Premier Legault Allocates $180M to Expand Lithium and Battery Mineral Refining in Bécancour

BÉCANCOUR, QC — Premier François Legault announced Thursday that the Government of Quebec is investing $180 million through Investissement Québec to support the construction and expansion of advanced commercial refining facilities for battery-grade lithium and cathode active materials in the Bécancour Energy Transition Valley.

Critical Minerals Value Chain and Industrial Strategy

The provincial funding package provides repayable loans and equity participation for industrial processing hubs converting hard-rock spodumene ore from Northern Quebec into high-purity lithium hydroxide and synthetic graphite. The facilities will directly feed supply chains for automotive battery gigafactories in Quebec, Ontario, and the northeastern United States.

Premier Legault emphasized that developing end-to-end processing within Quebec ensures the province captures the maximum economic value from its natural mineral wealth rather than exporting raw, unrefined concentrate overseas.

Environmental Standards and Hydro-Québec Power Delivery

The industrial facilities will be powered by Hydro-Québec’s dedicated clean hydroelectric grid, reducing lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 70 percent compared to conventional refining operations.

Regional municipal mayors and labor unions commended the investment, projecting the creation of over 850 high-paying industrial jobs in the Centre-du-Québec region.

Construction Milestones and Facility Commissioning

Phase-two refinery expansion construction will break ground in October 2026, with full commercial refining operations slated to go online by mid-2028.