Lithium Universe highlights plans, progress in meeting with Québec officials
Lithium Universe (ASX: LU7) has highlighted the regional importance of its Canadian lithium downstream development plans in a meeting with Québec officials.
Québec is a major focus area for Lithium Universe and its strategy to explore a string of Canadian lithium tenements with the ultimate aim of resourcing and constructing a spodumene-producing mine in the province.
The company is also progressing with its Québec Lithium Processing Hub (QLPH) stand-alone multi-purpose concentrator.
In the meeting with government and Investment Québec officials, the province’s Minister of Economics, Innovation and Energy Pierre Fitzgibbon and Hubert Bolduc, president, Investissement Québec International, Lithium Universe chair Iggy Tan, along with chief executive officer Alex Hanly and other directors, outlined the company’s strategy to help Canada’s lithium downstream challenge.
Company’s experience on display
Mr Tan said the meeting provided the company with the opportunity to present its “Lithium Dream Team”, its proven track record of building successful lithium projects around the world and its objective to address the significant challenge facing the Canadian lithium industry by establishing local, smaller-scale, downstream-focused refineries.
“The meeting proved immensely fruitful, showcasing Minister Fitzgibbon’s profound grasp of the lithium sector and his remarkable vision for Québec. His emphasis on innovating battery materials left us thoroughly impressed,” Mr Tan reported.
The company’s initial strategic approach will commence with refining operations while securing raw materials and move upstream to take advantage of Québec’s highly-prospective James Bay region.
Mr Tan said the extremely-productive discussions confirmed the Québec government understood Lithium Universe’s strategic goals.
“The minister appreciated the unique strategic objective of Lithium Universe and stressed the importance for the Quebec government to integrate its critical minerals supply chain in Québec.”
Québec hub progressing
In late November, Lithium Universe reported outstanding progress had been made in an engineering study on the company’s QLPH stand-alone multi-purpose concentrator.
The concentrator is rated at a 1 million tonnes per annum processing rate with an assumed feed grade of 1.1% lithium oxide, for an estimated output around 140,000tpa of spodumene concentrate at a grade of around 5.5% lithium oxide to maximise recoveries.
So far, the study team has provided block flow and process flow diagrams. Studies have also delivered a mass balance along with process design criteria, which showcase mass flows, splits, and anticipated tonnages concerning significant equipment.
The team has also initiated work on the piping and instrumentation diagrams to present a more intricate layout of equipment, process streams, instrumentation and control logic.
Mr Tan said the engineering study’s progress is setting the stage for the definitive feasibility study for the QLPH.
He said the next steps would include finalising equipment specifications and data sheets, enabling Lithium Universe to approach suppliers for concrete pricing.
New Montreal office
Lithium Universe’s assimilation into the Canadian mining sector includes this month’s establishment of an office in Montreal, the largest city in the Québec province.
Mr Tan said the office will enable the company to strategically grow its presence in the province and enable it to streamline its operations with key stakeholders in the region such as engineering partners HATCH and Primero Group.
The company’s decision to establish a permanent presence in Québec followed the recent appointment of Victoria Vargas as director of its wholly-owned subsidiary Lithium Universe Holdings.
Ms Vargas will be based out of the Québec office, where she will be responsible for strengthening the company’s exposure to international capital markets and also facilitating corporate development opportunities.