Highlights
– Mission is advancing effectively and stays on monitor
– Engineering milestones embrace plant format, tools packages, datasheets, scopes of labor, and specs
– Procurement precedence one packages for quotes about 60% full
– Early contractor engagement and strategic threat task
– Environmental work is progressing with no show-stoppers recognized up to now
– Sturdy engagement from Federal, Provincial and Native Authorities
– Becancour Lithium Refinery effectively aligned with Provincial technique
– Mature native authorities help and mission understanding
Procurement
Procurement actions embrace sending technical specs to suppliers for detailed quotations to construct the capex estimation. For precedence one mechanical tools, 9 packages have been issued, with seven gives acquired and evaluations at present underway. 5 precedence one electrical tools provide packages might be issued for inquiry inside the subsequent week. The purpose is to guage all precedence one packages by the top of September.
Because of potential lead occasions for electrical transformers, the tenderer checklist might be expanded to cut back these lead occasions.
Engineering
The key engineering actions embrace finalizing the plant format and making ready documentation for tools packages, equivalent to datasheets, scopes of labor, and specs. Key duties additionally contain creating the principle energy distribution single line diagram and offering clarifications in the course of the tender interval. Moreover, proposals acquired are being totally reviewed to make sure they meet mission necessities. Efficient dealing with of course of effluent and website runoff is one other crucial focus space. The event of the bundle register, materials take-offs (MTOs), and complete tools lists are ongoing, guaranteeing all crucial elements and particulars are precisely documented and arranged for the mission’s profitable execution.
Plant Format
The primary launch of the plant format has been revealed, with a number of options nonetheless beneath improvement. These embrace new plant areas such because the boiler plant and course of effluent remedy. Structural framing of buildings and HVAC techniques are in progress, together with civil works encompassing drainage, street pavements, automobile paths, sedimentation ponds, and automobile parking. The situation and variety of plant change rooms is being optimised.
Efforts are being made to boost spodumene and residue storage, specializing in supplies dealing with and capability. Moreover, the routing of main pipe and cable racks is being deliberate. The format on-site is being designed with consideration of seemingly environmental constraints to make sure compliance and sustainability. These developments purpose to boost the general effectivity and effectiveness of the mission.
Environmental Work
The staff is actively concerned in subject inventories to develop information of the biodiversity current on website. 4 subject campaigns have been carried-out to survey the presence of short-eared owls, breeding birds, fish and fish habitat, and wetlands. Primarily based on preliminary outcomes, no species in danger nor species of concern as listed beneath the Canadian Species at Danger Act (SARA) have been recognized to this point. The mission staff can also be engaged in actions to optimize the positioning format and cut back encroachment on wetlands recognized on the property. Surveys are anticipated to be accomplished in the course of the Canadian Summer season. Subject stock outcomes might be used to help environmental allowing actions and discussions with the Regulators to make sure website format and the design of the economic facility are developed in full compliance with the environmental regulatory framework.
A Part I examine to know earlier makes use of of the positioning is progressing and no potential environmental legal responsibility has been recognized primarily based on preliminary outcomes. The Part I Examine is predicted to be accomplished by the top of July. Over the approaching months, the staff is predicted to provoke the preparation of allowing paperwork to make sure the Mission follows formal approval strains.
Priorities
The very best priorities for the subsequent few months embrace finalising the environmental allowing and approvals program, which entails finishing the preliminary subject survey, briefing with the Ministry, finalising the Part 1 Report, and making ready the primary software. Engineering work crucial for the environmental allow software can also be a prime precedence, specializing in civil design, up to date plant format, and water administration technique. In parallel, tools procurement will contain preliminary engineering, securing vendor proposals, and establishing schedules. Confirming the remedy of course of effluent and website runoff is essential for environmental compliance.
Moreover, commencing civil and structural engineering work is important to take care of mission momentum.
Finalising the plant format will guarantee all elements are appropriately positioned and built-in. Lastly, execution section planning might be progressed, contingent on the month-to-month price range, to make sure that all actions are appropriately funded and scheduled for environment friendly mission development.
Authorities and Neighborhood Engagement
A visit by key management members to Jap Canada. The delegation, led by CEO Alex Hanly and together with Chairman Iggy Tan, Board Administrators Patrick Scallan and Dr. Jingyuan Liu, and Canadian Director, Victoria Vargas, engaged with authorities stakeholders, group companions, and trade friends. The conferences in Montreal, Becancour, Quebec Metropolis, and Ottawa bolstered the Firm’s technique to handle the Lithium Conversion Hole in North America and offered updates on our engineering progress and industrial discussions.
Ministry of Economics, Innovation, and Vitality
A gathering was held in Quebec Metropolis with the Honourable Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economics, Innovation, and Vitality. This follows the Firm’s preliminary presentation of the Firm’s distinctive technique in November 2023 in Dubai. As soon as once more, Minister Fitzgibbon expressed enthusiasm for our engineering progress, the acquisition of the Choice settlement inside the Becancour Industrial Park, and the Hydro-Quebec software for an estimated 22.5MW vitality allocation for our Becancour Lithium Refinery.
Lithium Universe emphasised Quebec’s strategic advantages, together with hydroelectric energy, proximity to the James Bay area, and logistic benefits with port entry to the transatlantic area. The Minister reiterated his help for our imaginative and prescient of remodeling Quebec into the Centre of Lithium Conversion for the transatlantic area.
The Firm is impressed with the forward-thinking provincial authorities of Quebec and the progress of the Strategic Innovation Zone beneath the pragmatic steerage of Minister Fitzgibbon.
