2 First Nations collaborate with B.C. company on possible battery project in Belledune

Hannah Rudderham · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

Two First Nations successful bluish New Brunswick are moving with a British Columbia institution connected a task that could see a worldly for lithium-ion batteries produced successful Belledune.

Pabineau First Nation, besides known as Oinpegitjoig, and Ugpi'Ganjig First Nation, formerly known arsenic Eel River Bar, jointly ain a 10 per cent participating involvement successful the project, according to the Vancouver company. 

The material would incorporate chemic elements, including nickel, cobalt and manganese — each of which tin beryllium produced successful Canada, Pabineau Chief Terry Richardson said successful an interview.

It's known arsenic precursor cathode progressive material, oregon pCAM. 

Richardson said the communities have been moving with Positive Materials Inc. of B.C. for a mates of years, and helium estimates a works could pb to the instauration of 220 to 240 jobs in Belledune.

He thinks the timing is close to determination forward.

"It's 1 of the galore projects we're moving astatine the Port of Belledune on," helium said. "And this 1 is breathtaking due to the fact that it's 1 that there's a necessity close now, erstwhile you look astatine what's happening successful the world.

"And China fundamentally controls astir 90 per cent of pCAM production. So there's a request to diversify that market. And I judge that we person the solution."

LISTEN | Chief Terry Richardson connected pCAM accumulation installation proposal: 

According to the Positive Materials website, pCAM is the precursor worldly for the cathode extremity of the battery — the positively charged extremity and the astir invaluable constituent of a lithium-ion battery. 

Lithium-ion batteries are a benignant of rechargeable artillery utilized for a assortment of devices, specified arsenic powerfulness tools, powerfulness banks, laptops, cellphones and e-scooters. 

Marco Romero, the CEO of Positive Materials, said the earthy materials would beryllium mined elsewhere and past spell to the works successful Belledune to beryllium crystallized. From there, the crystals would beryllium sent to different cognition successful North America to beryllium baked and turned into the nanoparticles for the batteries. 

Romero said that erstwhile the institution was looking astatine Belledune arsenic a imaginable determination for the pCAM plant, it archetypal went to section First Nations and explained the task idea, asking for guidance.

"The effect was wonderful," Romero said. "It's morphed into a rather beauteous relationship, I'd say. We've worked precise closely, precise openly."

Positive Materials looked astatine 37 sites from Mexico up the eastbound seaboard into Canada. He said Belledune was unsocial due to the fact that it has a deep-sea, year-round port, a obstruction line, ample tracts of onshore and an concern workforce. 

Final investment decision to travel precocious 2026

Romero said Belledune scored precise precocious among the 37 sites and was prime fig one. Still, helium said, the last concern determination won't beryllium made until the 2nd fractional of 2026. 

If it goes ahead, operation would past 2 years, and the earliest determination would beryllium immoderate commercialized accumulation would apt beryllium precocious 2028.

Romero said portion 93 per cent of the world's accumulation of pCAM comes from China, determination is expanding accumulation successful South Korea, Japan and parts of Europe.

A fig of pCAM plants are planned for North America, helium said, but nary beryllium yet, and helium hopes a Belledune could beryllium first.

Richardson said a travel to Japan is planned for May to sojourn a pCAM works and spot however it operates and what the needs are. 

In an emailed statement, authorities spokesperson Michel LeBlanc said Opportunities New Brunswick played a relation successful promoting New Brunswick as a location for the project.

"ONB is actively moving with task proponents and applicable partners to measure however we tin lend to its success," helium said successful the email.

"This inaugural has the imaginable to bring important concern to the region, make high-quality jobs, and summation enactment astatine the Port of Belledune, further establishing it arsenic a cardinal economical operator successful bluish New Brunswick."

Richardson said helium recognizes that the state and First Nations request to beryllium moving unneurotic astatine this time.

"We person a authorities now, provincially, that wants to work, and we are moving with them," helium said.

And the travel to Japan won't just beryllium astir pCAM, helium said.

"We'll beryllium talking astir different imaginable markets that we person present successful New Brunswick that we could export. 

"So I deliberation these are things we person to bash — enactment together, not successful antithetic silos — and I deliberation that's a measurement we're making."