Wyloo Metals, the privately held battery resources unit of Australia iron ore baron Andrew Forrest, has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City of Sudbury in Ontario to secure a parcel of land to build a downstream battery materials processing facility.
The new facility will fill a critical gap in Canada’s electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain by establishing Canada’s first mine-to-precursor cathode active material (pCAM) integrated solution, the city said in a news release.
Wyloo CEO Canada Kristan Straub said the facility would provide the missing piece in Canada’s aspirations to develop a domestic EV battery supply chain, by producing low-carbon nickel sulphate and nickel-dominant pCAM, key ingredients for EV batteries.
“Recognizing the global demand for electric vehicles and other clean technologies, Canada has invested over C$40 billion to date to establish the country as a global hub for the EV industry. While we commend this investment, it has exposed a significant gap in the North American EV supply chain, specifically, the conversion of ore to battery chemicals,” Straub said.
“The urgency to bolster North America’s capacity for processing metals … has never been more apparent. Our facility will be the missing piece that builds the capacity to process battery materials right here in Sudbury.”
Nickel for the facility will be supplied by Wyloo’s proposed Eagle’s Nest mine in the Ring of Fire region of northern Ontario, as well as other sources of third-party nickel-bearing feed and recycled battery materials.
“With Eagle’s Nest as our anchor, combined with third-party feed from other North American sources, we are building enough capacity to meet 50% of the nickel demand from the announced EV investments,” Straub said.
Greater Sudbury was selected as the location for the facility due to its leadership in the mining sector and forefront in the shift to clean technologies, and its commitment to Indigenous reconciliation with First Nation communities.
“Being involved in these conversations is vital to our communities,” said Wahnapitae First Nation Chief Larry Roque. “The partnership set to be developed with this project will showcase what needs to be done for other First Nations and private companies.”
Wyloo is currently completing a scoping study for the project, with construction of the facility expected to begin after the construction of its proposed Eagle’s Nest mine. Mine construction is targeted to begin in 2027.
