Nemaska Lithium
Nemaska Lithium is a Canadian integrated lithium producer mining spodumene at its Whabouchi mine and building a Bécancour hydroxide conversion plant to supply battery-grade lithium to North American EV and energy-storage manufacturers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersQuebec, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Nemaska Lithium does
Nemaska Lithium Inc. is a Canadian integrated lithium producer headquartered in Quebec that operates the Whabouchi hard-rock spodumene mine in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region and is constructing a lithium hydroxide conversion plant in Bécancour. The company's core technology combines conventional spodumene mining at Whabouchi with hydrometallurgical processing at Bécancour to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide; the downstream plant was 60% complete at end-2025, with commissioning scheduled for 2026 and first commercial production targeted for 2028 at an estimated 27,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) capacity. Nemaska sells spodumene concentrate and (once operational) battery-grade lithium hydroxide directly to electric-vehicle battery manufacturers and energy-storage system companies in North America under an enterprise B2B sales motion, with pricing likely negotiated through long-term supply agreements tied to prevailing lithium market prices.
Ownership is concentrated: Rio Tinto holds a 53.9% majority stake acquired initially via its March 2025 US$6.7 billion acquisition of Arcadium Lithium and increased to majority in February 2026, with the Government of Quebec retaining a 46.1% stake through Investissement Québec. Rio Tinto has committed over US$300 million in 2026 and assumed direct management, while Quebec has committed up to US$200 million in additional equity to fund construction and ramp-up. As of the available data the company is pre-revenue at the hydroxide level, employs 101–250 people, and is positioning itself as a vertically integrated North American lithium supply source for the EV and stationary storage value chains.
Nemaska Lithium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nemaska Lithium
- Legal name
- Nemaska Lithium Inc.
- Website
- https://nemaskaexploration.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Nemaska Lithium is a Canadian integrated lithium producer mining spodumene at its Whabouchi mine and building a Bécancour hydroxide conversion plant to supply battery-grade lithium to North American EV and energy-storage manufacturers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nemaska Lithium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Lithium Mining and Processing
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- SIC
- Metal Mining (1000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Lithium Mining & Brine Extraction (IMAKAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Battery-Grade Chemical Processing (LiOH/Li2CO3, Ni/Co Sulfates, Mn Sulfate) (IMAKAFAI)
Keywords
Where Nemaska Lithium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Quebec
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Nemaska Lithium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Spodumene Concentrate Sales: Revenue generated from mining and selling spodumene concentrate produced at the Whabouchi mine in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Québec. Spodumene is the primary raw material input for lithium hydroxide production.
- Lithium Hydroxide Production and Sales: Revenue from producing and selling battery-grade lithium hydroxide at the Bécancour conversion facility. The plant was 60% complete as of end-2025, with commissioning scheduled for 2026 and first production targeted for 2028.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Nemaska Lithium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nemaska Lithium operates a vertically integrated lithium business in Quebec, Canada. It mines spodumene concentrate at the Whabouchi mine in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region and converts it into battery-grade lithium hydroxide at the Bécancour chemical processing plant. The company's products supply the North American electric vehicle battery and energy storage supply chains.
Product overview
Nemaska Lithium operates a vertically integrated lithium supply chain consisting of two primary assets: the Whabouchi spodumene mine in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec (the upstream mining operation) and the Bécancour lithium hydroxide plant (the downstream chemical conversion facility). The company focuses on producing high-purity lithium compounds for battery applications, with the mine providing feedstock that is converted into battery-grade lithium hydroxide at the Bécancour facility. Rio Tinto holds a 53.9% majority stake while the Government of Québec retains 46.1% through Investissement Québec. First production from the integrated operation is expected in 2028.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lithium Hydroxide (Bécancour Plant)
- Whabouchi Spodumene Mine
Quantifiable outcome
- First production from Bécancour plant targeted for 2028
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Nemaska Lithium
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Nemaska Lithium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Nemaska Lithium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Nemaska Lithium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pilbara Minerals: Australia's largest hard-rock spodumene concentrate producer with downstream ambitions; comparable upstream asset profile and a benchmark for hard-rock lithium project economics.
- SQM: Chilean-based global lithium chemicals major with brine-based LiOH/Li2CO3 production; competes with Nemaska in the lithium hydroxide merchant market and is a direct rival for North American offtake.
- Albemarle Corporation: World's largest dedicated lithium producer with diversified brine and hard-rock assets and integrated conversion; competes head-on with Nemaska for battery-grade LiOH offtake from global cell makers.
- Ganfeng Lithium: Chinese integrated lithium major with global hard-rock, brine, and chemical-conversion assets; competes with Nemaska in the lithium chemicals merchant market and for OEM supply agreements.
- Tianqi Lithium: Chinese integrated lithium major with hard-rock interests and large hydroxide conversion capacity; competes globally with Nemaska for OEM/cell-maker supply relationships.
Direct peers
- Sigma Lithium: Brazilian hard-rock spodumene concentrate producer with integrated chemical-conversion ambitions; same upstream-mining/downstream-processing business model and same battery-grade lithium end-market as Nemaska.
- Lithium Americas: North American lithium developer advancing hard-rock and brine projects through construction into production; shares Nemaska's project-development profile and focus on supplying North American battery supply chains.
- Frontier Lithium: Canadian hard-rock spodumene developer with integrated LiOH conversion plans in Ontario; overlaps Nemaska on geology, jurisdiction, integrated business model, and battery-grade end-market.
- Rock Tech Lithium: Canada- and Germany-focused hard-rock spodumene-to-LiOH converter building a North American/German lithium hydroxide footprint — directly overlapping Nemaska's mining-to-conversion model and geographic focus.
Emerging players
- Patriot Battery Metals: Canadian hard-rock lithium developer in Quebec with one of the largest spodumene resources globally; competes with Nemaska for downstream offtake and represents a future integrated competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Nemaska Lithium social profiles
Digital presenceNemaska Lithium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nemaska Lithium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Nemaska Lithium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nemaska Lithium M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nemaska Lithium
What does Nemaska Lithium do?
Nemaska Lithium operates a vertically integrated lithium business in Quebec, Canada. It mines spodumene concentrate at the Whabouchi mine in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region and converts it into battery-grade lithium hydroxide at the Bécancour chemical processing plant. The company's products supply the North American electric vehicle battery and energy storage supply chains.
Is Nemaska Lithium a public or private company?
Nemaska Lithium is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Nemaska Lithium founded?
Nemaska Lithium was founded in 2007. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Nemaska Lithium based?
Nemaska Lithium is headquartered in Quebec, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Nemaska Lithium make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Spodumene Concentrate Sales are the primary driver. The others are lithium Hydroxide Production and Sales.
Who are Nemaska Lithium's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pilbara Minerals, SQM, Albemarle Corporation, Ganfeng Lithium and Tianqi Lithium. Direct peers are Sigma Lithium, Lithium Americas, Frontier Lithium and Rock Tech Lithium. Patriot Battery Metals is listed as an emerging player.
Does Nemaska Lithium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nemaska Lithium.
What industry is Nemaska Lithium in?
Nemaska Lithium's product category is Lithium Mining and Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAFAA, Lithium Mining & Brine Extraction, with a secondary code of IMAKAFAI, Battery-Grade Chemical Processing (LiOH/Li2CO3, Ni/Co Sulfates, Mn Sulfate). Its NAICS code is 325 and its SIC code is 1000.