Québec City, November 19, 2019 – The Québec Mining Association (QMA) welcomes the decision by the Québec government to launch a consultation on Québec’s role in the development of strategic and critical minerals, in particular to develop the lithium-ion battery sector.
Québec has strong potential for the strategic minerals needed in the energy transition that has already begun worldwide. Québec must join the movement and become a world leader in the field. The consultation process launched by the Québec government is viewed as a positive step by the QMA, which sees it as a good way to gauge the interest of the various stakeholders in order to draft a strategy that meets actual needs.
The QMA believes that, if Québec hopes to become a key player in the battery industry, all the players must work together to build a sector that spans the entire field from mining to the finished product, and includes the recycling of batteries at the end of their lifecycle.
Although other jurisdictions are currently in a stronger position than Québec, it is important to remain on course. According to a study completed by KPMG for Propulsion Québec, current and announced capacity will not be enough to meet the expected growth in demand for electric vehicle batteries.
Quotes
“Although Québec has mineral reserves and the assets needed to develop new strategic sectors such as lithium, graphite and rare earth elements, the difficulty of obtaining financing has hindered the development of some projects. We must also pay attention to more traditional minerals such as nickel, which are an indispensable part of the energy transition, in order to be able to meet anticipated demand. The strategy to be presented by the government must take this into account.”
“Québec is in a strong position to take part in the energy transition. A lot of work is still needed, but we sense a true willingness from the mining sector, government, researchers and other partners to follow this worldwide movement. For major electric vehicle manufacturers that want to have a reliable supply of strategic minerals, Québec is a logical choice because of the methods applied by its mining industry and the availability of clean, renewable energy.”
– Josée Méthot, QMA president and CEO
About the Québec Mining Association
The Québec Mining Association (QMA) was founded in 1936 and speaks proactively for mining companies involved in exploration, extraction and processing, mining contractors and junior mining companies, along with suppliers, institutions, non-profit organizations and other mining sector partners. It is proud of the 40,540 jobs and total expenditure of $8.5 billion generated by Québec’s mining industry over the last year. The QMA’s mission is to promote, support and proactively develop a responsible, committed and innovative mining industry in Québec.