Becancour Lithium Refinery Web site
In February 2024, the Firm efficiently executed an choice settlement to amass a refinery website strategically situated inside the Becancour Waterfront Industrial Park (BWIP). The positioning in Becancour, near Trois-Rivieres, lies between Montreal and Quebec Metropolis and is close to main highways and railways. The Port of Becancour helps year-round operations with deep-water entry. The positioning gives low-cost hydroelectric energy, strong infrastructure, and complete water and waste services, ideally suited for the proposed Lithium Refinery.
The Firm as soon as once more met with key executives from the BWIP in Becancour. The assembly centered on the Firm’s progress in website analysis actions and included a presentation on the method design, that includes footage from a reference lithium carbonate refinery. The port was confirmed to have the capability to handle 50,000-ton bulk shipments, exceeding the Firm’s preliminary necessities. The Firm had the chance to examine Lot 22, encompassing an space of 27-hectare, and think about the proximity to infrastructure and speedy tiein to current BWIP utilities. The SPIPB staff offered an outline of deliberate expansions and facility upgrades to the onsite infrastructure, positioning Becancour as a pacesetter in providing prime industrial actual property in Quebec.
The Firm might be seeking to begin numerous group initiatives to combine the economic website into the broader group.
Municipality of Becancour
The Firm met with the Mayoress of Becancour to debate the Firm’s targets to contribute to the native financial system by offering a whole lot of employment alternatives and serving to to comprehend its financial potential.
LU7 reaffirmed its dedication to the Becancour and wider Trois-Rivieres area, pledging to help numerous social, group, and environmental initiatives within the coming years. The Mayoress expressed enthusiasm for the Firm’s plans inside the SPIPB, recognizing the event of a confirmed and dependable design with internationally aligned course of outputs.
Provincial Authorities – Quebec
The Firm additionally met with key delegates in Montreal from Investissement Quebec (IQ), the Ministry of Pure Sources and Forests (MRNF), Vitality Transition Valley Innovation Zone, and the Ministry of the Surroundings, the Battle In opposition to Local weather Change, Wildlife and Parks. The provincial authorities has recognized a lithium conversion hole inside the provide chain, essential for servicing the anticipated improve in spodumene provide from the James Bay area within the coming years. Quebec is a North American chief in attracting overseas direct funding, sustainable improvement, and supporting battery metals tasks. The province has a robust historical past of supporting lithium battery provide chain improvement, with vital provincial and federal authorities incentives.
Latest authorities help consists of the Normal Motors (GM) and Korea-based POSCO Chemical compounds’ US$1 billion cathode energetic materials (CAM) manufacturing unit, the Ford/EcoPro BM US$800 million cathode manufacturing unit, and Northvolt’s US$7 billion EV Battery Facility at Saint-Basile-le-Grand. This creates a beneficial regulatory surroundings for the Firm’s mission, guaranteeing strong help all through the cycle.
Canadian Federal Authorities – Ottawa
The Firm met with numerous federal authorities stakeholders from Put money into Canada (IIC), Pure Sources Canada (NRCAN), Innovation, Science and Financial Growth (ISED), and Export Growth Canada (EDC). Given the dearth of refining capability in Canada, LU7’s lithium carbonate plant is an revolutionary mission, as there are not any present working or deliberate services of this sort inside the nation. Constructing lithium conversion capability alongside spodumene mines will allow Canada to turn out to be wholly self-sufficient within the lithium chemical provide chain.
Hatch – Montreal
The Firm and its engineering associate, Hatch, held a productive assembly on the Montreal workplace to align their shared tradition and fast-track improvement imaginative and prescient. They bolstered the philosophy of “identical course of, identical tools, identical provider,” which minimizes technical dangers, ensures high quality, and reduces prices. The operational environments in Australia and Canada share many similarities, facilitating the mixing of expertise into Quebec.
Hatch’s management in constructing lithium conversion services and tackling difficult tasks validates the choice to associate with them. By means of this collaboration, the Firm acknowledges Hatch’s experience because the premier lithium refinery engineering skilled.
Lithium Universe Chairman, Iggy Tan mentioned, “The mission is on monitor, finalizing plant format, issuing capex specs, progressing provider quotes, with clean workplace transition, and no environmental points, guaranteeing readiness for capex value estimate. The reception from federal, provincial and native authorities delegates has left a really optimistic impression on the LU7 Board of Administrators. The area has made sturdy commitments since releasing the Vital Minerals Methods 4 years in the past and we’ve got seen that within the vital investments made inside the battery provide chain and pragmatic discussions held with key authorities executives. We look ahead to advancing the Firm’s Becancour Lithium Refinery to contribute in making Quebec the lithium conversion centre inside the Transatlantic area.”
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About Lithium Universe Ltd:
Lithium Universe Ltd (ASX:LU7) (OTCMKTS:ESMAF), headed by trade path blazer, Iggy Tan, and the Lithium Universe staff has a confirmed monitor document of fast-tracking lithium tasks, demonstrated by the profitable improvement of the Mt Cattlin spodumene mission for Galaxy Sources Restricted.
As a substitute of exploring for the sake of exploration, Lithium Universe‘s mission is to shortly acquire a useful resource and assemble a spodumene-producing mine in Quebec, Canada. Not like many different Lithium exploration firms, Lithium Universe possesses the important experience and expertise to develop and assemble worthwhile tasks.
Supply:
Lithium Universe Ltd
