Shatford Lake is five kilometres southwest of the Tanco mine, an LCT-type pegmatite that has produced cesium and tantalum.

General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis have all announced plans to manufacture electric vehicles in Canada.

Trudeau said it was important to have “a secure supply from a friend and an ally”, noting Canada has many of the rare earths minerals needed for car batteries and solar panels.

Vale and Brazil state sign $7bn deal over Brumadinho; Gina Rinehart targets EV boom with ‘green’ lithium play; Silver price regains ground after two-day wild swing

Rinehart’s mining empire will become a cornerstone investor in Vulcan Energy, which is building a lithium project in Germany.

The company’s stock doubled in 2020 as lithium prices rallied on EV demand.

Sonora is regarded as one of the world’s larger known clay lithium deposits.