(Toronto, ON, December 2024) Working towards improving Ontario’s supply chain of nickel-based specialty materials for batteries, VPM Research Inc., Weber Manufacturing Technologies Inc. and Battery Grade Materials Inc. (BGM) are partnering to leverage vapometallurgy, a niche method used in the processing of nickel concentrates and in the production of specialty nickel products. With an investment of nearly $600,000 from the Ontario government through the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) and $1.2 million from the private sector partners, this project will have a total value of over $1.8M to support the development of new battery-grade nickel products for EVs and stationary power storage devices.
“As Ontario continues to develop an end-to-end EV battery supply chain, our government is proud to support SMEs who are bringing forward innovative solutions and increasing sector competitiveness,” said Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “This multi-partner investment by VPM, Weber, and BGM serves as a strong endorsement of Ontario’s promising opportunities and will play a key role in advancing the province as an EV battery supply chain leader.”
This project will facilitate the development of new sources of nickel, including recycled Ni-containing batteries and Ni-containing metallurgical waste materials to be converted to nickel carbonyl, a process intermediate that enables the production of high-purity nickel products. BGM, specifically, was motivated to participate in this project due to the need to develop a North America-based supply chain for battery-grade Ni foam, which will mitigate the current dependence on Asian suppliers.
“The funding from the Ontario government through OVIN will enable us to take the next steps in the development of Ontario-based specialty Ni powder and Ni foam production lines, supplying the growing number of North America-based battery manufacturers” said Vlad Paserin, Founder and Principal of VPM. “Vapometallurgy represents a currently under-utilized approach in battery materials production, which is attractive both from environmental impact and energy use perspective. While the process involves the use of some toxic intermediates, these are 100% contained within the process equipment and Weber’s extensive experience and flawless safety track record in working with these materials provide high confidence of project success”.
This collaboration builds on a previous partnership between VPM and Weber at the University of Waterloo co-sponsored by BGM to form a new vapometallurgy research group based at the Chemical Engineering Department and supported by the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development. Recognizing that specialty materials such as nickel foam will be integral to BGM’s planned Ni-Zn battery Gigafactory and such materials are currently exclusively sourced from Asian suppliers, this project marks a crucial next step in expanding Ontario’s current nickel processing capabilities beyond the traditional mining companies into specialty materials and battery component manufacturing ecosystem, building on the unique capabilities of vapometallurgy processing.
“As Ontario continues to build an integrated critical minerals supply chain to fuel the world’s electric vehicles and to power the technologies of tomorrow, our government proudly supports companies bringing forward innovative solutions to the province’s mining industry,” said George Pirie, Ontario’s Minister of Mines. “This most recent investment is a strong endorsement of Ontario’s promising opportunities in the critical minerals sector and will play a key role in advancing the province as an EV manufacturing leader.”
The project will contribute to the establishment of vapometallurgy processing expertise at University of Waterloo and University of Toronto in Mississauga (UTM), in support of Weber’s demonstration plant and of further scale-up initiatives. Such capability at Ontario-based universities will enable initiation of new VPM consulting projects for companies wishing to evaluate vapometallurgy route of processing of various mine-originating concentrates and other nickel, cobalt and iron containing recycled materials.
With a lower cost, environmentally superior nickel recovery technology and with preferred product characteristics, Weber, VPM and BGM will participate in a very high growth new industry segment, placing Ontario and Canada in a globally leading position in supplying locally sourced battery materials.
Quotes
“As the world accelerates towards an electric future, it is crucial to ensure that our province has the necessary components of a resilient supply chain to advance the production of next-generation batteries that will power this mobility transformation. OVIN is proud to harness the innovative potential of Ontario SMEs to strengthen our homegrown battery materials production capabilities and reinforce our province’s leadership in the global critical minerals supply chain.” – Raed Kadri, Head of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)
“Weber’s long-standing process for production of NVD products will benefit from this project by extending Weber’s capability to source lower-cost nickel materials, facilitating Weber’s strategic goal to participate in the emerging, Ontario-based battery materials supply chain.” – Chris Edwards, CEO, Weber Manufacturing Technologies Inc.
“BGM is excited to partner with VPM and Weber to advance the vapometallurgical approach to nickel processing and in particular to explore carbonyl CVD-based Ni foam production in North America for Aesir’s new generation of NiZn batteries.” – Craig Wilkins, CEO, Battery Grade Materials Inc.
“As we work to position Ontario as a global leader in the electric vehicle revolution, partnerships like this showcase the power of innovation and collaboration in building a resilient and sustainable battery supply chain. Through OVIN, we are proud to support groundbreaking projects that leverage homegrown expertise, drive economic growth, and solidify Ontario’s leadership in advanced manufacturing and critical minerals processing.” – Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO, Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)
About VPM Research Inc.
VPM is Ontario-based consulting and metal 3-D printing feedstock material development company. VPM will benefit from this project by further developing the relationship with Weber and BGM, and by gaining access to a scaled-up version of the equipment that is currently available at the University of Waterloo and at Weber.
About Weber Manufacturing Technologies Inc.
Weber’s current business is based on using vapometallurgical process to generate carbonyl gas that is deposited as pure nickel on aluminium mandrels as substrates for tooling, and on sub-millimetre graphite powder substrates for EMI shielding additives. Weber currently generates the carbonyl gas from high purity nickel metal. The novelty of the OVIN project is in the use of impure nickel sources and black mass from EV batteries as the source of nickel, replacing the higher cost pure nickel feedstock. In addition to reducing Weber’s raw material costs for its current businesses, the OVIN project will provide opportunities for Weber and BGM to become key players in the EV Li-ion and Ni-Zn battery recycling and materials supply chain.
About Battery Grade Materials Inc.
BGM is a specialty materials supplier to the battery and advanced electronic industry, located in Joplin, Missouri, USA. Of importance to the proposed project, BGM specializes in the development and commercialization of next-generation Nickel-Zinc (Ni-Zn) battery technologies that utilize sustainable materials that can be safely and easily recycled. The Ni-Zn chemistry is inherently safer than other battery chemistries, which contain lead or suffer from thermal runaway issues that may harm people and/or damage equipment. The lower safety risks associated with Ni-Zn makes this technology an ideal solution for applications where battery types are limited due to safety concerns. BGM, through its partner company, Æsir Technology Inc., has a research and development facility in Bozeman, Montana. It also has a low rate, initial production facility in Joplin, Missouri. Æsir will also be constructing a Gigafactory in Rapid City, South Dakota where Data Center Ni-Zn batteries will be produced. BGM is working on creating a North America-based supply chain for its Ni-Zn batteries. Ni foam is currently the costliest component of the battery that is entirely sourced from Asia, as there are no North America based producers of this material.
The carbonyl CVD process for producing Ni foam and Ni powders is attractive to BGM and represents critical path in the development of local battery components manufacturing capability.
About the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)
The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) is an initiative of the Government of Ontario, led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), designed to reinforce Ontario’s position as a North American leader in advanced automotive technology and smart mobility solutions such as connected vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and electric and low-carbon vehicle technologies. Through resources such as research and development (R&D) support, talent and skills development, technology acceleration, business and technical supports, and demonstration grounds, OVIN provides a competitive advantage to Ontario-made automotive and mobility technology companies.