July 18, 2023 Ottawa, Ontario Natural Resources Canada
Critical minerals are not just the building blocks of clean technology like solar panels and electric vehicle batteries - they are a key ingredient for creating middle-class jobs and growing a strong, globally competitive Canadian economy. The move toward a global net-zero economy is generating a significant increase in demand for critical minerals around the world, creating a generational opportunity for Canadian workers and Canadian businesses. Concurrent geopolitical dynamics have caused like-minded countries to reflect on the need to have stable and secure resources and the clean technologies they enable. There is no global energy transition without accelerated activity in the critical minerals space.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced a second call for proposals for the Critical Minerals Research Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) Program. A total of $40 million in contribution funding is available to support developing technology and pilot demonstration projects. These projects will help develop critical minerals value chains, contributing to Canada's goal of becoming net-zero by 2050.
Global demand for critical minerals is increasing to support the transition to a low-carbon, green and digital economy. With its vast wealth in mineral resources, Canada can leverage its mining and processing expertise, as well as its environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials to become a leading global supplier of choice for sustainably sourced critical minerals and the clean technologies they enable.
The CMRDD Program advances the commercial readiness of technologies that will help Canada produce key critical minerals. This new round of funding aims to address a gap in the critical minerals value chain by moving projects from the pre-commercial stage into demonstration, adoption and integration into domestic and international value chains.
Successful projects will help build the critical mineral inputs for strong and resilient value chains, improve capital and operating costs and effective production from unconventional sources, develop innovative new ways to process minerals, reduce energy and carbon intensity, and improve resource optimization and waste reduction through circular economy principles.
Up to $5 million per project is available for pilot plant and demonstration projects that meet technology readiness levels (TRL) 6-8. Projects must advance technologies to produce key critical minerals and support raw material inputs into priority value chains in Canada for use in clean technologies; advanced manufacturing; and/or information and communications technologies and semiconductors, as identified in the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy.
Applications can be submitted online, and the deadline is 4 p.m. ET, September 29, 2023.
Together, the Government of Canada will work with successful applicants to ensure greener, more efficient ways of producing and processing critical minerals to continue to invest in critical minerals value chains.
