Arianne Phosphate, a development-stage phosphate mining company advancing its Lac à Paul project in Quebec’s Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, announced on June 21 that it has received positive results from tests that confirm its high-purity phosphate concentrate can be used in the production of technical grade phosphoric acid used in the production of batteries.
These tests were designed to confirm that Arianne meets specifications provided by a producer of lithium-based batteries (GM Nov. 5, 2021) and were performed through an independent facility specializing in the production of purified phosphoric acid.
“Given the nature and high-purity of our phosphate concentrate, we were always confident that our rock would perform,” said Brian Ostroff, President of Arianne Phosphate. “These tests demonstrate the high quality of our product and will allow Arianne to access markets beyond traditional fertilizer markets.
“The company’s recent initiatives surrounding direct application and alternative fertilizers, along with our work in battery materials, really does differentiate us from many of the other projects,” he added. “Further, recent geopolitical events have highlighted the importance of security of supply in dealing with food security and critical materials.”
Arianne noted the lithium-iron-phosphate battery (LFP) has emerged as a leading technology in batteries, and that many automotive companies, such as Tesla, Volkswagen, Ford, and GM are currently, or have already announced, plans to use LFPs in their cars, following that of many Chinese companies.
Arrianne added that beyond the automotive market, many industry analysts view the LFP battery as playing a key role in the energy storage market, a market that could exceed automotive demands and continue to drive demand for these battery materials such as phosphate.
Arianne said it has an igneous deposit that allows it to produce a high-purity, low-contaminant concentrate suitable for use in all applications, meaning the company’s clients can be from a wide range of industries. Arianne currently projects 3 million mt/y of phosphate concentrate production, for a minimum of 26 years.