MONTREAL, Feb. 6, 2025 /CNW/ – Investments in critical minerals are essential for Canada to seize the economic opportunities presented by a low-carbon economy and to capitalize on its rich mineral resources. Canada is well positioned to be a global leader and a reliable supplier to the world of critical minerals, which are increasingly in demand to power essential for powering the digital economy. By developing and expanding critical mineral value chains — from mining and processing to manufacturing and recycling — Canada can create good jobs, support economic opportunities, reduce reliance on countries like China and contribute to a resilient and secure future. 

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced up to $43.5 million in investments under two critical mineral funding programs that will help to advance critical minerals research and infrastructure developments in Quebec.

Today’s announcement includes up to $39.8 million in conditionally approved investments, pending final due diligence, under the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) for six energy and transportation infrastructure projects to support critical minerals development:

Up to $20 million for Critical Elements Lithium Corporation to construct a new main electrical station and relocate 4.2 kilometres of transmission line to service its Rose Lithium-Tantalum Mining Project in Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec.Up to $1.1 million for Dumont Nickel to conduct a feasibility study to connect its nickel and cobalt project to the Hydro-Québec grid via an eight-kilometre transmission line.Up to $1.3 million for Sayona Nord Inc. to advance an approximately 55-kilometre transmission line that will provide electricity grid connection for their Moblan lithium project located in Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec.Up to $13.5 million for Eskan Company, an Indigenous-owned company, to undertake a feasibility study to extend the Renard Mine access road by 87 kilometres toward lithium-based minerals projects located in Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec.Up to $1.3 million for Cbay Minerals Inc to complete a feasibility study and environmental and social impact assessment to support the development of two-lane gravel roads and 25-kV electrical powerlines connecting the Corner Bay and Devlin deposits close to the town of Chibougamau in Eeyou Istchee James Bay, Quebec,Up to $2.6 million for Commerce Resources to study the feasibility of an approximately 1,7560- kilometre road that would connect the Ashram rare earths and fluorspar project. This infrastructure will support the increase of the production of rare earth elements and fluorspar from the Ashram Deposit in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec.

Under the Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) program, the federal government is also investing $3.7 million to COALIA to pilot the extraction and purification of lithium from spodumene ore using nitric acid, enabling the recovery of lithium and byproducts to be recycled as nitrogen fertilizers, minimizing waste material production. This will demonstrate and validate the economics and efficiency of a novel lithium process.

This new funding is a direct result of enhanced collaboration between the Government of Canada and the Province of Quebec through the new Quebec-Canada Collaboration Table on Energy and Resources, announced earlier today.

Together, the Governments of Canada and Quebec, within their respective jurisdictions, are creating the good jobs and enduring prosperity that will come with the unprecedented economic opportunities of building a strong 21st-century economy. The initiatives announced today will help support a variety of opportunities for clean growth while creating a greener, healthier, more resilient Canada.

Quotes

“These projects, under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, will help expand Quebec’s sustainable critical minerals production, notably rare earths that are used in electronics, clean energy, aerospace, automotive and defence. Developments like this help mines get built faster, and they are a key element in seizing the generational opportunity before us. The Government of Canada is supporting projects that strengthen Canada’s supply chains, enhance our ability to be a reliable supplier of the critical minerals the world is demanding and foster economic growth while creating good jobs.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“Our government is investing in key infrastructure for Quebec’s critical minerals sector. With new roads to critical mineral mining sites, we’re strengthening our supply chains, creating good jobs, and supporting economic growth.”

The Honourable Anita Anand
President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport of Canada

“The fight against climate change requires all of us to work together, and today’s announcement is a product of true collaboration between our government and Quebec. By investing big in critical minerals research and infrastructure development, we are not only accelerating our transition to a low-carbon economy but also securing generational economic opportunities for Canadians to take the lead in the global shift to net zero.”

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“On behalf of Critical Elements Lithium Corporation and its shareholders, I would like to thank Canada’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry and Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests for their support of the Rose Lithium-Tantalum Project. Critical Elements Lithium has been steadily advancing and derisking the Rose Lithium-Tantalum Project, and the provision of these funds is an important step in this process. We would also like to note the importance of our strong relationship with our Cree neighbours, embodied by the Pihkuutaau Agreement of July 2019 and based on mutual trust and respect, resulting in a sustainable development approach. It is clear from our ongoing discussions with end-users of the high-quality spodumene concentrate to be produced from the Rose Lithium-Tantalum Project that a great value is placed on the demanding standards of sustainability and governance honed by the rigorous permitting processes at the provincial and federal levels, as well as our relationship with the Cree. We remain confident that our nation’s natural resource endowment, high standards of production and proximity to two of the most important global markets will support our drive to be an industry leader in the ongoing global energy transition.”

