Iggy Tan-chaired Lithium Universe has taken a significant step towards its bold plans to bring Canada into production by appointing an engineering firm to design a multi-purpose battery-grade lithium carbonate refinery in Quebec, Canada.
The clean energy company is chaired by former Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC) and Allkem (ASX:AKE) managing director Tan and is developing its flagship Apollo lithium project in the country.
Brisbane, Perth and Montreal-based consultants from study manager Hatch will work with members of lithium industry personality Tan’s Lithium Universe “Lithium Dream Team.”
The lithium big guns include global lithium industry expert, former Galaxy Resources general manager Dr Jingyuan Liu and lithium refinery head, ex-Hatch staffer John Loxton.
Tan and Liu previously worked with Hatch on the design and delivery of the Galaxy-operated 17,000 tonnes a year Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant opened in 2012 as the largest lithium refinery of its kind in the world.
Galaxy is now known as Allkem after a 2021 merger with Orocobre (ASX:ORE).
Lithium Universe Chairman Tan said he was pleased to have the opportunity to work with Hatch again.
Tan highlighted the quality of the plant the collaborators had produced, saying, “We have got the same team back together, and their role is to replicate the success of their previous experience at the Jiangsu lithium carbonate refinery.”
He noted that the Jiangsu plant was a global benchmark for lithium refineries known worldwide for producing high-quality battery-grade lithium carbonate.
“With this remarkable expertise and experience, Lithium Universe considers that it can replicate the same level of success in Quebec,” Tan said.
While MD at Galaxy, Tan assembled a globally leading, vertically integrated lithium business through the Mt Cattlin spodumene project near Ravensthorpe in Western Australia and a lithium processing plant in China.
Operation hub
Lithium Universe’s Quebec lithium processing hub is envisioned as a versatile standalone 1 million tonnes a year concentrator located alongside Apollo, capable of producing up to 16,000 tonnes of battery-grade carbonate a year.
The engineering study authors will aim to define the lithium refinery’s process and non-process infrastructure requirements and develop definitive estimated capital and project costs.
Lithium Universe has focused on lithium carbonate instead of lithium hydroxide because of its widespread use in lithium-iron-phosphate batteries.
The company’s staff members are knowledgeable about lithium carbonate-processing techniques and preferable processes for operations.
Canadian export Hatch has more than 15,000 staff members in more than 150 countries across the world.
Apollo mission
Lithium Universe’s 240 square kilometre 80%-owned Apollo lithium project is between the Patriot Battery Metals (ASX:PMT) Corvette project and the Winsome Resources (ASX:WR1) Adina project.
Among Patriot’s best drill results are 156 metres at 2.12% lithium oxide at the lithium project in James Bay, Quebec.
Volta universe
Lithium Universe was previously in the games, iron ore and gold industries, trading on the Australian Securities Exchange as Volta Mining (ASX:VTM) until 2016.
The company started trading on the ASX as Lithium Universe in August 2023.
