Manganese X Energy is striving to become the first publicly traded mining company in Canada and the US to commercialise sustainable, high-purity manganese.
Manganese is a key element in manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, which are set to power the world in the coming years. They are the most promising because of their superior storage capacity, safety, and cost.
Manganese X Energy aims to provide a secure, sustainable manganese supply by exploring and developing the Battery Hill Project, its manganese-rich deposit near Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada.
The Innovation Platform spoke to Manganese X Energy regarding these plans as they work towards developing the best methods of high-purity manganese purification.
What is the core mission of Manganese X Energy Corp, and how does it guide the company’s activities and initiatives?
Manganese X’s mission is to become the first publicly traded mining company in Canada and the United States to commercialise high-purity manganese. Manganese plays a pivotal role in the creation of robust, long-lasting and high-density EV batteries. Manganese is currently a less expensive metal on the market compared to nickel, cobalt, or lithium. OEMs want to start utilising more manganese in their batteries to reduce the cost, as batteries are still very expensive. Manganese fits into this category as it is an inexpensive metal that stabilises all the other battery materials in the battery so it does not overheat. It is compatible with many chemistries, and you can get the best performance out of the battery while reducing the cost of it. We call manganese ‘Mr Stabiliser.’
Notably, no sustainable manganese production exists in Canada and the United States. This creates a significant disadvantage for domestic EV manufacturers. It’s imperative we close this North American domestic gap. Manganese X is currently completing our pilot project for demonstration purposes that will be capable of repeatedly and consistently generating sufficient EV-compliant high-purity manganese for end-user testing and potential offtake/participation scenarios. The EV revolution is underway, and innovative battery chemistry will be the catalyst that moves us into an interesting future. We believe that manganese will significantly influence EV batteries, and this will position Manganese X to take advantage of the growing demand for EV batteries.
Why is high-purity manganese considered essential for economic and national security?
A Canadian supply of high-purity manganese is critically important in supporting the North American automotive and energy storage industries and the country’s transition to electric vehicles (EV) and other green energy initiatives. High-purity-based chemistries are currently used in over 57% of EV battery production in the US, and this percentage is expected to increase. Experts predict a shortage of high-purity manganese to support Canada’s supply chain of this vital mineral.
A continuous supply of manganese sulphate is also critically important as a component in livestock feed and fertiliser to support the Canadian and Global food supply and production. Manganese X’s Battery Hill manganese ore deposit in Woodstock, New Brunswick, is one of the largest carbonate deposits in North America and has the potential to be a substantial contributor to the supply chain of high-purity manganese, essential to support the EV and energy storage industries.
Bringing the mine into production contributes to the Canadian economy through employment, using the region’s local rural and urban communities to provide a large base of skilled trades, and professional and service sector support for exploration and resource development. Battery Hill’s forty-plus-year mine life represents a long-term economic contribution to Canada.
What are the current threats to mineral supply, and how do they impact the importance of manganese, particularly in the context of economic and national security?
China controls the high-purity manganese supply, producing 90-94% of all high-purity manganese utilised in producing electric vehicle (EV) batteries. China is also a major supplier of high-purity manganese used as a component in livestock feed.
There is currently no high-purity manganese production in North America.
This over-concentration in controlled supply makes the supply chain highly susceptible to disruption and manipulation.
Experts predict that there will be a shortage of high-purity manganese. By 2030, high-purity manganese demand should increase ten-fold, representing a forecast deficit of needed production of high-purity manganese exceeding supply many times over.
To meet the increase in demand, high-purity manganese global production must rise from the current approximately 127 kt/a (manganese contained in HPEMM and HPMSM) to 1,127 kt/a by 2030 and 1,680 kt/a by 2035. There will be severe challenges meeting this demand as there are not enough high-purity manganese projects in the pipeline to meet the 2030 demand.
With the major sedimentary carbonate manganese deposits located in New Brunswick, Manganese X could potentially supply much of the high-purity manganese required for the North American and European electric vehicle battery/renewable energy value chains.
Could you provide an update on the progress of the pilot plant project? How does this project validate and optimise the technology crucial for the Battery Hill deposit pre-feasibility study?
