Electra Battery Materials encouraged by results of battery recycling demonstration plant
February has been a mixed bag of good results and problems for Electra Battery Materials in its redevelopment of a Temiskaming cobalt refinery.
The Toronto organization announced it is achieved a North American first in recovering valuable metals from its ‘black mass’ demonstration plant at the northeastern Ontario web-site.
But on the flip aspect, Electra is conducting a project evaluation following some important setbacks, starting off with the arrival of a ruined piece of equipment and continuing with issues arising from the world-wide lack of microchips.
And the company’s timelines to get started commissioning the cobalt refinery this spring? Throw that schedule out. Electra explained which is “no longer applicable” with the evaluate is underway on the timing of the refinery startup, cash expending, and planned output of cobalt sulfate.
Electra’s contractors are refurbishing, upgrading and growing the former Yukon refinery located just exterior the town of Cobalt.
Cobalt creation and the battery product recycling are aspect of a sequential build-out towards setting up a just one-of-a-form battery materials industrial park by 2026. It would be the very first of its form in North America with Electra’s primary customer base remaining the Canadian and U.S. electric powered motor vehicle industry.
When operational, the plant sophisticated could make involving 200 and 300 careers. Electra’s present job group numbers 31.
Electra spelled out in a Feb. 14 news introduced that it recently been given a customized-designed piece of processing equipment, valued at US$600,000, that was harmed in transit.
The 60-foot-extensive falling movie evaporator vessel is earmarked for use in the refinery’s crystallization circuit, the closing stage of the cobalt sulfate refining system. Upon inspection, it was considered the vessel can be mounted but onsite repairs will need to be carried out ahead of it can be commissioned.
Adding to Electra’s woes is that the shortage of microchips essential for the refinery’s automatic process management programs. This has induced a delay in the supply of “several” method elements.
Whilst development has been designed in building, Electra stated it can only go so far, pending shipping of these elements. The refinery is at the 90 to 95 per cent completion mark in procurement, detailed engineering and development of a new solvent extraction plant.
A corporation spokesperson stated the offer chain disruptions could end result in a halt in building at some issue but the timing of this sort of a final decision is not clear.
In light of these concerns, Electra stated the baseline assessment will go over the refinery project scope, scheduling and capital expenditures.
Effects will be out in the coming weeks, stated Electra CEO Trent Mell in a statement.
“Ongoing worldwide provide chain disruptions, notably with microchips necessary for checking tools effectiveness and the stream of cobalt answer by means of various vessels, coupled with the receipt of destroyed equipment that is critical to the buildout of the crystallization circuit have made unexpected delays to the commissioning of our cobalt sulfate refinery timelines,” Mell mentioned.
“While we assess a selection of options, like the procurement of products from alternative resources of offer, building has progressed ahead of products deliveries. Website-stage leadership is completing a baseline overview of the task and the business anticipates supplying an update in conjunction with our yr-finish effects to be issued right before the stop of March.”
On the furthermore aspect, Electra explained it is observing beneficial success from its black mass trials that Mell stated are “extremely encouraging.” Electra has a proprietary hydrometallurgical process it’s commenced tests at the refinery prior to Christmas.

.

The company stated it was capable to recover nickel, cobalt and manganese that originated from shredded lithium-ion batteries. Electra doesn’t essentially shred the batteries but buys the powdery black mass from providers that specialize in crushing batteries.
Electra didn’t release any success on the steel recoveries but Mell termed the final results “validation” for their procedure. It’s also the initially time the once-mothballed refinery has been in output immediately after currently being idle for a decade.
The trial was set up to approach 75 tonnes of black mass with screening ending by the very first quarter this calendar year. Electra now explained it will lengthen this tests by means of to June to generate cash via the sale of many goods from this materials.
The total quantity of content to be processed has not been determined. The business mentioned it is in discussions with multiple black mass suppliers.
“We have set up relations with black mass producers in North America and abroad to aid our ongoing efforts,”said Mell.
Engineering scientific studies will also be completed to determine the prices of making a long-lasting recycling plant up coming to the existing refinery.
Electra thinks this is the 1st time there is been recycling of black mass in North The united states using a plant-scale hydrometallurgical system to manufacture a blended hydroxide nickel and cobalt item. Competitor companies utilize a pyrometallurgical smelting course of action that has a increased carbon footprint and decreased metallic recoveries.
Electra also not long ago elevated US$51 million in debt securities, in the kind of secured convertible notes, to address a refinancing and to guidance its refinery programs. This will repay US$36 million of senior secured notes that had been to experienced in 2028. The remaining US$14 million will toward the refinery structures, products, infrastructure, engineering and other venture administration fees.
The organization is also in discussions with govt seeking $10 million from Ottawa and Queen’s Park to assistance the refinery startup. The two stages of govt experienced formerly committed a merged $10 million toward the venture.

