The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Positive PEA draws attention to Canadian manganese project Metal Tech News - May 17, 2022
Manganese serves as a stabilizing element in cathodes of the NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) lithium-ion batteries used in most electric vehicles and cordless electronics.
Manganese X Energy Corp. is rapidly advancing plans to become a North American producer of manganese, an oft-overlooked metal critical to lithium-ion batteries.
The company recently published a preliminary economic assessment that outlines a financially robust mine at its Battery Hill project in New Brunswick that would produce an average of 68,000 metric tons of battery-grade, high-purity manganese sulphate sulfate monohydrate (HPMSM) annually for 47 years.
This long-lived operation is based on 35.1 million metric tons of measured and indicated resources averaging 6.24% manganese and 10.94% iron; plus 27.7 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 6.46% manganese and 10.73% iron.
Given the robust economics – an after-tax net present value (10% discount) of US$486 million and 25% internal rate of return – a mine and processing facility at Battery Hill is expected to pay back the US$350 million capital costs for its development in just 2.8 years.
"The PEA represents the most significant milestone to date for Manganese X and makes us the forerunner of becoming the first publicly traded company in Canada and the US to commercialize high-purity electric vehicle quality compliant manganese," said Manganese X Energy CEO Martin Kepman.
Battery Hill also happens to be road accessible and only about eight miles east of the Maine border, which offers affordable access to manufacturers in both the United States and Canada that need this metal to stabilize the structure of the lithium-ion batteries powering EVs and a plethora of cordless electronics.
While not as talked about as other battery ingredients such as cobalt, lithium, and nickel, manganese gives the nickel-manganese-cobalt lithium-ion batteries that are most widely used in EVs and electronics their middle name. This is because manganese acts as a stabilizer in the structure of the NMC cathode materials that are key to the performance of lithium-ion batteries.
Traditionally, however, selenium has been used to create battery-grade manganese. This additive is regarded as a negative mark on the environment and the quality of the manganese. This problem has been addressed by Manganese X, which has worked with Kemetco Research Inc. to develop a process for producing battery-grade manganese without introducing selenium.
"Thanks to our proprietary extraction process, we can develop a superior quality manganese product by eliminating selenium, considered a toxic pollutant and yet utilized by some of the HPMSM producers worldwide to reduce their costs of production," Kepman added. "Given selenium is a highly toxic element, its use negatively impacts the environment and is known to affect the quality of downstream products, particularly for high-end applications such as lithium-ion-battery production."
The company says it is already in discussions with several potential strategic partners looking to source the high-purity manganese products that could be produced at Battery Hill.
"We have received great feedback after publishing our strong PEA," said Kepman. "Currently, there is zero manganese mining in Canada and the US. We aim to change this, and we are working diligently to facilitate a new North American production."
Because Battery Hill is the site of a former iron mine and more recent bench-scale development programs aimed at establishing a manganese operation there, Manganese X enjoys a considerable head start on delivering battery-grade manganese to the North American market.
Due to the previous developments, the site already has much of the needed infrastructure in place – security and administration buildings; crushing facility; process plant; sulfuric acid plant; truck shop and maintenance facilities; waste rock storage facilities; run-of-mine mill feed stockpile; filtered residue storage area; sediment ponds; power, water, and fuel supply.
As the next step to fast-track the development of Battery Hill, Manganese X has begun work on a pilot plant program that will utilize the company's selenium-free solution for producing high-purity manganese sulfate.
Kepman has already visited Kemetco, a leading metallurgical laboratory based in British Columbia, to discuss various options to advance the pilot program.
By establishing a pilot plant at Battery Hill, Manganese X plans to demonstrate its proprietary process under near commercial-scale operating conditions, using a modular design that can be scaled up to help meet the expected rapid rise in market demands for high-quality, battery-grade manganese.
"At the current rate of EV production, a significant manganese deficit is being forecasted," said Kepman. "Our Battery Hill manganese property and its corresponding long economic life cycle will help to mitigate this deficit down the road."
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
Reader Comments(0)