Jean-Sébastien Lavallée,
Chief Executive Officer, Critical Elements Lithium Corporation

“As we prepare to take a decisive step in the realization of the Dumont Project, we thank the governments for this vote of confidence in it. We are proud to have been identified as a preferred partner in achieving government priorities for sustainable development. This financial support will allow us to build the energy transport infrastructure necessary to connect our project to the Hydro-Québec grid. In addition to strengthening national economic security, these investments in Quebec’s critical minerals sector are essential for the development of local and regional value chains, benefiting the economy of all regions, Quebec and Canada as a whole.”

François Vézina
Chief Operating Officer, Dumont Nickel, formerly Magneto Investments Limited Partnership

“This support from the federal government underlines the strategic importance of the Moblan project for the development of the battery industry in Quebec and Canada. This funding will enable us to take crucial steps toward connecting Moblan to the grid while working closely with our local partners and communities in the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James region.”

Sylvain Collard
Président et Chef des opérations canadiennes, Sayona Nord Inc

“Eskan Company welcomes the announcement of the Canadian Minerals Infrastructure Fund in respect to funding for its proposed study on the Trans-Atikh Road. Although Eskan’s participation should in no way be interpreted as support for mining projects, this study is in line with the objective of Indigenous control over the development of infrastructure on our traditional territory. Indigenous involvement in infrastructure development must begin at the earliest planning stages and include the active participation of our land users and community members right from the outset, and this is what Eskan aims to achieve through this study with the assistance of the Canadian Minerals Infrastructure Fund.”

Emmett MacLeod
President/Chief Operation Officer, Eskan Company

“We recognize that our Chibougamau hub and spoke project is one of the more advanced critical metals projects in Quebec and Canada. Although we are close to the town of Chibougamau, we still have infrastructure requirements, and this additional funding is very helpful for us in advancing our feasibility study and environmental and social impact assessment.”

Ernest Mast
President and CEO, CBay Minerals Inc. a subsidiary of Cygnus Metals Limited

“On behalf of Commerce Resources Corp, I would like to thank NRCan for its conditional approval and strong support for the proposed road between the Ashram project and the Koksoak river. The funding is critical in enabling the progression of the road, which is crucial to the development of Commerce Resources’ Ashram REE and Fluorspar deposit, the highest-quality deposit of its type in Canada and one of the best globally. In addition to bringing the mine into production, the road will provide significant social and economic benefits to the communities in Nunavik. We look forward to working with our government and community stakeholders as we progress the Ashram project.”

Ross Carroll
Chief Operating Officer, Commerce Resources Corp

“The industrialization of processes for the extraction and purification of critical and strategic minerals requires the successful completion of the crucial scale-up stage to ensure the economic viability of the technology. Through this funding to COALIA, the Government of Canada is reaffirming its commitment to consolidating the critical minerals value chain and demonstrating its confidence in our ability to transform our economy.” 

Philippe Bébin
Directeur général, Coalia 

Quick Facts

The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy aims to advance the development of these resources and related value chains to drive the transition to a low-carbon economy and support advanced technology and manufacturing. Canada’s whole-of-government approach to critical mineral development is collaborative, forward-looking, iterative, adaptive and long-term. The initiatives presented in the Strategy will be implemented and refined in collaboration with provincial, territorial, Indigenous, industry and other Canadian and international partners.The $1.5 billion Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (CMIF) is a key program under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy to address infrastructure gaps, enable critical minerals production and connect resources to markets through various clean energy, electrification and transportation infrastructure projects. The program also supports clean energy and electrification initiatives as well as transportation and infrastructure projects that will enable the sustainable development of Canada’s critical minerals.The CMIF supports strategic priorities such as decarbonizing industrial mining operations, strengthening supply chains through transportation infrastructure and advancing economic reconciliation by supporting the participation of Indigenous Peoples in infrastructure and critical minerals projects.The Critical Minerals Research Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) program is part of the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy and aims to support the development of innovative processing technologies for the critical minerals industry, which will help advance Canadian mining projects toward production.

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Associated Links

Critical Elements Lithium CorporationDumont NickelSayona Nord Inc.Eskan CompanyCygnus Metals LimitedCommerce Resources CorpCOALIACanadian Critical Minerals Strategy Government of Canada Launches $1.5-Billion Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund Programs and funding for critical minerals projects Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund Critical Minerals Research Development and Demonstration ProgramRegional Energy and Resource Tables

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada