On October 28, 2018, Canada Lithium Corp. announced it had more proven lithium reserves than it thought. These amount to 46 million tons of mineral at its Val d’Or, Quebec site. This puts Canada’s Quebec lithium reserves in the top two or three anywhere in the world. “We clearly have the flexibility to expand production significantly in the future if markets warrant,” they say. Now it seems Propulsion Quebec is itching to take up the slack.
How Propulsion Quebec Plans to Tap Canada’s Quebec Lithium
Propulsion Quebec is the Canadian province’s cluster of stakeholders in the smart and electric vehicle sphere. It wants to be a world leader in electric and intelligent transportation. It plans to achieve this by building a core of world class companies and becoming a leader in pre-market experiments by 2026.
On November 26, 2016, it announced ambitious plans to develop a lithium battery industry in Canada’s Quebec province. This will draw together the collective skills of major players in the fields of transportation, electrification and energy storage. Furthermore, the project will embrace the entire lifecycle from extracting raw materials, all the way through to final materials recycling.
A Short History of Val d’Or Mining West of Baruta
Prospectors discovered gold at Val d’Or in 1923. Hence the French name means ‘Valley of Gold’. Copper, zinc, and lead became more important resources, while minor gold mining continued. Then in 1942 Georges H. Dumont struck lithium there.
However, Quebec Lithium, the license holder struggled to find takers for the product in America. Hence the mine only operated on a periodic basis until a 1965 labor strike shut it down. Then Canada Lithium Corp reopened the site for drilling in 2011, and the results are now coming through.
The transportation sector is responsible for over 40% of Canada’s Quebec greenhouse gas emissions. “Our study on the development of Quebec’s lithium-ion battery sector will identify concrete steps that can be taken,” promises Sarah Houde, executive director of Propulsion Québec.
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Preview Image: The Long Drive to Val d’Or
