Mangrove Lithium is scaling up in a big way to produce more homegrown lithium in North America. The Vancouver, Canada-based company just announced it will build another new facility, and this one will crank out 20,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium yearly – enough to power over 500,000 EVs, as much as North America’s current refining capacity.
Mangrove has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to lock in demand with multiple major US battery gigafactories. These deals cover offtake for the entire output of the new refinery. However, the company has not yet announced the refinery’s site location.
“Global customers are recognizing that Mangrove is a strategic partner in securing lithium supply,” said CEO and founder Saad Dara.
Annie Liu, Mangrove’s chief strategy and commercial officer, added, “Having negotiated deals for automakers like Tesla and Ford, I’ve seen just how crucial a reliable Western lithium supply chain is – and that’s exactly what we’re building here.”
The new plant will go beyond Mangrove’s current electrochemical refining tech by adding spodumene concentrate processing – in other words, extending the company’s operations further upstream in the lithium supply chain. It’s a big move toward reshoring parts of lithium refining, which is still heavily dominated by China.
Dara warned that the global lithium supply chain is getting more fragile by the day, so “Mangrove is building the foundation for a self-reliant, scalable, and sustainable North American lithium future,” he said.
His urgency isn’t hypothetical: Earlier this year, China floated the idea of banning exports of key lithium extraction and processing tech. With most lithium still processed in China, the idea of being cut off sent a clear message – North America needs local capacity, and fast.
Mangrove says its electrochemical refining process is flexible when it comes to feedstock and output, which helps reduce costs, shrink carbon footprint, and eliminate waste. That flexibility could be a game-changer as the continent tries to build out a cleaner and more secure lithium supply chain.
Meanwhile, Mangrove’s first commercial plant in Delta, British Columbia, is already under construction. Backed by a USD 35 million funding round, the project is on track to come online by the end of the year. That plant alone will supply enough battery-grade lithium to power about 25,000 EVs annually. It will be North America’s first electrochemical lithium refining facility.
Read more: Critical EV battery materials face a supply crunch by 2030
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