Rock Tech Lithium and Siemens Canada have signed a non-binding MoU to develop digitalised lithium conversion capacity for Rock Tech’s planned converter in Ontario, using Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio, including COMOS, gPROMS and PCS 7 for integrated engineering and process control. The partnership targets model-based design, advanced process simulation and automation across multiple project phases, aiming to optimise energy use, reagent consumption and plant uptime. For engineers, this signals early integration of OEM-grade digital twins and control architecture into a greenfield lithium chemicals facility in Canada’s critical minerals supply chain.

Rio Tinto is proceeding with construction of a pilot plant in Quebec to extract primary gallium from its alumina refining process, backed by a conditionally approved contribution from Natural Resources Canada under the Global Partnerships Initiative. The project, developed with Indium Corporation, follows successful first gallium extraction in May 2025 using process streams from Rio Tinto’s alumina refineries. If scaled, the technology could turn refinery residue and intermediate liquors into a new critical metal stream without major changes to existing Bayer process infrastructure.

First Phosphate has secured conditional approval for a non-repayable contribution of up to C$16.7 million from Natural Resources Canada’s Global Partnerships Initiative to advance engineering and processing circuit studies for LFP-grade phosphate concentrate at its integrated Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean project in Quebec. The work will focus on validating flowsheets and equipment to convert ore from the Bégin-Lamarche deposit, which hosts 41.5 million indicated tonnes at 6.49% P2O5 plus 214 million inferred tonnes at 6.01% P2O5, into high-purity phosphoric acid (PPA) and iron phosphate. First Phosphate also plans a 10,000 t/y iron phosphate plant 20 km from the deep-sea port of Saguenay, targeting a vertically integrated LFP cathode materials supply chain.