Temiskaming refinery operator Electra Battery Materials has delivered the first shipment of nickel and cobalt from its recycling operation in northeastern Ontario.
The Toronto company didn’t specify in a July 17 news release on the customer or how big the shipment was, but what went out the door was a nickel-cobalt mixed hydroxide precipitate product (MHP) produced during trials of its black mass recycling operation.
Black mass is a mineral-rich material that's pulled from spent lithium-ion batteries. It includes nickel, cobalt and lithium among other metals.
Electra launched its black mass pilot program last December to test out its equipment at the refinery, The company wants to recover this material to supply the North American electric vehicle market.
“The first customer delivery of product from our refinery marks another important milestone on the path to commercializing our black mass refining capabilities,” said Electra CEO Trent Mell in the release.
“Since the trial’s launch late in 2022, we have proven that our proprietary hydrometallurgical process works successfully, produces high-quality products, including lithium carbonate and nickel-cobalt MHP, and supports compelling economics.”
Electra is continuing construction its cobalt sulfate refinery located between the communities of Temiskaming Shores and Cobalt.
