Premier François Legault Directs $250 Million for Bécancour EV Battery Material Recycling Megasite

BÉCANCOUR, Que. — Quebec Premier François Legault and Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy Pierre Fitzgibbon announced on Monday a $250 million provincial financial partnership through Investissement Québec to construct a massive closed-loop hydrometallurgical battery material recycling complex at the Bécancour Industrial Port Park.

The $850 million commercial facility, developed in partnership with Northvolt, GM, and POSCO Chemical, will process 40,000 metric tons of end-of-life electric vehicle battery packs and manufacturing scrap annually, recovering 95 percent of battery-grade lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese to produce recycled precursor cathode active materials (pCAM) directly for adjacent gigafactories.

Completing the Circular Battery Supply Chain in Quebec Quebec's "Battery Valley" in Bécancour has attracted over $15 billion in international clean tech investments due to abundant clean hydroelectric power, deepwater Saint Lawrence River maritime access, and proximity to North American automotive assembly plants.

"Quebec is building the most integrated and environmentally sustainable green battery supply chain in the world," Premier François Legault said during an announcement in Bécancour. "With this $250 million investment, we are not only manufacturing battery components with clean Hydro-Québec power, but closing the circular loop by recycling used batteries into new materials right here in Bécancour. This project creates 500 high-paying industrial jobs and solidifies Quebec as a green economic giant in North America."

Engineering Specifications and Environmental Standards The recycling complex features:

• Zero-Wastewater Hydrometallurgical Extraction: Utilizing closed-loop chemical precipitation to recover 99.9 percent pure battery-grade metal sulfates.
• 100% Hydroelectric Operation: Operating entirely on zero-emission hydroelectricity, generating 80 percent lower lifecycle carbon emissions than virgin mineral extraction.
• Regional Rail & Maritime Shunts: Connecting directly to the Port of Bécancour for low-emission rail transport of battery black mass from Montreal and Toronto.

Regional mayors, economic development agencies, and industrial engineering associations praised the historic industrial development, emphasizing that domestic battery recycling safeguards North American automakers against critical raw mineral supply shortages.