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
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.