Canada: At their jointly owned North American Lithium (NAL) project in Quebec, Piedmont Lithium (NASDAQ: PLL, ASX: PLL) and Sayona Mining (ASX: SYA) declared on Thursday that commercial spodumene concentrate production has resumed. JOIN THE BATTERY METALS DIGEST TODAY! The lithium miner, based in Australia, aims to produce concentrate annually, with the first commercial shipments anticipated in July 2023. By year's end, four shipments from NAL are anticipated. Sayona predicts that these shipments will supply significant battery and electric vehicle producers like LG Chem and Tesla.

Keith Phillips, CEO of Piedmont Lithium, added, "This marks an important milestone for Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining as well as the North American market, for which we are seeking to deliver crucial lithium supplies. NAL is well-positioned to play a significant role in the supply chains for electric vehicles and batteries as the demand for lithium keeps rising along with the electrification economies in both Canada and the US. The Sayona Quebec joint venture of the companies acquired the NAL project, formerly known as the Québec lithium mine, in August 2021 after its previous owner had halted production and then sought bankruptcy protection. As part of a deal with the Québec government to create a local downstream processing capability close to the North American battery market, this also entails the development of a spodumene conversion facility at NAL to generate lithium hydroxide or carbonate.

Moreover, in an earlier pre-feasibility study for the project, a 27-year mine life and spodumene concentrate production per year were initially projected. The project is close to Sayona's Authier lithium project and is located 60 km north of the city of Val d'Or. They work as a unit to make up the company's Abitibi hub in Quebec. According to Sayona, the goal is to eventually combine ore from Authier and NAL to enhance plant efficiency and profitability. In the industry that produces battery metal and cells, Quebec is increasingly important. This development has been significantly influenced by the US Inflation Reduction Act, which has strengthened Canada's position as a significant supplier of battery materials as a result of its close proximity to the US and its trade relations with the US.

At the end according to Sayona, the goal is to eventually combine ore from Authier and NAL to enhance plant efficiency and profitability.