nations and private companies.”
“I look forward to continued support by the Ontario and Canadian governments to expedite a path forward to production, which will create a truly North American supply chain from mine to EV batteries,” Straub said.
Construction of the facility expected to begin following the construction of its proposed Eagle’s Nest mine. Mine construction is targeted to begin in 2027.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.