We want our share of the pie: vertical integration is the way to build a domestic EV battery supply chain

According to a panel discussion during PDAC 2022 (pages 35-37), we are in the middle of an energy and technology revolution during which the world needs the critical minerals and raw materials Canada has. The demand for battery materials could mean a paradigm shift for Canada’s mining and metals sector. The four things we must build and do right now to be considered a serious player in the critical-minerals marketplace are discussed in the report by Colin Hardie in this issue.

Additionally, according to a recent report by Clean Energy Canada and the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, EVs are to claim 35% of the global car market in 2030, up from 9% in 2021. A key takeaway from this report is that Canada has the potential to build a domestic EV battery supply chain that could easily support 60,000 jobs and contribute $12 billion in GDP if no government action is taken; however, it could create up to 250,000 jobs by 2030 and add $48 billion to the Canadian economy annually if Canada plays its cards right.

An effective strategy to achieve that would double down on EV assembly, battery cell manufacturing, and clean battery materials production. In our feature article on mining in Quebec and the Maritimes, we interviewed Eric Desaulniers, founder, president, and CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) (pages 12-15) to get more insight into NMG’s experience as a Canadian model for vertical integration and sustainability. The company is developing a fully integrated source of carbon-neutral battery anode material in Quebec for the growing lithium-ion and fuel cell markets to become a strategic supplier to the world’s leading battery and automobile manufacturers.

In this issue, we also feature several articles on clean mining and clean energy in addition to our new departments on technology and ESG.

In keeping with the topics of clean mining and innovation, CMJ has been providing extensive coverage of the innovations and new technologies that are improving our industry’s standards. This month, we would like to invite you to our virtual symposium on October 12. Under the theme “Reimagine Mining,” we’ll be engaging with the industry leaders taking mining into the next generation and looking at real solutions for the mining industry in innovation, automation, and water management to deliver more of the minerals the world needs under increasingly high social and environmental standards. Please join us along with our speakers: John McCluskey, President and CEO of Alamos Gold Inc.; Chris Kennedy, director of Water at Teck Resources Ltd.; Monique Simair, CEO and principal scientist at Maven Water & Environment; and A.J. Macdonald, vice-president of Engineering at Integrated Sustainability. For more details, please visit the Events section of our website.