Under the Canadian government’s Critical Minerals Strategy, which it launched in 2022, $4 billion is being budgeted to increase the supply of responsibly sourced critical minerals needed for everything from electric vehicles to energy storage to food. At the same time, the country is courting investors and businesses that may want to tap its mineral-rich resources. 

Take the electric vehicle market for one example. Canada is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that has all the minerals needed to produce batteries for electric vehicles. That puts it in an enviable position given the world is moving rapidly toward EVs. The global EV market is projected to reach $693 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 17.3% from now until then. 

Canada is also rich in phosphate and potash, two macronutrients that play roles in the growth, health and output of crops. Some leaders within the Canadian government want those two minerals added to the critical minerals list. Outside of Canada, much of the phosphate rock is found in the Middle East and North Africa or MENA region, which is facing political unrest and economic instability. That makes getting it from outside sources costly and unreliable. It is also another selling feature Canada is trying to capitalize on. 

All of those insights were on display at a recent Canadian Critical Minerals Opportunities Forum, which brought together the miners and producers of these critical minerals and investors, lawmakers and businesses working toward a greener tomorrow, including Arianne Phosphate Inc. (OTC:DRRSF). The mining company out of Quebec, Canada operates the  Lac à Paul project in Quebec, the world’s largest greenfield phosphate rock project. It consists of several mineralized zones that will produce high-quality phosphate rock with little or no contaminants. Arianne’s deposit is igneous and thus, geologically rare. The company reports that this allows it to produce a much purer phosphate concentrate compared to those that produce phosphate from sedimentary deposits. It is worth noting that igneous deposits produce under 10% of all phosphate, making them highly prized. 

Arianne Phosphate reports that its Lac à Paul project is also the only independent large-scale development project coming on stream in the next few years and should become a big supplier as a result. It’s not just for fertilizer – there are several markets Arianne’s mine can serve including consumer products, food preservatives, animal feeds, cosmetics, detergents, industrial processes, semiconductors and LFPs.  

“At the Conference, I was able to attend some interesting panels, gaining insight from other industry leaders. I was also able to present Arianne Phosphate and its best of class Lac à Paul phosphate deposit in Quebec, Canada,” says Brian Ostroff, President of Arianne Phosphate about the investment forum. “It is exciting to see the growing understanding and interest in phosphate as a critical mineral required for next-generation batteries and energy transition. Arianne is well-positioned to serve this growing market in the years to come.”