Mangrove Lithium Opens North America’s First Commercial Electrochemical Lithium Refining Facility

DELTA, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 17, 2026--

Mangrove Lithium announced the opening of its first commercial lithium refining facility in Delta, British Columbia – the first of its kind in North America – marking a major milestone in establishing a secure, domestic lithium supply chain for Canada and the North American market.

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Mangrove marked the milestone with a ribbon cutting at its new headquarters and site of the Single Stack Plant (SSP), in Delta, British Columbia. Speakers included Mangrove Lithium CEO and Founder Dr. Saad Dara, Federal Minister and Member of Parliament for Delta Jill McKnight, InBC Chief Investment Officer Thomas Park, and Delta Mayor George Harvie, with BC Premier David Eby providing a video message recognizing the achievement and the importance of domestic lithium processing in Canada’s energy transition.

A First for North America and a Milestone for Canadian Energy Security

The commissioning of the plant represents a critical step in establishing a Canadian-based, scalable refining pathway that can support the continent’s electrification goals.

Mangrove’s facility uses the company’s proprietary electrochemical technology to convert extracted lithium into battery-grade material more economically, flexibly, and sustainably than incumbent chemical methods. With a 1,000 tonne-per-year (1 ktpa) nameplate capacity, the plant can produce enough battery-grade lithium to support approximately 25,000 electric vehicles per year.

Today, the majority of global lithium refining takes place overseas, creating bottlenecks and adding volatility to supply chains. This reliance poses significant challenges to North American energy security as EV adoption accelerates and jurisdictions race to localize battery and critical mineral supply.

Foundation for Canada’s First Mine-to-Cathode Lithium Supply Chain

The Delta facility's commercial launch is the foundation for a more ambitious step: Mangrove has announced plans for a facility in Eastern Canada that will expand Canada’s lithium supply through a spodumene processing and lithium refining operation. The new facility will be able to supply 500,000 EVs annually. To advance the Eastern Canada facility, engineering and spodumene piloting studies are being supported by a conditionally approved contribution funding of up to $21.88 million CAD from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) through its Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (“CMRDD”) Program.

As part of this expansion, Mangrove has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Élévra to secure spodumene feedstock from the North American Lithium (NAL) mine in Quebec, creating a clear pathway towards Canada’s first mine-to-cathode lithium supply chain. This integration allows Canada to capture more value from its natural resources, strengthens domestic battery production capabilities, and enhances national energy resilience.

“This is a landmark moment not just for Mangrove, but for Canada,” said Dr. Saad Dara, CEO and Founder of Mangrove Lithium. “By commissioning the first commercial electrochemical lithium refinery in North America, we are proving that lithium can be refined domestically, sustainably, and competitively. This facility is an important step towards a fully Canadian lithium supply chain, one that strengthens our energy security, accelerates the transition to EVs, and positions Canada as a global leader in critical mineral processing.”

“Canada is leveraging our critical mineral resources – including our lithium – to unlock supply chain security, job creation, and clean energy innovation,” said the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “Mangrove Lithium’s new headquarters will house North America’s first commercial electrochemical lithium refining facility – exactly the type of cutting-edge, sovereign Canadian project we need. By supporting projects like these, our new government is advancing Canada’s low-carbon potential, creating new careers, strengthening our security, and creating reliable Canadian jobs in an uncertain time.”

“Across the country, we are seeing the results of Canada’s commitment to building a world‑class critical minerals ecosystem,” said the Honourable Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence. “Mangrove Lithium’s new facility positions Canada as a hub for refining battery‑grade materials right here in Delta, reinforcing our economic security and supporting Canadian innovation. Canada has what the world wants, and we are making strides to use our mineral wealth as a basis to diversify our clean energy opportunities and create stable, long-term careers in British Columbia and beyond.”

“Today’s opening marks a turning point for Canada’s critical minerals value chain,” said the Honourable Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament for Delta. “By commissioning North America’s first commercial electrochemical lithium refining facility, Mangrove Lithium is helping Canada move from raw potential to real production—here at home. This project strengthens our energy security, supports good Canadian jobs, and advances a Made-in-Canada battery supply chain that will power the clean economy and deliver lasting benefits for Canadians.”

About Mangrove Lithium

Mangrove Lithium is a lithium refining technology company headquartered in Delta, British Columbia, Canada, with a mission to build scalable, battery-grade lithium production across North America and beyond. The Company has developed a patented electrochemical refining technology that converts diverse feedstocks into high-purity battery-grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate. Mangrove’s platform enables economic lithium production and is designed to integrate seamlessly into upstream and downstream supply chains. Backed by Canada Growth Fund, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Mitsubishi Corporation, Asahi Kasei, Orion Industrial Ventures, Export Development Canada and BDC Capital, Mangrove Lithium is advancing lithium infrastructure to meet the global demand for secure, domestic battery production. Learn more at www.mangrovelithium.com.

