Rock Tech Lithium lands C$262,500 grant to test forestry by-product in lithium processing
What's the deal? Rock Tech LithiumDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has secured a C$262,500 grant from Ontario's Critical Minerals Innovation Fund. The money funds a project with Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper and Queen's University to test crude tall oil — a pulp and paper by-product — as a flotation reagent in lithium processing.
What's the endgame? The partners will assess how well crude tall oil separates lithium-bearing minerals from waste in the flotation stage. Success could cut reliance on imported processing inputs, lower emissions, and open a new market for forestry-derived products.
Why now? The grant follows Rock Tech's ore-sorting program, which flagged a potential 50% cut in crushing and concentration costs. Both efforts feed the company's Georgia Lake Lithium Project and its plan for a vertically integrated lithium supply chain in Ontario.
What could go wrong? The application is still unproven at commercial scale. The project's value hinges on validating that crude tall oil performs reliably in mineral flotation.
In their words: "The future of competitiveness in the critical minerals sector hinges not just on our mining capabilities but on how effectively we innovate and process these resources," said chief executive officer Mirco Wojnarowicz.
The signal: Demand for lithium and battery materials is rising across North America and Europe as industries shift to greener technology. The tie-up reflects Ontario's push to build local critical-minerals supply chains — here by linking its forestry and mining sectors.
Read more: third-news.com
Image credit: Ron Cogswell
