Vale completes prefeasibility study on new nickel sulphate project
Canadian mining giant Vale has completed an important milestone in the proposed nickel sulphate project expanding into Quebec.
Vale has finished the pre-feasibility study for the proposed project in Bécancour, Que. that will help supply material used to make lithium-ion batteries.
This news comes more than two months after the federal government announced it will invest $2 billion on mineral strategy for the electric vehicle battery supply chain and one month after Vale inked a deal with Tesla to supply nickel for its electric vehicles.
"This strategic initiative highlights Vale's focus on delivering low carbon and high-purity nickel products into the growing electric vehicle industry," the company said in a news release Thursday.
"(It) would be the first-of-its-kind fully domestic nickel sulphate facility for the North American market, leveraging current and future production of low carbon and high-grade nickel from Vale's world-class Canadian operations."
The new operation would be able to process 25,000 tonnes of contained nickel into nickel sulphate annually, the study suggests.
A final investment decision and project schedule depends on board and regulatory approvals, as well as downstream battery supply chain integration and requirements, Vale said.
"This is a key validation for a project that offers both diversified sales and an accelerated entry point into North America's burgeoning electric vehicle supply chain," said Deshnee Naidoo, the executive vice president of Vale Base Metals.
"We look forward to continued discussions with potential partners, as well as with the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada, to bring this strategic project to fruition."
In Canada, Vale currently has operations in:
- Sudbury, Ontario
- Toronto, Ontario
- Port Colborne, Ontario
- Thompson, Manitoba
- St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Voisey's Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Long-Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.