During an engaging interview at PDAC 2024 with Tracy Weslosky of InvestorNews, Dan Blondal, CEO, Director, and Founder of Nano One Materials Corp. (TSX: NANO), shared insights into the company’s innovative strides and strategic partnerships, notably with Sumitomo Metal Mining. Blondal described Sumitomo as a “fantastic class one partner” with extensive experience in cathode manufacturing and technology, highlighting the partnership’s role in enhancing Nano One’s position in the battery materials market. With a robust patent portfolio of 40 patents and over 50 pending, Blondal emphasized the importance of continuous innovation in strengthening the company’s technological leadership and shareholder value. Government support, particularly from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), totaling around $25 million in funding, underscores the strong backing Nano One has received, further solidifying its stance in the industry.

Blondal highlighted three competitive advantages of Nano One: its unique position with the only North American LFP production facility outside Asia, its one-pot process that reduces cost, complexity, and environmental impact, and a strategic expansion plan aiming to deploy its technology globally through a “Design-Once-Build-Many” approach. These strengths, according to Blondal, place Nano One in a prime position to capture a significant share of the growing LFP market, which is crucial for electric vehicles and energy storage solutions. The feasibility study for Nano One’s first commercial plant and the progress at its Candiac pilot plant exemplifies the company’s commitment to scaling up its technology to meet global demands efficiently.

Blondal’s vision for 2024 emphasizes expanding Nano One’s customer base, advancing a feasibility study to solidify financial and operational plans for their commercial plant, and securing critical raw material supplies. This approach highlights the company’s strategy to scale its patented technology, aiming for a significant impact on the electric vehicle and energy storage sectors, supported by robust partnerships and government engagement.

To access the complete interview, click here

Don’t miss other InvestorNews interviews. Subscribe to the InvestorNews YouTube channel by clicking here

About Nano One Materials Corp.

Nano One Materials Corp. (Nano One) is a clean technology company with a patented, scalable and low carbon intensity industrial process for the low-cost production of high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials. With strategic collaborations and partnerships, including automotive OEMs and strategic industry supply chain companies like Sumitomo Metal Mining, BASF, Umicore and Rio Tinto. Nano One’s technology is applicable to electric vehicles, energy storage, and consumer electronics, reducing costs and carbon intensity while improving environmental impact. The Company aims to pilot and demonstrate its technology as turn-key production solutions for license, joint venture, and independent production opportunities, leveraging Canadian talent and critical minerals for emerging markets in North America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region. Nano One has received funding from SDTC and the Governments of Canada and British Columbia.

To learn more about Nano One Materials Corp., click here

Disclaimer: Nano One Materials Corp. is an advertorial member of InvestorNews Inc.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorNews Inc. (“InvestorNews”), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all material information concerning the Company, including important disclosure and risk factors associated with the Company, its business and an investment in its securities. InvestorNews offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This interview and any transcriptions or reproductions thereof (collectively, this “presentation”) does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to subscribe for or purchase any securities in the Company. The information in this presentation is provided for informational purposes only and may be subject to updating, completion or revision, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any information herein. This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. This presentation should not be considered as the giving of investment advice by the Company or any of its directors, officers, agents, employees or advisors. Each person to whom this presentation is made available must make its own independent assessment of the Company after making such investigations and taking such advice as may be deemed necessary. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on SedarPlus.ca and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

In a recent InvestorNews interview, host Brandon Colwell spoke with Dan Blondal, Founder, CEO, and Director of Nano One Materials Corp. (TSX: NANO), about Nano One’s collaboration agreement and $16.9 million strategic investment from Sumitomo Metal Mining. Dan emphasized the importance of this partnership, highlighting Sumitomo’s position as one of the world’s leading vertically integrated miner, refiner and producer of cathode active materials.  

Dan goes on to explain the uniqueness of Nano One’s One-Pot process, which eliminates the need for chemical intermediates and Sulphate waste streams when producing cathode active materials. Dan discusses how this eco-friendly and simplified approach has garnered the interest of major players like Sumitomo and Rio Tinto, as well as OEMs looking to streamline their supply chains and reduce environmental impact.

Dan outlined their plans to focus on their operations in Candiac, Quebec, where they acquired Johnson Matthey’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) facility. Dan discusses how the experienced team there, along with the one-pot process, positions Nano One to supply the automotive industry efficiently and sustainably. Dan further adds that Sumitomo’s equity investment will help drive piloting and process improvement, fostering integration with Sumitomo’s LFP ambitions worldwide.

Dan discusses how LFP will play a pivotal role in the mass adoption of electric vehicles, as it offers lower cost and improved cyclability, making it a suitable choice for affordable, smaller batteries. He pointed out that China’s LFP market share is already significant, and this trend is expected to extend globally, driven by the mass-market electric vehicle and energy storage sectors.

