Le project to set up an electric battery recycling plant in Baie-Comeau takes an important step. The St-Georges Eco-Mining team is shopping for land in the city in order to settle there in 2022.
© Zoé Bellehumeur/Radio-Canada
In this future plant, both commercial and rechargeable batteries will be recycled.
In this future plant, it is planned to recycle electric batteries, i.e. rechargeable and commercial nickel and cadmium batteries, explains the head of operations for St-Georges Éco-Mining, François Dumas, who is also director of EVSX, the battery recycling subsidiary.
St-Georges Éco-Mining is seeking two lots in Baie-Comeau with a total area of approximately 400,000 square feet. For the company, Baie-Comeau is a strategic city because of the nickel present in the region.
The first phase of this project is valued between 10 and 15 million dollars and might generate between 30 and 50 jobs.
Complete reuse of batteries
Once the plant is established, the first step will be to discharge and neutralize all the batteries, explains François Dumas. There is always a charge, even once [les batteries] are thrown away“, he explains.
Residual energy might even be reused for the plant itself or for resale.
The batteries will then be crushed, adds the chief of operations. Electrolytes and plastic will be separated. Once the plastic is recovered, it will be converted into oil, then into hydrogen.
Aluminum, copper, steel, and graphite will also be separated. Aluminum should find takers quite close in terms of geography, steel and copper also“, according to François Dumas.
St-Georges Éco-Mining is also considering transforming graphite, which François Dumas considers to be of average quality, into briquettes to sell to the steel and aluminum industry.
The remaining 30% of the mass is a concentrate of critical metals, namely nickel, cobalt, and cadmium. The cadmium will be sold to various industries, such as battery or paint companies. Nickel and cobalt will be sold in ingots on international markets, once more according to François Dumas.
All the profits generated by these sales will then be used for the development of additional phases planned by St-Georges Eco-Mining, adds the head of operations.
