Project for the acquisition of expertise allowing the development and integration of a regional battery recycling sector.

PROJECT COST:

2 823 000 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

721 182 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

The CNETE has been collaborating with Société Laurentide since 2010 and with Nemaska Lithium since 2014 for the development of green chemistry projects, the valorization of residual paints and the production of lithium hydroxide. These partnerships have generated significant regional impacts, notably contributing to the establishment of Nemaska Lithium’s production facility in Shawinigan.

Société Laurentide currently manages the collection and sorting of used batteries across the province of Quebec, with a medium-term objective of launching alkaline battery recycling operations, followed by the integration of lithium-based battery recycling processes. A long-term industrial synergy is being developed between Nemaska Lithium and Société Laurentide, aiming to enable Nemaska to recover lithium from end-of-life batteries. This collaboration will underpin the development of a high-tech energy ecosystem and reinforce regional R&D and innovation capacities—critical assets for attracting additional industrial actors to the region.

The CNETE will serve as the principal scientific partner in this initiative. The project will contribute to the advancement of novel scientific expertise within the center and support the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP).

The project is structured around three core technical phases for each battery type:

1) Mechanical conditioning,

2) Extraction and refining

3) Purification of lithium-enriched solutions and assessment of cathode materials synthesized from recycled battery feedstocks

The scientific and technological know-how developed through this initiative will also be applicable, in the medium to long term, to support other industrial projects focused on the recovery of slag, ash, and rare earth elements from various types of residues. Several key organizations—including the Centre de transfert technologique en écologie industrielle (CTTEI), the Université de Montréal (UdeM), and the National Research Council of Canada (CNRC)—will collaborate in the implementation of the project.