American Manganese Inc. provided a progress update on the demonstration plant project in Greater Vancouver, Canada that is nearing operational readiness status. Recycling equipment for the demonstration plant is in place, and the commissioning schedule is on pace, with remaining assembly work to include mounting tank reactors, connecting the ventilation system, and wiring power to equipment. Individual equipment testing is intended to ensure all systems and components are powered and water-tested according to operational requirements before full-scale processing of lithium-ion battery scrap. Approximately 3,500kg of lithium-ion battery cathode scrap has been received as initial feedstock for the 500 kg/day demonstration plant. The cathode scrap is a lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt composition that is representative of the modern cathode materials used in electric vehicle batteries and potential near-term feedstock supplies. The cathode scrap feedstock is to be used to validate the demonstration plant's preliminary real-world continuous operating efficiencies and is expected to generate a significant amount of recycled lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt products for potential material qualification with interested third parties.
After completing project milestones for the initial U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) awarded project, American Manganese's scoping study results indicated areas that would benefit from additional studies to achieve commercial-scale operation near the Wenden Stockpile material. As a result, and while American Manganese actively explored continued collaboration on advanced materials reclamation with the DLA, the DLA has notified American Manganese that they will not move forward with the Company's Phase 2 Technical Proposal regarding the Wenden Stockpile.