To access the complete interview, click here

Don’t miss other InvestorNews interviews. Subscribe to the InvestorNews YouTube channel by clicking here

About Nano One Materials Corp.

Nano One Materials Corp. (Nano One) is a clean technology company with a patented, scalable and low carbon intensity industrial process for the low-cost production of high-performance lithium-ion battery cathode materials. With strategic collaborations and partnerships, including automotive OEMs and strategic industry supply chain companies like BASF, Umicore and Rio Tinto. Nano One’s technology is applicable to electric vehicles, energy storage, and consumer electronics, reducing costs and carbon intensity while improving environmental impact. Nano One aims to pilot and demonstrate its technology as turn-key production solutions for license, joint venture, and independent production opportunities, leveraging Canadian talent and critical minerals for emerging markets in North America, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region. Nano One has received funding from SDTC and the Governments of Canada and British Columbia.

To learn more about Nano One Materials Corp., click here

Disclaimer: Nano One Materials Corp. is an advertorial member of InvestorNews Inc.

This interview, which was produced by InvestorNews Inc. (“InvestorNews”), does not contain, nor does it purport to contain, a summary of all material information concerning the Company, including important disclosure and risk factors associated with the Company, its business and an investment in its securities. InvestorNews offers no representations or warranties that any of the information contained in this interview is accurate or complete.

This interview and any transcriptions or reproductions thereof (collectively, this “presentation”) does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to subscribe for or purchase any securities in the Company. The information in this presentation is provided for informational purposes only and may be subject to updating, completion or revision, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any information herein. This presentation may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and assumptions of the management of the Company as of the date made. They are inherently susceptible to uncertainty and other factors that could cause actual events/results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties, including those that the Company does not know about now or that it currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the Company’s business or any investment therein.

Any projections given are principally intended for use as objectives and are not intended, and should not be taken, as assurances that the projected results will be obtained by the Company. The assumptions used may not prove to be accurate and a potential decline in the Company’s financial condition or results of operations may negatively impact the value of its securities. This presentation should not be considered as the giving of investment advice by the Company or any of its directors, officers, agents, employees or advisors. Each person to whom this presentation is made available must make its own independent assessment of the Company after making such investigations and taking such advice as may be deemed necessary. Prospective investors are urged to review the Company’s profile on SedarPlus.ca and to carry out independent investigations in order to determine their interest in investing in the Company.

General Motors has now announced that in partnership with Korea’s POSCO Chemicals they would construct a lithium-ion battery cathode active material (CAM) manufacturing facility in Quebec, Canada, with a capacity to produce the cathode active material needed for 1,000,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) annually by 2025. This would mean that the factory’s output would be enough for cathodes for at least 90 gigawatt hours of lithium-ion battery storage. This capacity would be more than all of the North American capacity planned or built up until now combined. The GM dedicated POSCO Chemical plant is projected to cost $500 million. The cathode active material will be utilized in the new GM “Ultium” EV battery plants to be constructed by GM in the USA.

Doug Parks, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, said, “GM and our supplier partners are creating a new, more secure and more sustainable ecosystem for EVs, built on a foundation of North American resources, technology and manufacturing expertise,”

A 100 kWh lithium ion battery requires 6-8 kg of lithium, measured as but so far not used in its metallic state, so that 1,000,000 BEVs will require 6,000 to 8,000 tpa of lithium, which will be initially delivered as lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide and then chemically transformed into cathode and electrolyte specific materials for use. Today, 8,000 tons of lithium metal would represent 10% of global production and 15% of all of the lithium used for battery construction.

Note also that GM produces, annually, in the USA today some 2.5 million cars and trucks, so that 1,000,000 represents 40% of GM North American production.

The key takeaway from Mr. Parks’ statement is the term, “North American resources.”

North America today does not produce anywhere near enough lithium for the new GM/POSCO facility’s planned capacity.

North American car and truck sales are today 7 times those of just GM’s domestic production. If GM is looking to differentiate itself and gain a competitive advantage from domestic sourcing of battery materials, lithium, in particular, then it will have to compete with its peers for the critical raw materials.

The biggest problem will be sourcing and processing lithium domestically.

The Biden administration’s announced policy is to have 50% of car and truck production be EVs by 2030. This means that at least eight times as much lithium will be required per annum by 2030 as GM will need in 2025, or 50,000 to 75,000 tons of lithium, measured as metal, per annum! This would be essentially equal to the total global production of new lithium in 2021, and this is just for North America!

North American lithium exploration, mining, processing and fine chemical production of battery grade chemicals need to expand dramatically right now for there to be any hope of meeting the EV production goals even at the lower end.

There needs to be a North American “Lithium Rush.”

Perhaps, lithium should be considered as white gold after all.