Toronto’s Rock Tech Lithium is working with Siemens Canada to develop state-of-the-art lithium conversion capacity.
At the Canadian Critical Minerals Forum during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Trade Show and Convention, Rock Tech signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Siemens for a long-term, multi-phase strategic partnership.
At the core of the partnership is the application of Siemens’ digital twin technologies, which will be utilized for a Red Rock project, which will be Ontario’s first lithium conversion facility.
Through virtual, data-driven modelling, Rock Tech can optimize and validate design and efficiency and operational reliability before committing capital.
“Red Rock will be Ontario’s first lithium conversion facility and is a key project in Canada’s efforts to rapidly establish domestic critical minerals processing capacity,” posits Mirco Wojnarowicz, chief executive officer of Rock Tech Lithium.
The Red Rock converter will be developed based on a fully permitted and engineered facility in Guben, Germany.
By transferring this blueprint to Canada, development timelines can be shortened, technical risks minimized, and capital efficiency increased, according to a statement from the companies.
“We are creating a fully vertically integrated supply chain from rock to battery-grade lithium,” Wojnarowicz said. “A critical minerals corridor, entirely in Ontario.”
Faisal Kazi, CEO of Siemens Canada, says the partnership with Rock Tech “is built on a shared commitment to developing stronger and more resilient domestic critical minerals processing capacity.”
“By leveraging our digital twin and industrial digitalization technologies, we are supporting the development of lithium conversion in Ontario that could ultimately help support stronger battery supply chains within the G7,” stated Kazi. “This collaboration between our two organizations … underscores our shared vision for energy security, industrial competitiveness, clean growth, and creating a blueprint for next-generation facilities worldwide.”
Parliamentary State Secretary Stefan Rouenhoff agrees.
“At a time when secure and sustainable supply chains for critical raw materials are of strategic importance, this partnership sends a powerful signal for the continued expansion of German-Canadian cooperation,” he remarked.
Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, said that “by working with companies like Rock Tech Lithium and Siemens, we are helping deliver the minerals the world needs and the prosperity and security Canadians deserve.”
Last year, Siemens invested $150M into Ontario-based battery-related cleantech.