of material feed handling and lime delivery systems, two key circuits in Electra’s hydrometallurgical process designed to recycle end of life lithium-ion battery materials.
Under the parameters of the black mass demonstration, Electra plans to process up to 75 tonnes of material in a batch mode. Using its lab tested process, Electra anticipates the recovery of high value elements found in lithium-ion batteries, including nickel, cobalt, lithium, manganese, copper, and graphite.
Electra also anticipates the full commissioning of all equipment and circuits of the black mass recycling demonstration in the fall of 2022 with the full commissioning of the cobalt sulfate refinery expected in the spring of 2023.
LG Cobalt Supply Agreement
On September 22, 2022, the Corporation announced a commitment on key commercial terms for a three-year agreement (the “Cobalt Supply Agreement”) to supply battery grade cobalt to LG Energy Solution (“LGES”), a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for EVs. Subject to definitive agreements, the terms of the Cobalt Supply Agreement provide that the Corporation will supply LGES with 7,000 tonnes of battery grade cobalt from 2023 to 2025 to be produced at the Refinery. Final legal documentation and signing of the definitive agreement is expected to be concluded by December 31, 2022.
In addition to the supply agreement, Electra and LGES have agreed to cooperate and explore ways to advance opportunities across North America’s EV supply chain, including, but not limited to, securing sustainable sources of raw materials. Financial terms of the Cobalt Supply Agreement are subject to confidentiality restrictions.
Highlights of Scoping Study on Integrated Material Facility
On September 8, 2022, the Corporation announced the highlights of an engineering scoping study prepared by a global engineering firm related to development of an integrated facility that outlined a path to growing nickel, cobalt and manganese refining, recycling of battery black mass material, and precursor cathode active material (“pCAM”) manufacturing using a hydrometallurgical flowsheet and leveraging the Corporation’s emerging expertise and the Refinery.
The scoping study assessed the economics and carbon footprint of various nickel feed options to develop an integrated facility producing 10,000 tonnes per annum of battery grade nickel sulfate and nickel equivalent pCAM, components essential to production of EV batteries.
The scoping study examined the construction of a battery grade nickel sulfate refinery in Ontario by 2025-26, with three feed base loads: nickel sulfides, Class 1 nickel metal and ferro nickel, supplemented with recycled battery black mass and nickel-rich mixed hydroxide precipitate.
Commensurate with a scoping study, a number of general and untailored assumptions were used to assess the economics of the facility, with the outcomes and economic metrics having a margin of error of +50% / -30%.
Capital costs to build an integrated facility producing 10,000 tonnes per annum of nickel sulfate and nickel equivalent pCAM materials were anticipated to be between $550 and $650 million.
Operating costs to produce 10,000 tonnes per annum of nickel sulfate and nickel equivalent pCAM materials on an integrated basis were anticipated to be between $125 and $133 million per year or between $13,000 and $13,600 per tonne of nickel sulfate produced (excluding byproduct credits), configured for NMC 811 EV battery chemistries.
Other key assumptions affecting the economics of the scoping study including an exchange rate of US$1 to $1.31, forward escalation or contingencies for future construction and operating costs were not considered, by-product values were excluded and sensitivities to changes in key inputs were not performed.
Greenhouse emissions from producing 10,000 tonnes per annum of nickel sulfate and pCAM materials configured for NMC 811 battery chemistries would range from 14,000 and 16,000 of tCO2e per year, resulting