Winsome Resources outlines next steps for Adina lithium project

Caroline Peachey

Fri, Mar 21, 2025, 10:19 AM 4 min read

Winsome Resources is working to find a strategic partner for its Adina lithium project in the James Bay region of Quebec “in the next six months”, so that it can push ahead with further studies and, eventually, construction.

Adina, a hard rock spodumene lithium deposit first discovered in 2016, holds an estimated resource of 78 million tonnes (mt) at 1.12% lithium oxide. According to a scoping study released by Winsome last September, Adina has a forecast average production of more than 256,000 tonnes per annum of spodumene concentrate over the 21-year life of mine.

Winsome is hoping to acquire and repurpose the existing infrastructure at the Renard diamond mine to process ore from Adina. It secured an option in April 2024 to acquire Renard, located 60km south of the proposed lithium project.

“All the infrastructure is there: an airport, a power plant, accommodation – and most importantly the lithium processing plant. It can be converted easily and saves us around $500m on the capital cost of the full project,” Chris Evans, managing director of Winsome Resources, told Mining Technology during an interview at PDAC 2025 earlier in March.

The next step for Winsome Resources, he says, is to secure a strategic partner that can support the next phases of the Adina project development.

“Since we published our initial studies last year… we have been looking for a strategic partner,” explains Evans.

“We want a strategic partner on site to help us develop our studies and then ultimately move into final investment decision and construction.”

Winsome has been running the process for “about four months” and expects to bring a partner on “in the next six months” to exercise the option on the Renard mine, according to Evans.

Winsome, an Australian company which, according to its website, has an “established portfolio of exploration lithium projects in the James Bay Region of Quebec Province”, has until 31 May 2025 to act, otherwise exclusivity rights will be replaced with a right of first refusal over any alternative transaction.

Evans also says the company is working on its project feasibility study, which is expected to be completed around the middle of next year.

Winsome also recently submitted the preliminary information statement for the Adina project to the Ministry of Environment, Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks in Quebec, launching the start of the regulatory review process.

Alongside its flagship Adina project, Winsome has three other projects in Quebec: Cancet, Sirmac-Clapier and Tilly.