The federal money is part of a $737-million plan from Rio Tinto over eight years to decarbonize its Rio Tinto Fer et Titane operations in Sorel-Tracy, Que., and boost its production of critical minerals such as lithium, scandium and titanium.
SOREL-TRACY, Que. — Ottawa will invest $222 million to help a Quebec company increase production of critical minerals for goods such as electric cars and batteries while simultaneously cutting emissions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
"Today's announcement with Rio Tinto will create jobs and position Canada as a leader in the critical minerals that go into things like electric vehicles for our net-zero future," Trudeau told a news conference. He gave the example of scandium, a mineral that he said was previously produced almost exclusively in Russia and China, but is now being produced in Quebec.