2 First Nations collaborate with B.C. company on possible battery project in Belledune
Company says if project proceeds, production wouldn’t begin until late 2028
Two First Nations in northern New Brunswick are working with a British Columbia company on a project that could see a material for lithium-ion batteries produced in Belledune.
Pabineau First Nation, also known as Oinpegitjoig, and Ugpi'Ganjig First Nation, formerly known as Eel River Bar, jointly own a 10 per cent participating interest in the project, according to the Vancouver company.
The material would contain chemical elements, including nickel, cobalt and manganese — all of which can be produced in Canada, Pabineau Chief Terry Richardson said in an interview.
It's known as precursor cathode active material, or pCAM.
Richardson said the communities have been working with Positive Materials Inc. of B.C. for a couple of years, and he estimates a plant could lead to the creation of 220 to 240 jobs in Belledune.
He thinks the timing is right to move forward.
"It's one of the many projects we're working at the Port of Belledune on," he said. "And this one is exciting because it's one that there's a necessity right now, when you look at what's happening in the world.
"And China basically controls about 90 per cent of pCAM production. So there's a need to diversify that market. And I believe that we have the solution."
According to the Positive Materials website, pCAM is the precursor material for the cathode end of the battery — the positively charged end and the most valuable component of a lithium-ion battery.
Lithium-ion batteries are a type of rechargeable battery used for a variety of devices, such as power tools, power banks, laptops, cellphones and e-scooters.
Marco Romero, the CEO of Positive Materials, said the raw materials would be mined elsewhere and then go to the plant in Belledune to be crystallized. From there, the crystals would be sent to another operation in North America to be baked and turned into the nanoparticles for the batteries.
Romero said that when the company was looking at Belledune as a possible location for the pCAM plant, it first went to local First Nations and explained the project idea, asking for guidance.
"The response was wonderful," Romero said. "It's morphed into a quite beautiful relationship, I'd say. We've worked very closely, very openly."
Positive Materials looked at 37 sites from Mexico up the eastern seaboard into Canada. He said Belledune was unique because it has a deep-sea, year-round port, a rail line, large tracts of land and an industrial workforce.
Final investment decision to come late 2026
Romero said Belledune scored very high among the 37 sites and was choice number one. Still, he said, the final investment decision won't be made until the second half of 2026.
If it goes ahead, construction would last two years, and the earliest there would be any commercial production would likely be late 2028.
Romero said while 93 per cent of the world's production of pCAM comes from China, there is increasing production in South Korea, Japan and parts of Europe.
A number of pCAM plants are planned for North America, he said, but none exist yet, and he hopes a Belledune could be first.
Richardson said a trip to Japan is planned for May to visit a pCAM plant and see how it operates and what the needs are.
In an emailed statement, government spokesperson Michel LeBlanc said Opportunities New Brunswick played a role in promoting New Brunswick as a location for the project.
"ONB is actively working with project proponents and relevant partners to assess how we can contribute to its success," he said in the email.
"This initiative has the potential to bring significant investment to the region, create high-quality jobs, and increase activity at the Port of Belledune, further establishing it as a key economic driver in northern New Brunswick."
Richardson said he recognizes that the province and First Nations need to be working together at this time.
"We have a government now, provincially, that wants to work, and we are working with them," he said.
And the trip to Japan won't just be about pCAM, he said.
"We'll be talking about other possible markets that we have here in New Brunswick that we could export.
"So I think these are things we have to do — work together, not in different silos — and I think that's a step we're making."
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With files from Information Morning Moncton, Jennifer Sweet