Mangrove's electrochemical lithium refining facility ribbon cutting ceremony in Delta, B.C. Pictured from L to R: InBC Chief Investment Officer Thomas Park, Mangrove Lithium CEO Saad Dara, Delta MP Jill McKnight, and Delta Mayor, George V. Harvie. Photo by Avrinder Dhillon/Mangrove Lithium

MADRID (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo’s sixth and likely final World Cup will be the first for the Portugal great since he left Europe to play in Saudi Arabia.

The surprise move in late 2022 shocked many in the soccer world and prompted widespread doubts about whether his form would be affected by facing lower-level competition.

But Ronaldo, who turned 41 in February, has dismissed any notion of a drop in performance going into next month’s showcase event. And, to help make his case, the goals have kept coming, both for Al Nassr and with Portugal.

Portugal coach Roberto Martínez said Ronaldo is as hungry as ever and doesn’t see any signs that the star forward has slowed down after moving to Saudi Arabia.

“He keeps performing and he keeps showing his value and he keeps showing that (he) is important for the national team,” Martínez said. “To have that hunger when you’ve won everything in the game is quite remarkable. And that’s without getting away from the fact that to be in the national team you need to be somebody that can help the team now and not with what you’ve done in the past.”

Ronaldo and his longtime rival Lionel Messi are set to reach the milestone of playing in six World Cups. Ronaldo is the all-time leader in appearances (226) and goals (143) for a men's national team. He is also the only man to have scored in five World Cups.

“Even though he’s the captain, even though probably he’s achieved what no other player in world football has achieved, which is the number of games for the national team, over 225 appearances, just with that number is a uniqueness about what he brings, but I think he has the same demands as any other player in the national team,” Martínez said.

Ronaldo made the move to Saudi Arabia in the middle of the 2022-23 season after his latest stint with Manchester United, rejecting other offers to take up a reported salary of $200 million a year and “give a different vision of this country and football.” Ronaldo said at the time his work in Europe was done and he was ready for a “new challenge.”

Criticism immediately began to pour in, with many fans and pundits not liking what appeared to be his choice of taking the big Saudi money instead of continuing his career in elite soccer. Some said he was virtually retiring from competitive soccer.

Ronaldo has constantly praised the Saudi league, though, saying it’s better than both the French and the Portuguese leagues. He said those who criticize him should go there and try to compete in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) and keep performing like he has.

“I don’t need to speak because they can say whatever they want, but the numbers don’t lie,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Piers Morgan last year. “They've never been here, they've never played here ... For me it’s (easier) to score in Spain than score in Saudi (league).”

Ronaldo’s move away from Europe did not appear to affect his performances on the international stage with Portugal. He has kept playing at a high level since then, scoring 25 goals in his last 30 games with the national team.

Ronaldo went scoreless in five European Championship games in 2024 as Portugal reached the quarterfinals. In 2025, about two and a half years after he started playing in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo helped Portugal win the Nations League title, with one of his eight goals in the competition coming in the final against Spain.

Ronaldo has maintained a top-notch physical condition despite just having turned 41. He was hindered by a hamstring injury sustained in late February but recovered quickly. On May 7, he was scoring his 100th Saudi Pro League goal in his 105th league appearances for Al Nassr, which has a chance to win its first league title since 2019.

“All the efforts (Cristiano) makes and what he does on the pitch, which he has experienced more than all of us together, which he puts in every day and every game, is unique,” João Félix, Ronaldo’s teammate with both Al Nassr and Portugal, told the Saudi Pro League earlier this year. “And that we see him, at 40 years old, doing what he does, only gives us more motivation.”

Ronaldo scored 14 goals in 16 matches in his debut season in Saudi Arabia in 2022-23. In his first full season, he netted 35 goals in 31 games, setting a new scoring record in the league. Al Nassr won its first Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023 thanks to a pair of goals by Ronaldo in the final.

In the 2024-25 season, Ronaldo scored 25 goals in 30 matches, and so far this season he has found the net 26 times in 29 appearances. He was the league’s top scorer in both of his first two full seasons, and now is five goals shy of Al Ahli’s Ivan Toney.

Ronaldo has said this will definitely be his last attempt at winning the World Cup, but it remains unclear for how long he will continue playing.

His coach with Portugal knows better not to make any guesses.

“It’s difficult for me to say, because obviously I’ve learned very quickly not to predict the future with Cristiano, just because he’s got this elite brain about being the best that he can be today,” Martínez said. “And I’m thinking if you ask him, he’ll tell you the same. He doesn’t make plans.”

https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

FILE - Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring at the King Saud University Stadium, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, file)

FILE - Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring during a World Cup 2026 group F qualifying soccer match between Portugal and Hungary in Lisbon, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, File)