A joint venture formed by Electra Battery Materials Corporation (ELBM-X) and Three Fires Group will look to supply Electra with recycled battery materials that can be turned into valuable metals.

Dubbed Aki Battery Recycling, it will process lithium-ion batteries from manufacturers into a mix of metals called black mass at a planned facility. The black mass would be sold to Electra to be recycled at its site in Temiskaming Shores, Ont.

Metals such as cobalt, nickel and lithium would be extracted from the black mass as resources for new batteries, Electra said in a release.

Toronto-based Electra is developing a battery materials park in Temiskaming Shores where it plans to sustainably recycle batteries at commercial scale and refine cobalt sulfate. Its partner, Three Fires, is an Indigenous-owned investment and business development organization focused on clean energy projects. Three Fires committed to investing $20 million in Electra in 2023.

“This venture not only aligns with our mission to onshore North America’s EV (electric vehicle) battery supply chain, but to do so sustainably and through a scalable solution to meet the growing needs of the North American electric vehicle industry,” Electra CEO Trent Mell said in the release.

Laying out the plans for Aki

The arrangement for Aki will have Three Fires lead the capital resourcing, sourcing and selection of the location for a future facility in southern Ontario, while Electra will provide the technical and commercial leadership.

EV facilities are being built or planned for on the treaty areas of the Three Fires Confederacy, the release states, providing opportunities for sourcing. Having black mass production on the treaty areas “ensures participation in the energy transition by the very communities that will have battery manufacturing on their traditional territories,” the release states.

Electra’s hydrometallurgical process will be used to recover critical minerals with low environmental impact, the company said. Compared to conventional means, Electra says its technology produces approximately half of the greenhouse gas emissions and 30 per cent less water pollution, while requiring over 70 per cent less water. Hydro power will energize its cobalt sulfate refinery.

In 2023, Electra’s trial of its recycling technology processed 40 tonnes of black mass, which the company believes to be the first plant-scale hydrometallurgical recycling of the material in North America.

“We are excited to partner with Electra’s industry-leading hydrometallurgical capabilities to address the growing challenge of battery waste,” Reggie George, executive director of special projects and partnerships at Three Fires Group, said in the release.

"With the billions of dollars being invested into the southern Ontario battery manufacturing industry, ensuring that valuable materials are recovered and reused in Ontario, rather than discarded, is central to our shareholder First Nations’ interests. This initiative not only underscores our dedication to environmental stewardship but also enhances the circular economy in the battery industry.”

Electra’s cobalt refining

For construction of its cobalt sulfate refinery, Electra received $27 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense. Expectations are for it to produce up to 6,500 tonnes of battery-grade cobalt per year upon operations in 2026, enough to make batteries for one million EVs.

The company also told Sustainable Biz Canada it was raising $53 million of the $80 million to finish expansion of its existing facility.

A deal was struck in April for Electra to receive 3,000 tonnes of cobalt per year starting 2026, with LG Energy Solution signing a five-year off-take agreement for up to 80 per cent of production from the site.