Winsome Resources has submitted the Preliminary Information Statement (PIS) for its Adina Lithium Mining Project to the Ministry of Environment, Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks in Quebec.
This marks a key permitting milestone for the project, which is governed by the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.
The Adina Lithium Project, located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region, is subject to provincial Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) procedures.
It will be developed in compliance with Section 22 of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement wherein the Environmental and Social Impact Evaluating Committee will review the project.
Winsome Resources managing director Chris Evans said: "This represents the beginning of a well-defined regulatory review process that can only be beneficial to all stakeholders, including future investors and strategic partners.
“It will provide further details on our development project based on the technical studies completed to date and allows us to pursue discussions and collaborations to maximise the benefits for host communities and for Quebec as a whole."
The Adina Lithium Project has gained global attention since its identification in 2016.
The mineral resource estimate is based on more than 57,750m of drilling, with 79% of it in the 'Indicated' category and 21% in the 'Inferred' category, highlighting its significant scale.
A 2024 scoping study highlighted Adina as one of the most capital-efficient new lithium projects in North America.
The project requires modest start-up capital of $259m (C$371.81m) and has a net present value of $743m at an 8% discount rate.
Environmental baseline studies for the Adina site began in summer 2023, supported by Cree contractors.
These studies include hydrology, water quality, geochemistry, soil quality and climate data.
Biological studies cover fish habitat, wetlands, vegetation and various fauna.
Socioeconomic data collection will consider landscape, archaeology and traditional land use.
These efforts will continue into 2025, adjusting as needed to meet regulatory requirements for both provincial and federal processes.
