Lithium Universe and W8banaki councils form joint committee for Bécancour refinery

Lithium Universe (ASX: LU7) has established a joint committee with the Indigenous Abenaki Council of Odanak and the Abenaki Council of Wôlinak (W8banaki) to progress its Bécancour lithium refinery in Quebec.

The W8banakiak are the traditional landowners of the Bécancour Waterfront Industrial Park (BWIP), where the refinery will be located.

They are also expected to assist with a site impact assessment for the project.

Primary forum

Comprising two representatives from each party, the committee is designed to support mutually beneficial relations and ensure that all participants are fully informed and engaged in development discussions.

It will serve as the primary forum for communication and collaboration, project schedule management, compliance obligations and will also seek to promote opportunities for community involvement.

Council members will participate in the refinery’s environmental assessment process and contribute to the development of an impact analysis and study, taking into account the historical and current occupation of the land by the local W8banakiak people.

Respectful relationship

Lithium Universe chair Iggy Tan said the company was committed to encouraging a collaborative and respectful relationship with the councils to help progress the refinery project.

“The W8banakiak are key stakeholders for the Bécancour refinery and we look forward to building this critical project alongside the community.”

“[They] are a practical group with a deep understanding of the battery supply chain and extensive experience managing similar committees and impact assessment studies for our battery-focused neighbours in the industrial park,” he said.

Strategic location

The Bécancour lithium refinery is strategically situated south of Trois-Rivières, between Montreal and Québec City.

It is located within the BWIP on 0.27 square kilometres of land near a major highway, allowing for easy connection to the extensive North American highway network and will further benefit from daily service by the Canadian National Railway, enabling cross-continental transportation from east to west and north to south that links key ports on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Operating 365 days a year, the Port of Bécancour has a water depth of 10.67 metres and can accommodate vessels of up to 50,000 tonnes shipment capacity.