PMET Resources has struck a non-binding collaboration with Japan’s Mitsui & Co and Microwave Chemical Co to test microwave calcination as a potential breakthrough step in building an on-site lithium refining pathway at its Shaakichiuwaanaan project in Québec.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will see pilot testing of MWCC’s proprietary microwave calcination technology on spodumene material sourced from PMET’s flagship asset in Canada, with Mitsui evaluating commercial pathways and MWCC leading technical execution in Osaka.
The move marks a further push by PMET to move beyond concentrate production and into higher-value lithium chemicals, leveraging Québec’s low-cost hydroelectric power and positioning the project closer to a vertically integrated battery materials supply chain.
At the center of the collaboration is microwave calcination—a potential electric alternative to conventional fossil-fuel-based heating used to convert alpha-spodumene into beta-spodumene, a critical early step in lithium chemical production.
Pilot work will take place in Osaka using spodumene samples shipped from Shaakichiuwaanaan. MWCC will run the technical program while Mitsui assesses downstream commercialization potential and project development options.
PMET says the initiative builds directly on its recent Concept Study, which identified a possible pathway to producing battery-grade lithium carbonate on site rather than exporting lower-value concentrate.
Ken Brinsden, CEO and Managing Director, comments: "This collaboration is a direct extension of the downstream growth strategy we outlined recently for Shaakichiuwaanaan. Our Concept Study identified a potential pathway to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate on site, and microwave calcination now represents an opportunity to evaluate one of the key enabling technologies that could support that vision.
"Shaakichiuwaanaan is already one of the world's premier hard-rock lithium projects, and the collaboration with Mitsui and Microwave Chemical represents another important step in our strategy to evaluate additional value-creation opportunities beyond spodumene concentrate."
"This MOU brings together PMET's high-quality lithium resource, MWCC's proprietary microwave calcination technology, and Mitsui's global project development and commercialization capabilities. It is an important next step in assessing how Shaakichiuwaanaan can leverage Québec's low-cost renewable hydroelectricity into a more integrated, Western-facing lithium supply chain that supports Québec, Canada and allied markets," added Brinsden.
Why it matters?
The companies are examining whether electric microwave calcination could replace fossil-fuel-intensive heating processes, potentially cutting emissions and reducing the need to transport large volumes of material off-site.
PMET says that successful deployment could: reduce transportation requirements and truck traffic, lower reliance on offshore conversion capacity, increase the proportion of value-added processing in Québec, and strengthen supply chain resilience for Western battery markets.
The broader ambition is to upgrade spodumene concentrate closer to source, turning a bulk product into higher-value lithium intermediates before export.
