Photo: Mangrove Lithium Mangrove Lithium has opened what it says is North America’s first commercial electrochemical lithium refinery, a 1,000-tonne-per-year plant in Delta, British Columbia, aimed at strengthening the continent’s EV battery supply chain. The new site – known as the Single Stack Plant (SSP) – is Mangrove’s first commercial lithium-refining facility and its new headquarters. The company marked the opening with a ribbon-cutting in Delta. Most of the world’s lithium is still refined overseas, which creates bottlenecks and price volatility. As EV adoption ramps up, North America has been racing to bring more of that supply chain closer to home. Mangrove’s approach is different from traditional lithium refining. The company uses a proprietary electrochemical process to convert extracted lithium into battery-grade material, which it says is more economical, flexible, and sustainable than conventional chemical methods. Advertisement - scroll for more content At full capacity, the Delta plant can produce enough battery-grade lithium to support around 25,000 EVs per year. The facility is also a first step toward a larger goal of building a fully domestic lithium supply chain in Canada. Mangrove says it plans to develop a second, larger facility in Eastern Canada that would process spodumene and refine lithium at a scale large enough to supply batteries for about 500,000 EVs annually. To move that project forward, the company has secured conditional funding support of up to $21.88 million CAD from Natural Resources Canada through its Critical Minerals Research, Development, and Demonstration program. The funding will help support engineering work and spodumene piloting studies. Mangrove has also signed a memorandum of understanding with lithium producer Élévra to source spodumene from the lithium mine in Quebec. The idea is to link mining and refining into a single domestic supply chain – often referred to as “mine-to-cathode.” If successful, that would allow Canada to capture more value from its own resources, reduce reliance on overseas refining, and strengthen battery manufacturing at home. “This is a landmark moment not just for Mangrove, but for Canada,” said CEO and founder Saad Dara. “By commissioning the first commercial electrochemical lithium refinery in North America, we are proving that lithium can be refined domestically, sustainably, and competitively. This facility is an important step toward a fully Canadian lithium supply chain, one that strengthens our energy security, accelerates the transition to EVs, and positions Canada as a global leader in critical mineral processing.” Read more: Mangrove’s new lithium plant will boost North America’s EV game If you’ve ever considered going solar, make it easy by finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing by checking out EnergySage. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online, and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.