Manganese X’s first high-purity 99.95% HPMSM samples were produced and are in the process of being sent to various electric vehicle original equipment manufacturers and EV cell manufacturers. These samples are earmarked for comprehensive testing to ensure rigid EV battery standards compliance. The HPMSM samples were generated during the flowsheet optimisation phase of the pilot plant project led by the metallurgical research authority Kemetco Research Inc.
The pilot plant project is utilising a large bulk sample from the Company’s Battery Hill manganese mining project, located in New Brunswick, Canada. The sample represents the initial five years of the proposed production, as outlined in the Battery Hill preliminary economic assessment. The pilot project serves as a pivotal element in the pre-feasibility study for the Battery Hill manganese deposit. Key objectives of the pilot project encompass:
1. Demonstrating the capacity of Battery Hill manganese feedstock to achieve HPMSM production on a larger commercial scale;
2. Optimisation of the processing flowsheet to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective methods areutilised in the company’s pre-feasibility study; and
3. Mitigating risks associated with the metallurgical process and engineering design.
Regarding end-user verification, what steps have been taken to test high-purity manganese samples for North American supply chains’ pre-approval, and what are the outcomes thus far?
The process of end-user verification has just recently started and will be ongoing as the Battery Hill project continues to advance towards production. Thus far, Manganese X Energy Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding with US battery technology leader C4V, leading to a potential offtake deal from the company’s Battery Hill high-purity manganese project in Woodstock.
The non-binding agreement is based on the potential supply of electric vehicle compliant high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM), a sample of which is currently being prequalified by C4V for its Gigafactory joint ventures. The sample was produced as part of Manganese X’s pilot plant project, using its groundbreaking proprietary manganese purification technology to process Battery Hill manganese carbonate into EV-compliant high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate as a precursor to the cathode.
Martin Kepman, CEO of Manganese X, said: “This is a significant step in Manganese X’s mission to become a sustainable and reliable North American supplier of HPMSM and could even potentially lead to being a worldwide supplier, thanks to C4V, which also represents additional Gigafactories around the world. Through this MOU, we can ensure our HPMSM meets C4V specifications to progress towards a binding offtake deal for our Battery Hill manganese.”
Mr Kepman continued: “Our timing is excellent as EV car manufacturers ramp up their efforts to secure long-term supplies of high-purity manganese. Manganese is consistently in the news as a battery chemistry of choice. Not only is it less expensive to process, but manganese also provides the EV battery with greater energy density and rechargeability, as well as a longer life cycle.”
C4V is a US battery technology company and a global leader in renewable battery technology, as well as being involved in some of the world’s largest Gigafactory developments, including Recharge Industries’ Gigafactory in Geelong, Australia, and iM3NY’s Gigafactory in the United States.
Shailesh Upreti, CEO of C4V, remarked: “We are very excited to be part of a journey paving a robust path for domestic manufacturing and a sustainable North American supply chain. Our collaboration with Manganese X Energy is a testament to C4V’s aggressive and comprehensive supply chain programme to identify cutting-edge technologies and resource partners to achieve our net-zero emission goals in a timely manner. We strongly believe manganese is a metal that has a significant role in this journey.”
Could you provide details on the commencement of the pre-feasibility study? What are the study’s main objectives in terms of project development and fast-tracking strategies?
Our objective is to complete the Battery Hill pre-feasibility study (PFS) work programmes as soon as possible. The PFS will mark the culmination of significant project de-risking and optimisation activities and, I believe, will confirm Battery Hill as a leading development stage project, highlighting its potential as a significant producer of high-purity manganese spanning multiple decades.
The PFS will evaluate the economics of the project and will also allow the permitting process for planned development to be initiated. Environmental studies and Indigenous and local stakeholder engagement are active components leading into, through, and after the PFS. The PFS will also evaluate the company’s green energy/decarbonatisation objectives for the project. Manganese X Energy’s vision is to be the leading environmentally responsible producer of high-purity manganese for the North American EV battery industry supply chain.
Please note, this article will also appear in the seventeenth edition of our quarterly publication.
