Lithion advances first commercial battery materials recycling plant 

Lithion Technologies (formerly Lithion Recycling) is building its first commercial plant to extract critical minerals from recycled batteries. The plant is located in St-Bruno-de-Montarville, near Montreal. The location was chosen for its access to feed material from Canada and the United States. 

Lithion has spent the last five years refining its technology at a commercial-scale demonstration plant. The plant in St-Bruno will process over 15,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries annually as well as non-conforming materials from cell and battery manufacturing. The plant capacity is equivalent to recycling battery material from 45,000 cars. 

The construction of the new plant was made possible with the financial support of the Quebec government, via Investissement Québec and the Fonds d'électrification et de changements climatiques, IMM Investment Global Fondaction, and General Motors. 

The recycling plant is to be commissioned this fall. That step will be followed by the construction of a hydrometallurgical facility that will produce battery-grade lithium, cobalt, and nickel. The hydromet plant is to come online in 2026, pending site selection and funding. 

Lithion’s business model includes the deployment of over 25 battery recycling plant worldwide by 2033. 

A brief description of the technology involved is posted on www.LithionRecycling.com.