Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: The province of Quebec has important lithium resources that could supply the market for lithium-ion battery production. However, even if the provincial government has promoted the development of lithium-bearing ore projects, these present important technical and technological challenges. In this line, this paper provides a critical review focusing on the project economics of mining projects under development, in order to determine the extent to which they may be an impediment to obtaining the necessary funding. Since they all involve the exploitation of pegmatites, it is interesting to compare them with the project economics reported by producers of lithium carbonate from brines in South America. Although brine mining has become popular, the increased demand for lithium combined to local factors mean that today, there is no longer a significant difference favoring them in terms of operating costs.
Institution: Université Laval
Language: English
Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,200
OpenAlex ID: W3193459480