DELTA, British Columbia -- Last week, Mangrove Lithium opened its first commercial lithium refining facility in Delta, British Columbia. The first of its kind in North America, the plant will help establish a secure, domestic lithium supply chain for Canada and the North American market.
The commissioning of the plant represents a critical step in establishing a scalable refining pathway that can support North America's electrification goals.
The facility uses proprietary electrochemical technology to convert extracted lithium into battery-grade material. According to the company, the process is more economical, flexible, and sustainable than other chemical conversion methods. With a 1,000 tonne-per-year (1 ktpa) nameplate capacity, the plant can produce enough battery-grade lithium to support approximately 25,000 EVs per year.
Most global lithium refining takes place overseas, creating bottlenecks and adding supply chain volatility. The reliance poses significant challenges to North American energy security as EV adoption accelerates and jurisdictions race to localize battery and critical mineral supply.
Mangrove has also announced plans for a facility in Eastern Canada that will expand Canada’s lithium supply through a spodumene processing and lithium refining operation. The new facility will be able to supply 500,000 EVs annually. To advance the Eastern Canada facility, engineering and spodumene piloting studies are being supported by a conditionally approved contribution funding of up to $21.88 million CAD from Natural Resources Canada through its Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration Program.
As part of this expansion, Mangrove has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Élévra to secure spodumene feedstock from the North American Lithium (NAL) mine in Quebec, creating a clear pathway towards Canada’s first mine-to-cathode lithium supply chain.
"By commissioning the first commercial electrochemical lithium refinery in North America, we are proving that lithium can be refined domestically, sustainably, and competitively," said Dr. Saad Dara, CEO and founder of Mangrove Lithium. "This facility is an important step towards 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."
Mangrove's electrochemical refining technology converts diverse feedstocks into high-purity battery-grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate. The company is backed by Canada Growth Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Mitsubishi Corporation, Asahi Kasei, Orion Industrial Ventures, Export Development Canada and BDC Capital.
