The Canadian technology company Mangrove Lithium has opened a lithium refinery at its headquarters in Delta, British Columbia. According to Mangrove, it is the first commercial facility in North America to use an electrochemical refining process. The plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 1,000 tons of lithium, enough to supply about 25,000 electric vehicles.
New Refinery Aims to Reduce Import Dependency
The refinery uses its own electrochemical technology to convert lithium from various raw materials into battery-ready products. Mangrove claims this process is more economical and flexible than traditional chemical methods. The company also aims to reduce dependence on lithium imports with the facility. Currently, the majority of global lithium processing takes place outside North America.
At the same time, Mangrove Lithium announced another project in eastern Canada. A facility will be built to process spodumene and further refine lithium. This facility could supply material for up to 500,000 electric vehicles annually. One of the requirements for this is state funding of up to 21.88 million Canadian dollars through Natural Resources Canada, which has only been provisionally approved so far.
