Süd-Chemie Invests In Specialty Lithium

Phostech Lithium, a Canadian affiliate of Germany's Süd-Chemie, has completed a $5 million, 300-metric-ton-per-year lithium iron phosphate plant in St. Bruno, Quebec. The company says it will spend a further $30 million over the next two years to increase capacity for the product by another 1,500 metric tons. LiFePO₄ enables the production of lithium-ion batteries that, according to Süd-Chemie, are safer and more environmentally friendly than conventional lithium cobalt oxide batteries. The company says the material is used for batteries in applications such as electric bicycles and wheelchairs.