Feb 18 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto (RIO.L), opens new tab, (RIO.AX), said on Wednesday it has gained majority control of Canada's Nemaska Lithium, advancing its push to build an integrated lithium business in Quebec.
The Anglo-Australian miner now holds a 53.9% stake in the lithium producer and will assume direct management, while the Government of Quebec holds 46.1%.
Rio Tinto is seeking to establish a fully integrated lithium supply chain in Quebec, from mining raw ore to chemical processing, to supply the North American electric vehicle market.
Rio Tinto and the eastern Canadian province, through its economic development agency Investissement Quebec, have been investing in Nemaska Lithium since March 2025.
The partners will continue to fund the project, including the lithium hydroxide plant in Becancour, with first production expected in 2028, it added.
Quebec will invest up to an additional $200 million in Nemaska Lithium through share subscriptions, the company said, on top of an investment of more than $300 million by Rio Tinto in 2026 to further develop its lithium sector in the province.
Through its acquisition of Arcadium in March 2025, Rio Tinto acquired a 50% interest in Nemaska Lithium, which includes the lithium hydroxide plant in Becancour, Quebec, and the Whabouchi spodumene mine in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec.
Reporting by Sherin Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid
