SLR advises on Avalon and Sibelco's lithium projects in Ontario
SLR Consulting (Canada) advised on the Ontario lithium projects of a joint venture between mining firms Avalon Advanced Minerals and SCR-Sibelco NV.
Toronto-based Avalon and Antwerp-based Sibelco earlier this month announced a joint venture company – Separation Rapids Ltd. – to develop the Separation Rapids lithium deposit near Kenora, ON and the Lilypad Project caesium-lithium deposit near Fort Hope, ON.
The new joint venture – which is 60% owned by Sibelco and 40% owned by Avalon – will work to commercialize the mineral assets at the two sites. The mineral output of petalite-lithium at Separation Rapids is expected to be sufficient to supply the global glass and ceramics market and the North America EV battery market.
New technology process allow for petalite-lithium to economically yield EV battery-grade lithium at scale.
SLR Consulting, a mining advisory and consulting firm, in August completed an updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) for Separation Rapids that revealed a deposit 20% larger than earlier estimates. The MRE reported a resource of 10.08 million tonnes of petalite with an average 1.35% of Li2O.
SLR is headquartered in the UK and has 3,000+ people in over 100 offices globally, including 18 locations in Canada. The firm in October acquired Palmer, a Vancouver-based provider of environmental assessments, permitting, and geohazard analysis to clients in mining, infrastructure, and land development.
“Establishing this exciting new joint venture achieves a significant objective in our evolution as a clean energy company and enables the unique petalite deposit at Separation Rapids to be commercialized at a pace that will help position Canada in important international markets," said Scott Monteith, CEO of Avalon.
Avalon is also developing its Nechalacho rare earths and zirconium project located in the Northwest Territories and working on an initiative to build Ontario’s first midstream lithium processing facility in Thunder Bay.
